Irish baby names

[Melissarella]

First post! DH is English, I am Irish and pregnant with DC1. Looking for Irish name suggestions.

Struggling to find names we both like and that DH doesn't immediately associate with just one member of my family/friend/famous person. For example, I like Ronan for a boy but he said it was 'too Boyzone'. I know loads of Ronans so don't think it's an issue and I'm going to be giving birth so think I should get to decide.

We live in inner London. Kids at school will have names from a wide range of countries and cultures, so not worried about the name being unusual in the UK.

Surname starts with F so would prefer to avoid F names. I have a very common Irish girl's name starting with A and would like a different name for any DCs.

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Hi there - this thread is a little old. [[https://www.mumsnet.com/baby-names/most-popular-irish-baby-names
If you’re looking for an Irish baby name, find inspiration here]]. MNHQ

Really?

That wasn't meant to be a cheeky 'really' by the way, just a surprised one.

For boys:
Ferdia
Setanta
Danann

For girls:
Aoibheann (Eev-an)
Vourneen
Nora
Maeve
Maire (Moira)
Daibhnett (Davnet)
Fia

I'm Irish.. my best friend is a Niamh and my cousin is Niamh, they're both Neev

Gobnait is Irish for Deborah or Debbie. Aodh is Irish for Hugh. Think it's a lovely name.

I'm Irish too and all the eleventy million Niamhs I know are Nee-uv. Maybe it's regional.

I think Aodh looks more interesting than it sounds. And as for Gobnait............well that would just be child cruelty.

Gobnait isn't really Irish for Deborah. They're etymologically entirely unrelated. It's just that people trying to Anglicise Gobnait looked for an existing name that was vaguely similar... And the best they could do was Deborah, for some reason.

In Gobnait's defence, it might once have been pronounced Gowna or Govna... But now, yikes.

I'm Irish too and all the eleventy million Niamhs I know are Nee-uv. Maybe it's regional

It's just the accent. Where I am its half way between the two!

On the Niamh debate, I would pronounce it with two syllables. Somewhere between 'Nee-uv' and 'Nee-av', but the last bit is almost a throwaway syllable. DH says 'Neev'.

Does anyone actually know a Gobnait in real life?

I used to work with a Gobnait. And a Dymphna, an Attracta and a Concepta! It was a few decades ago though, and they weren't young then.

Were you working at the Legion of Mary HQ Tiddly?

I used to work with a Consilio. And she wasnt a nun. Poor thing.

Know a Gobnait pronounced gubnut. Dreadful name. She's about 40 now.

Gubb nett.

Orla

Absolutely love Roisa pronounced Rocha not sure correct spelling.

Also like Piaras - Pearse for a boy, Senan, Diathi.

^ Róise ^ is really beautiful.

Biased

Tiddly I was going to post that.

I love
Lasairfhíona (pr Lass-a-REE-na)
Sullán - (pr Sull-awn) a river in west Cork. Seán O Riada lived and worked near it.
Siún (pr Shoon)
Damhnait (pr Dov-net)
Síofra (pr SHEE-fra)
Beibhinn (pr Bevin)
Síomha (pr SHEE-va = peace/love)
Dymphna -- but are you granny chic enough to consider this? I know little sisters named Dymphna, Bernadette and imo they are fabulous names.
Íde (pr EE-deh) - very granny chic too.

Along the same lines as Dymphna is Philomena. Are you cool enough for that?

Moling - very ancient saint commemorated in the placename St Mullins, Carlow.
Laserian - one of the patron saints of Kildare and Leighlin (the other one is Brighid). Afaik, Laserian is the male (and anglicised) equivalent of the girl's name Lasairfhíona. Pr Laz-AIR-ian.
Rúadhán (pr ROO-awn) meaning red haired.
Conn (an Irish abbreviation for Cornelius that is sometimes used in its own right).
Macdara
Cormac
Declan
Cairbre (pr Car-[uh]-breh)
Colmán (pr Cull-mawn)
Séadna (pr SHAY-dna)

Mo chuisle -- my pulse, literally.
Vourneen -- mo mhuirnín/my beloved; nice but not really a name.
Both are endearments, and belong in the Count John McCormack school of Irish names. i.e. not Irish names.

Names like Colleen, Erin, Alanna/h and Shannon are in the same category but more acceptable as names.

Orla gets pronounced Awla in England, which imo changes it completely.

Niamh really should be Nee-uv because the IA should always be pronounced as two syllables in Irish, but Neev is a sturdy indefensible.

I know a Gobnait who does not live in Ireland and likes it that way.

Gormfhlaith is unusual and I think elegant.