unusual pretty irish girl names

[mum4five]

hi im 38weeks pregnant an looking some unusual girls names

It would be considered highly unusual in the sunny southeast too. Maybe it's those exotic Northern types who've used it.

I realise on re-reading that my post might seem quite rude, bluewisteria, so apologies.

I know a teenage Nuala too... I'm not in Ireland but her mum is Irish Irish as opposed to my-great-granny-was-a-quarter-Irish Irish.

I'm from the 'exotic' North & never heard of anyone called Macushla either!

I totally disagree with Nuala being like Mildred though - it's my favourite name

Orchil- I think its real Sqoosh, found it on an on-line Irish girl's name website!

A lot of these names I've never heard of - all the girls in my Irish family going back generations were Bridge/Bridie, Kathleen, Eileen, Celia, Nancy and Noreen and we were likewise named variations of these.

I've never heard of Macushla either. It sounds to me (witg no actual knowledge or expertise in the area) that it might be an evolution of a pet name/term of endearment, much like mo stor, mo croi, or similar?

Should have Googled before posting

Yes, macushla machree (mo chuisle mo chroí) is the only context I've heard it being used. But I suppose Alanna is a name that originated from a term of endearment too.

If you really want unusual names (but real ones!), there are some in this list of ancient Irish queens.

I kinda like:
Ailbíne
Dunlaith

A friend of a friend living in Northern Ireland has a DD called Cushla... Had never heard of it, certainly not in the east or west of Ireland. Don't particularly like it. All this talk of Nuala as a pretty name leaves me in stitches to be honest (sorry to any Nualas out there!). In my mind Nuala is a name for a women 70+ (at least!) who wears thick support tights year round and never misses a Novena at the parish church . Sorry to be harsh but I think it has similar connotations for a lot of Irish people.

Alannah or Alana (derived from a leanbh) was on our list. I also like Ailbhe and Saoirse, but avoided them as we live in the UK and people struggle with Dd1's name, which I thought was so easy it was practically phonetic.

Macushla is so makey-uppy, to my mind. I know it's from mo chuisle, but it just feels Plastic Paddy to me.

Ahaha, nuala! That's what what we call our lady bits in Limerick anyway. Awful.

I think Emer goes with your other names but is not that unusual. What about Eilidh, its like Eileen without the n.

Erin is derived from Eiru, who was an ancient goddess. It's not a 'makey-uppy' name. It is quite common though so not really unusual.

It is a bit makey-uppy though in that it's the Americanisation of 'Eireann'.

Personally I can't past the soup connection.

I'd put Erin and Shannon in the same category. And Colleen.

Amen, Mitzy. Erin is packet soup, Shannon is 'industrial estate near airport', rather than river, and Colleen is plain odd if you speak two words of Irish. A bit like calling your dog 'Dog'...

My friend had a cat called chicken