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Original poster

Irish posters! How do you pronounce this name?

19 replies

0verNow · 26/12/2015 10:05

Just had a text from a friend announcing the name of her newborn son - Mael.

How is it pronounced?

Mar-el?
Mile?
Male?

Help! I want to call her and get it right!

Thank you.

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originalmavis · 26/12/2015 10:16

Errr a French friend has a nephew called that. I think its maaaah-el.

Luckystar1 · 26/12/2015 10:22

I think it's more used in France tbh, I've never heard it in Ireland. I'd just ask her how to pronounce it.... But I'd think it's as in male?! God knows!

edengarden123 · 26/12/2015 10:28

If there is a fada over the á id be incline to say mah-el. Never have come across the name before in ireland so could be wrong.

MrsLeighHalfpenny · 26/12/2015 10:31

French. Should have a diaeresis over the e (ë).

It's Mah-y-el

3luckystars · 26/12/2015 10:45

I have never heard that name.

hollyisalovelyname · 26/12/2015 10:51

Maelíosa is an Irish name
The Mael part is pronounced like male.

Zhabr · 26/12/2015 11:18

I heard this name. In the french film LOL the cool boy's name is Mael.

oneowlgirl · 26/12/2015 11:41

I've never heard that name before - is it definitely Irish?

Original poster
0verNow · 26/12/2015 12:00

My friend is Irish, so I just sort of assumed.... Found this though, which seems to say Celtic and Breton.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maël

OP posts:
Annarose2014 · 26/12/2015 12:01

Not an Irish name anyway.

pleasegotowork · 26/12/2015 12:03

Nope, not an Irish name I've ever heard.

Bogburglar99 · 26/12/2015 12:08

Ah . Breton link maybe? I know a little girl of Breton descent with the feminine version, which is pronounced (ish) My-ell but with the two syllables not very distinct.

CastaDiva · 26/12/2015 19:47

Not an Irish name I've ever come across. There's Maoliosa, but the first syllable is more like MWAY-ul.

Twasthecatthatdidit · 28/12/2015 18:43

Is it not pronounced Mel? I think that's how the Mel I know spells his name. Irish speaking family, all of the rest of the family have Irish names so I presume it's Irish too. Old Irish Google tells me

hollyisalovelyname · 28/12/2015 18:56

Twasthecat There was a St. Mel.
There's a St. Mel cathedral somewhere in Athlone or Longford I think.
Perhaps it's a different name

mathanxiety · 29/12/2015 03:52

It's not a version of Mel. Afaik Mel (as In Longford cathedral and boys' school) is Mel in Irish too.

IoraRua · 30/12/2015 04:42

Mel (as in the cathedral/school in longford) was supposed to have been a nephew of St Patrick iirc. He came with his uncle to convert the heathens Wink . Or so my grandad told me.

Never seen Mael as a name though. Though we do also have Maelruain so it's possible.

mathanxiety · 30/12/2015 22:05

The prefix Mael is an older version of Maol (meaning monastic tonsure).

Borninthe60s · 30/12/2015 22:13

Why don't you say congrats and ask how it's pronounced?

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