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!

Neveah? OP asked for real Irish names not made up ones.

You can do better than Aoife, OP! All those beautiful Irish girls' names out there.

Out of interest, as Nuala is getting such a bad rap (and I know a lovely, albeit 80YO one), how is Fionnuala perceived?

Erin is lovely.

"Yelsel" - also not an Irish name. Is it Lesley backwards?

DowagerCuntess I would have thought of Fionnuala as a bit outdated. But my cousin used it for her little girl (who is now 18) and it suits her and is lovely.

I know a couple of Fíonnas (emphasis on the i). Always thought Fíonna was mich nicer than Fiona.

Fionnuala is the same as Nuala to me really.

Yelsel

I live in the Middle East, called my baby Méabh - people ask me to say it and think it’s lovely, fada and all.

Tbh, with a modern multicultural society people will have to learn new names with different pronounciations, I feel in UK (from my family), they just couldn’t be arsed. Always write Meave on cards, it’s not her name. If I wanted to call her an Anglicized name I would have.

I think of Fionnuala/Nuala as kind of the Irish equivalent to something like Carol - it's an Aunties name!

You could go super old school religious? Concepta? Assumpta?

Deirdre!

Deirdre is problematic.... The legacy of Deirdre (Deirdrie) Barlow and Dear Deidre in the Sun is long lasting and pervasive.

The Irish pronunciation is beautiful but commonly mispronounced and misspelt.

I was thinking of Deirdre of the Sorrows actually! I don't know any Deirdres under the age of about 70 (not counting Barlow).

Always write Meave on cards, it’s not her name.
That's just bloody rude.

I know Aoife is ten-a-penny in Ireland, but I don't think it is here, but it's still accessible. and she can curse the shit out of any bratty stepchildren

Bronagh and Deirdre are both out because they are both sad names. I'd like to wish as much happiness on my baby girl as possible!

For some reason Fionnuala is an auld wan's name whereas Nuala doesn't have that connection for me.

Yizzel sounds like either Dub slang for yourself or a Yiddish word.

I'll not be naming her Feile, or Fleadh for that matter. Although it would be fun to sing "she's my party and she'll cry if she wants to..." every time she cries.

There are a couple of (real) names that I hadn't heard of before though, and others that I had forgotten about so sorry if I'm coming across as sarky or negative. I know I am being very fussy though.

I love maeve

Keelin
Shauna
Laoise
Ashling
Cliona
Eabha
Sinead
Keela
Roisin

Féile

Did anyone ever go to Féile back in the early 90s? Seems like a million years ago.

Assumpta, Attracta, Fidelma, Moya, Noilin - the names of aul ladies at mass who sing too high pitched and you try not to sit near in case you laugh too loud and the priest glares.

OP please do name your daughter Columba like a PP suggested. She will surely be the only girl in her class with that name! 😂

I love Caitlín but I'd worry too many people would pronounce it "kate lin" these days.
Aideen is nice. Irish spelling of it is nicer but may be super confusing outside Ireland.
I'm also a fan of Siofra or Meave (in its various spellings).
A girl I went to school with has a toddler called Einin, which apparently means "little bird". I don't know anyone else with the name but thought it was quite pretty

I love Nuala but then I’m not Irish so doesn’t have the same connotations for me, the one I knew was young and glamorous!

Irish friends children/ Children I’ve taught with what I thought were lovely names:

Fiadh
Einin
Erin
Sorcha
Neala

I was going to say Nia but just googled at that’s welsh!

I like columba!!
Nuala a fanny i think.

Aurnia
Bethna
Brianna
Catriona
Eithna
Etain
Iona
Nora
Noirīn
Branna / Brannagh
Ealga
Eachna
Kyna
Neala
Colleen

Sinead

Some of these are awful. (am Irish and dcs both have Irish names).
Neasa is beautiful though.

Teagan

Some of those have an American-perception-of-Irish vibe. To be avoided.

Columba is a lovely name. For a boy.