Myrna?

[Smellyjo]

What do you think? DD1 also has a name beginning with M which is my main reservation. We are having trouble agreeing - dh is Irish and wants an Irish name, I can't find any I like and that don't have unfamiliar spelling in uk. I like vintagey names like Mavis, Doris, Ethel etc but dh hates them. Myrna has come up and we are both interested, but I knew a family with 4 kids names starting with H which I thought a bit much!!

I only know old ladies called Myrna.

I'm happy to be corrected, but I don't think Myrna is Irish, is it? Anyway, whatever its heritage, it's not a particularly nice name to my ears.

And Cliona isn't pronounced Cleena in the part of Ireland where I am, it's Clee-uh-na, which is a nicer sound.

Agreed, where I am Cliona is Clee-oh-na or Clee-uh-na.

I don't really like Myrna, though I think it's perfectly fine to have two children with the same initial letter.

How about:
Maya
Maia
Moana
Maura
Muiread
Mona

Sorry OP, it's awful.

How about Maria/Mariah ?

We were in Dublin this weekend and Myrna was suggested by a cousin, we looked it up and says either irish or Slavic origins. I haven't seen it in baby books/ websites. It seems to have been popular in the 20s/30s and means 'beloved' or 'peace'. My husband said he's never met one in Ireland either, but since all he seems to care about is Irish origin and what I want IS old lady names, I think it might tick the boxes.

Interesting about Cliona but I don't like it either way anyway, but that's how he pronounces it. I really like Murdo for a boy (Scottish name) and Myrtle so Myrna feels close to them. Can't find any vagina references on google thankfully! And thanks about the two M's thought - no one seems too offended by that. Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

How about Rhona? I think that is beautiful, my friend has a toddler Rhona.

It’s an old lady name and not in a cool, hipster, making-a-comeback kind of way.

Have you considered Orla meaning golden princess and was the name of both a sister and a daughter of the most famous high king Brian Boru

Caitriona?

As a Celt of dual heritage trust me when I say you’re dipping in a shallow pool looking for nice Irish/Scottish “old lady” names.

I first thought coil But then saw how to pronounce it, I think I'd stumble and say murder. It's not for me sorry.

I think its fine to have 2 with the same letter. I wouldn't have thought Myrna was hard to pronounce. Morna and Moya are similar names.

Sorry, not a fan OP. Have you considered Fionnuala? Gorgeous name and has such cute nicknames (Fi, Finn, Nuala). Also like pp's suggestion of Orla. Ciara is also very pretty. :)

Awful.

I like it, think it's beautiful in the Scottish accent, can be spelt merna too. It's on our list as well as Elva.

My husband is Scottish, and my first thought when he suggested it was Myrna Loy.

It's really horrible, sorry OP!

Sounds like a moaning noise.

Too close to Myra, which is a no-go, and reminds me also of Mirena coil.

Nothing good at all really!!

It's not Irish. You'd need it to be Muirne to be Irish.

I'm Scottish so it sound fine, but it's going to sound terrible in non-rhotic accents. Like Muh-nuh or something.

Haha so a few strong reactions here! Agree completely PaulHollywoods - there is not much to pick from is there. It's such a bummer having to compromise on a matter like this! And exposes two different cultures- we both find what the other likes pretty weird. It took us so long to name dd1 and poor dh didn't get his Irish wish as we couldn't find anything we agreed on. We liked Idé but it seemed too serious for our little one when she arrived. And dh doesn't seem to care about proper Irish spelling etc, as long as he's seen something that says it's Irish then he seems happy so I'm not going to point out anything otherwise!

I'm afraid I don't like any of the other suggestions but I really appreciate the effort. So many names are ok but just a bit meh, or too popular for me. Although with the exception of Elva - thanks, I think that's quite nice but not quite granny enough for me! Will mull that over.

I still really like Myrna despite some of the reactions so maybe that has told me it's perhaps a winner! I think it's really feminine and interesting! I can imagine a dark, intelligent girl/woman. We've got a few weeks yet so will sit with these.

Thanks everyone

Ada is the loveliest old lady name!

I like it. Myrna Loy. Very beautiful and classy 1930s movie star.

If you spelled it Muirne it would be Irish - there is no letter y in the Irish language. I'm Irish and would pronounce it more like Mwir-nah than Murr-nah. What about Muireann? (Mwirr-in) Nicer than Muirne IMO.

I do like it but of our best pals has a Muireann so no for that reason, but also her Irish mum pronounces it mwirr-inn, but her Scottish dad and everyone here calls her Mirren anyway. I like the y spelling better but even if we spelled it authentically, those are not familiar sounds here and it would still be pronounced murrna by most. I wouldn't want a name that we both pronounce differently either, that seems odd to me.

Sorry OP it's dreadful. Ugly.