Saoirse

[FetchMeMyLatte]

I love this name. I am aware the pronunciation is Seer-sha, however with my accent, I and others find this a little difficult. I prefer the pronunciation Sir(ser)-sha, but I would never want to offend anyone by pronouncing it wrong (I get fed up hearing people say names like Siobhan, Catriona and Eilidh wrong...).
Would this way be acceptable? Has anyone met a Saoirse and know how they pronounce their name? I know one who pronounces it Say-sha and I really don't like it.

I know one and the parents each pronounce it differently because of accents.

I'm Irish and with my accent it would sound like Seersha but I know Ser-sha's as well. It wouldn't cause offense at all

I'd pronounce it as 'seer-sha', but I know one whose parents pronounce it as 'Sare-sha'

not exactly helpful, beautiful name though

Saoirse Roman pronounces her babe Sir-sha. I’ve never heard it said like that before, though.

However, in my fathers part of Ireland (SE) it sounds more like Sare-sha than the accepted pronunciation of Seer-sha.

That probably hasn’t helped

Oh god, typos!

I think both are considered right due to differing accents. I saw Saoirse Ronan being interviewed recently and she said her family pronounce it Sar-sha, like Sarah. They’re also actually Irish. I think any of the above are fine, as long as you’re ok with people pronouncing her name differently until they know your way.

The Irish side of my family say Sorsha, that makes get be a Kilkenny thing.

What about Sasha instead? Easier spelling too!

Are you Irish would be my question? If not, I would probably choose a different name.

The only ones I've come across were pronounced Ser-Sha so you'd be fine

I'm not Irish. This is why I want to be careful about not causing issue or offence.
Not a fan of Sasha I'm afraid, and I love Saoirse because of the spelling too, it just flows so lovely.
Is Sare-sha, like Sarah-sha? like the Sare-bit (if that makes sense)?

Sorry i would probably avoid if i wasnt irish. The name does have some republican associations just in case you werent aware. Its a gorgeous name though.

One known s

I've known a Saoirse, pronounced Sorsha, and a Sorsha....so that's how I want to pronounce it. I have an English accent, so struggle to pronounce it like my Irish friends.

This is the one that gives me nightmares. In my head it's say - orse. A bit like sea horse.

The name only has Republican connections due to a translation. It translates from Gaelic to English as meaning Freedom. It doesn’t have to have any connection if it doesn’t have that relevance or meaning to you.

It’s one of my favorite Irish names. I’m Irish and see no reason for only the Irish to use Irish names. My name is Scottish and my Dh’s French.

Pronouncing Saoirse varies with regions so go with the one you want but be prepared to have to correct/remind people how it’s prnounced.

Don't use Saoirse if you aren't Irish and find the pronunciation 'a little difficult'.

Well here in NI it can be viewed as "patriotic". Its the name of the republican sinn feins newspaper and if i remember rightly it was the slogan used in the free the pow campaign ( i was very young then so i could be wrong.) Its may not be relevant to the OP inkspellme but not beong irish i wanted to let her know! I dont think irish names should be kept for irish people.

I only know it as sor-sha. It’s a nice name though.

Oh no harm in pointing out all reactions to a name. I would choose the name because of its meaning. However, plenty of names are chosen regardless of it so I thought I’d point that out.

I like the fact Irish names are appearing beyond Ireland. If I wanted to call my daughter a traditional English name no one would say that if I had no English connection to not use it. This is all just my opinion and mean in a light hearted discussion way.

I was aware of the Sinn Fein connection, but after presenting this to Irish friends none made the connection. If they did, it was only when I mentioned it and it twigged their memory. So I considered that to be in the clear!

Inkspellme I agree, and thank you. I'd choose the name Saoirse because I like it. As I said I like the way it flows. I've had positive reactions from those around me in regards to it as well (except DP, who I'm still trying to bring around...). I could argue I have extended Irish family and heritage, and link it to my own name being of Gaelic origin, however I am undoubtedly not Irish and to be honest, I just like the name. Irish/Gaelic/Celtic/Welsh/Scots names are lovely and should be embraced more (in my opinion).

whiteroseredrose haha it's funny that when I show people it written down they say it looks lovely but then panic about how to pronounce it, but as soon as I say it I get a positive reaction.

I really wouldn't pick a name that you know you can't pronounce correctly.

In NI its normally seer-sha but sir-sha is totally fine too. Sor-sha (Sorcha) is a different name, which also has different pronunciations depending on what part of the country you're in!

It does vary by dialect. Where I'm from the first syllable would rhyme with pear or stair. With the tiniest hint of a W sound after the S also, just to confuse things.

The final syllable is more of an "uh" than a strict "ah" sound for me too.

Saoirse Ronan sometimes explains it as "rhymes with inertia" which is probably similar to my way of saying it.

Having said that, if I meet someone who says it in a different dialect, I do try to remember to use their preferred way.

I think it's beautiful but I would consider it to have very strong political connotations and would never choose it for that reason.

Saoirse is a beautiful name and I think that your way of pronouncing it is perfectly fine, it's seer-sha where I'm from but it does vary from region to region and your pronunciation is totally normal

I've got a Saoirse. She is my little ray of sunshine ☀️ We are not in Ireland either. Just be prepared for some off the wall pronunciations.

We pronounce it Seer-sha but have been asked if it's Ser-sha. Both are correct.

I love the name and I'm so glad we went with it.