How do you feel about traditional Irish names?

[Jackie1985]

Given my Irish heritage, I'd like give my soon to arrive child a suitable name - such as Aoife. My husband thinks they could cause some later school bullying (think London secondary). Thoughts?

I know a lot of Aoife's so don't think pronunciation would be an issue particularly.

I love love love Laoise.

I don't get the phonetic thing, who decided that a random collection of letters should many sounds in English that they don't normally make?

Er, well they're not in English. They're in Irish. That's the whole point.

I'm asking why all Irish ( and Russian and Asian etcetc) words are not phonetic when written with English alphabet?

The Irish alphabet is

A b c d e f g h i l m n o p r s t u

I don't think it's an English alphabet necessarily either, just one version of the alphabets used for lots of different languages with the same roots. Lots of languages have the same letters but different pronunciations (French as an example)

tink every Caolan I've ever know has pronounced it Keelan, with the exception of one who said it like kale-in. I'm in NI so maybe depends what part of the country you're in?

Gobnait = Gub nit.

I actually like it

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Shocked I tell you.

Nellyphants Wed 28-Jun-17 21:28:35
Did kids 50/60 years ago get bullied for having traditional Irish names such as Kevin & Deirdre?

Yes, they did.

Ohyesiam Thu 29-Jun-17 00:10:45
^I don't get the phonetic thing, who decided that a random collection of letters should many sounds in English that they don't normally make? I suppose I'm asking why all Irish ( and Russian and Asian etcetc) words are not phonetic when written with English alphabet?
I am a big fan of Irish names, I'm not knocking then, just interested in the linguistics of it.^

'Random collection' - actually the spelling of Irish words is extremely regular, and phonetic according to the rules of Irish. Irish is not English and spelling follows its own very regular rules.

Asian words - usually written in pictograms, a completely different writing system that is not at all phonetic-based.

Russian - is actually an extremely phonetic language. Excellent letter-sound correspondence. The script is Cyrillic, not Latin. Once you get past the script you can make great progress reading.

English on the other hand is extremely irregular in its spelling 'system', full of random combinations of consonants, requiring a lot of learning of spellings.

I don't get the phonetic thing, who decided that a random collection of letters should many sounds in English that they don't normally make?

Lol. Yes, as has been pointed out, it's Irish and they armament exactly the sounds they should make.

That said, when I see names like Aoife, one half of my brain pronounces them in English and the other superimposes how I know they are meant to be pronounced.

If I see one I've not come across before it's pot luck as to whether my MN learnt Irish phonetics gets anywhere near the right pronunciation!

All the Caolans I have ever met except for one have pronounced it Keelan too. The exception was Kaylan.

(I am from Dublin but learned Connemara Irish).

Funny enough all the Caolans I know (5 in primary school) all pronounce in Kay len. I'm in Belfast.

Personally I'm not a massive fan of some of the 'oi' sounds - Roisin etc. But if you like them go for it!

Miss, Roisin is say 'row-sheen', as in row a boat. No 'oi' sounds in there

Lotta - I'm aware of the pronunciation. I'm just not a fan of those names - Roisin, Saoirse etc.

I meant 'oi' names, sorry, not sounds.

I'm amazed you'd think bullying might be an issue.

Pronunciation, sure, but bullying?

I think Irish names are gorgeous - obviously some more than others, but if that's your heritage, go for it.

I have a name that is very well known - admittedly very out of fashion when I was growing up with it in the 70s and 80s - but very well known now. I always have to spell it out, and get some totally bizarre pronunciations.

Unless your name is Emma or Tom, you will have to clarify the spelling or pronunciation at some point.

I've a difficult to pronounce Irish name and have given my two children Irish names, which are easier to say than mine. No issues so far. My heritage is important to me and having Irish names was always our plan.
Growing up in Dublin, I spent my life spelling out my surname and being queried as to whether or not I was pronouncing it correctly (eh yes, I know how to say/spell my own name?!) so I foresee something similar in my children's futures living in the U.K. A slight irritant sometimes but nothing major and I liked being a bit unusual in some ways. Plus people tend orb remember you, even if they can be reticent to call you by name!

'Random collection' - actually the spelling of Irish words is extremely regular, and phonetic according to the rules of Irish. Irish is not English and spelling follows its own very regular rules.

Sigh. Yes, this. As someone (quote often math) seems to have to point out on every thread on here about those weird/crazy/exotic/impossible Irish names.

The letter of the alphabet don't only belong to the English language.

I love traditional Irish names. I am Irish and have an Irish name (you wouldn't guess how to spell or pronounce it but it's pretty easy once you do know - and not uncommon) but as we live in England we have given our children Irish 'easy' names that people won't struggle with, like for example

Declan
Orla
Cormac
Ciara

However I love Sadhbh and Tadhg and it's a shame this rules names like that out!

Classic London Irish here and have mine easy Irish names too- Niall, Finbar and Cormac.

My Nan wanted to call my dad Patrick after her dad, but was worried about him being bullied, so she called him Kevin. He's always been cross about that.

I've always loved Oisin though

So is it seen as not a good thing to do, to give your child an Irish name, if you have no Irish heritage? I mean, not all English people have English names after all, think of all the Hebrew and Latin names for example.

Asking because I love the name Ronan, (although I know it isn't along the same vein as Saoirshe or Aoife), so genuinely intrigued.

Ronan has kind of gone mainstream, like Aoife and Declan. It would be weird if a couple with no Irish heritage at all called their son Fiachra or Naoise but I think Ronan is ok 😄

In the same way it would be odd for an Irish couple with no Italian heritage to call their son Giuseppe.