Lovely, Gorgeous, Irish Girls Names Please!

[HolyShmoly]

DH and I are really struggling with names. We are Irish, living in England with a very English surname (think Smith.) Baby will be born and raised in England and I'd like to give her an Irish name as a link to our home and also so she doesn't have the dullest name ever (I have a really plain name which I disliked and then ended up having a very dull surname to go with it so it's a pain I feel.)

I'd like to avoid names with fadas or that are too difficult for a non-gaeilgeoir to get a handle on, I think two syllables would be preferable. Scan says baby is a girl. Lots of family so Maeve, Niamh, Roisin are out and DH doesn't like Aoibheann or Mairead.

So far we love Aoife. That's it. Just one name shortlisted. Ideally I'd like to have at least two names to choose from, or else we might end up with a not-at-all-Irish Eleanor.

Thanks in advance!

Síofra (fairy)
Ríonna (queen/like a queen)
Realtín (little star)

Siun, Fraoch, Maeve, Clodagh. Those are my favourites.

Dislike Saoirse (don't hate it, just not keen)

Please don't pick Aoife though. The world doesn't need another Aoife. It's like Kate. It never goes away. It's so safe.

Oh I also love Sorcha - means light

Love Aisling

Hate Nuala

Darina not mentioned yet

Rosaleen also

I forgot about Fiadh, I love that one. I have to say an fiadh rua under my breath quickly though.

Muireann is lovely. Knew one who pronounced it Mwirren. And even Doireann is pepped up in Irish, from Doreen to Deerin

In Defence of Mary and Margaret, they are coming soon. To a ward near you............

I have a Saoirse and don't live in Ireland or NI. Not one person has ever mentioned the political connotations. You should watch the film song of the sea. It will make you fall in love with the name 💖

We're in the UK with a Sadhbh, OP (well, Northern Ireland but 50% of the population including my side of the family wouldn't be too familiar with it!). I wouldn't be worried about the spelling- to an English speaker, Irish spellings don't make sense whether it's Eibhinn, Sadhbh or Aoife.

We obviously love it- it kind of has the same feel as Niamh without there being about four in every junior school class.

We liked Aoife as well but again it's very popular- and rightly so, it's a lovely name. If that doesn't put you off then just go for it!

Blathnaid! I have a friend called Blon. Love the name. People would balk at first I think but it is very soft.

Dearbhla (derv-la)
Elish
Muireann (mur-in)
Aileen
Bronagh
Frances
Maeve
Michaela
Rachael (not sure if this is irish!)
Sinead

My sister is an Aine living in England and they really struggle with it initially - she gets a strange pronunciation like "ian" mostly

We know an Aoileann (Ee-Lun) which my mother tried to convince us to use. We used two of the other names listed on this thread. One has fadas and one uses a shorterened version of her name (though it’s a more anglicised name than our eldest) and everyone seems to cope okay!

I have a Shannon. I know a few aoifes it’s quite popular around here

Surprised to see people suggesting Aileen and Eilish/Ailish. I would consider the former a bit like calling a baby Sharon or Deborah (nothing wrong with that, just a bit outdated) and Ailish is an oul biddy name! my mum is nearly 80 and has several friends called Ailish. And Eithne.

I like Orla, Siofra, Sadhbh, Eimear, Maeve, Aine, Aoife, Niamh, Clodagh. Probably loads more I can't think of.

Really dislike Blathín and Beibhín (have seen various spellings for these).

Nuala as a name for ladyparts made me laugh. Better that than a name for a baby!

Muireann is top of our list (in London) Squoosh DH is hoping Catastrophe might actually help people pronounce it.

I hear a local couple discussing a friend's new baby recently and it took me a minute to realise that the child's name was Fia(DH) Fear or Thea.

Some from our long list:
Moya (Donegal version of Máire)
Laíní
Étain
Síle
Neasa

Love love Líadan(Grey lady) and Nóinín(Daisy) too.

justdontevenfuckingstart, I have a Ciara as well. Sierra, Key-ar-ra etc. Who knew it was so difficult to pronounce? I've Irish heritage and dp is NI, plus love the name.

But she is only twelve weeks old and I am sick of correcting spelling and pronunciation. Just a thought if you are in England. For example, she has a little friend who is named Aoife. But even dp and I could not agree on the pronunciation until it was confirmed by my friend (ha, take that dp, I was right!!!)

I think Aisling deserves a come back! I know quite a few my age (30) but don't think it's as popular now, and hopefully people in England will have heard of it.

I love Ailbhe (but see you're ruling it out), Ciara, Caoimhe, Sinead and Aileen.

How are Nuala and Fiadh pronounced?

New- laa. And Fee ah.

I'd say Noo-la @Slanetylor (because I pronounce new as nyoo)

Ha ha!! Noo-la it is.

neveah pronounced neevah.

Lol. That makes uppy name is absolutely not bloody Irish, don't try to blame us for it. No v in the language aside from anything else.

Yelsel (Yizelle)

I love the name Alannah but would struggle if I had more than one child to call one of them 'my darling'.

Bronagh would be my vote.

Grainne? Ita?
Love Aisling