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Baby names

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Irish girls names

91 replies

fiadhflower · 15/09/2018 07:45

Hello! I have a shortlist of Irish girls names, but fear I’ve overlooked some lovely options. So please tell me your suggestions.

The rest of this post you can skip, but it might be useful background for some people!

I’m Irish, DH is English. The baby will be born in south-east England, but could grow up anywhere. We’re both lived and worked outside of our home countries, so there’s a good chance we’ll do that again. (And maybe we’ll just move to Ireland)

Husband speaks with a non-rhotic accent, which means that when he says some Irish names with Rs in them, they don’t sound right to my ears. For example, he’d say something like O-la for Orla. So keen to avoid this.

I have an Irish name. My job means I speak to people from all over the world everyday. I’m used to questions about it. And have coped just fine with that. It’s actually often a nice ice breaker. So not concerned about that, although would ideally like a name where the spelling isn’t too complicated for non-Irish people or is relatively well known (eg I’d probably opt for Maeve over Medb). But this isn’t a deal breaker. I also don’t want to create some weird Anglicised version of a lovely name just because some people are uncomfortable with other languages. (This has been suggested to me!)

Finally, I know a lot of people - family, friends, friends’ children - with Irish names. So it feels like I can’t use a lot of them! So all suggestions are very welcome!

OP posts:
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Littlesparrow0 · 22/09/2018 23:52

I in all honesty didn't mean anything bad to mathanxiety I was just simply asking as I'm Irish myself and found the comments a bit insulting but perhaps they weren't made out the way I took them up...
I agree that some people just put a name together and say it's Irish when it's obviously a completely different language or just completely made up. There are one or two listed on here that are simply not Irish!

I just thought her comment was trying to say the Irish language or names were crap basically. But perhaps I completely misread the comment. So apologies if I have. I'm a newbie so I've obviously never came across the user before. Apologies if I took your comments up wrong mathanxiety.

If you were trying to state that some non Irish people make up a name and claim it's Irish when it's complete bull I do agree with you.

Libertybells1 · 22/09/2018 23:59

Seeing as you like Blathnaid, what about Blaithín? Always thought it was cute and not very popular.

gindrinkingmarypoppins · 23/09/2018 00:01

I have always loved the name Mairead

SheisMammyof2 · 23/09/2018 00:16

Bríd
Nora
Nóirín
Drigín
Aisling
Gráinne
Eilis
Máire
Mairéad
Aoife
Eileen
Eibhlín
Cáit
Caitlin
Síle
Úna
Úaneen
Fionnúla
Sinéad

mathanxiety · 24/09/2018 04:34

Littlesparrow0 Sat 22-Sep-18 22:01:19

@mathanxiety are you Irish??
I find your comment quite offensive. You seem to have an issue with Irish names. Why comment on the thread?

I think you may have misread my comment wrt made up names. Or missed the context.

I was referring to some of the names names suggested in this list - "Cushla, Cara, brona, macushla, siobhan, grained, movanna, Carmel, Carmelita, Roisin, una, dara, Daria." Plus a few others on the thread.

Some are Irish.
Some are not.
Some are just plain made up.

mathanxiety · 24/09/2018 04:36

Blush x-post with you...

treaclesoda · 24/09/2018 04:43

@mathanxiety is Siobhan not an Irish name? I've lived in N Ireland my whole life and have known loads of Siobhans and had no idea!

Is it a modern name? Made up at some point then came into common usage, so was assumed to be traditional?

mathanxiety · 24/09/2018 07:16

It's an Irish name - but some on that list are not. Grained, Movanna, Daria, Cushla and Macushla (though maybe in the US for those two).. I know several Mexican and Puerto Rican Carmelitas (mainly older women). Carmel is a Marian name used widely in Ireland in the past but not technically Irish.

Many Irish names that are now really popular were dug up and dusted off at the time of the Gaelic Revival. Some were taken from myth and legend, like Niamh, Maebh, Deirdre, Sorcha, Sile, Orla, Oisin, Conchubhair (Conor).

During the 18th-19th centuries names that were popular were introduced with the Normans, the Old English and subsequent groups who arrived - Jehanne/Joan/Jane, Mary, Margaret, Catherine, Anne, Elizabeth, Rose, Thomas, Michael, Gerard, Jeremiah, William, Daniel, Martin, John, James, Patrick, Dennis, Nicholas, Peter, Joseph, Edward, Paul. Some names became hybridised over the years - Rosaleen, Maureen, Kathleen, with the Irish diminutive added to the stem.

Names were registered in English (registers exist from the 1860s) - I think it is reasonable to suspect that there were official names and names used in everyday life, with Irish names used in Irish speaking areas and English versions used for interactions with the authorities including religious occasions (registration of various sacraments, marriages and burials) and for legal purposes. It is very possible that names like Siobhan, Sinead, Mairead, Caitlin/ Cait/ Caitriona, Eilis, Peadar, Seamus, Nora, Liam, Padraic, Tomas, and Micheal were used in daily life, along with names that you never hear any more, like Nabla, Bedelia (immortalised in the stories of Amelia Bedelia, the hapless Irish maid).

There were Irish saint names - Ita, Brigid, Ciaran, Colm, Senan, Iarlath, Canice, Colman, Eunan, Columba, Aidan, Feidhlim, Nathy, Muredach, Brendan, Macartan, Ciaran, Declan, Finbar, Fintan, Malachy, Nessan, Tadhg, Rory, Fiacre - some of these are the names of cathedrals, or strongly associated with certain areas.

Often children would be given one of these names as either a first or middle name or in the case of the patron saint of a diocese, they would be allowed to choose either Patrick, Mary, Brigid, or the diocesan patron as a Confirmation name. Often the names were Anglicised versions of Irish names. These ^^ are a mixture of Irish and Anglicised names.

Many of this sort of locally significant name was also dug up and dusted off at the time of the Gaelic Revival.

There were names popular in certain very small regions (I am familiar with names from certain baronies in Carlow and Wexford - examples include Anastatia, Judith, Moses, Moling, Laserian) with names like Honora, Julia, Celia, Delia, Fidelma, Philomena, Dymphna, Eleanor and Sarah/Sally/Sadie plentiful in many places. Then there were names like Attracta, Concepta, Dolores, and even the exotic Consuela. And names still found in Connemara and probably other Gaeltacht areas, like Briocain

treaclesoda · 24/09/2018 07:24

Blush I totally misread your post and thought you were saying that Siobhan isn't actually Irish.

That's really interesting. I don't know very much about the Irish language but I find it really interesting to see how it has influenced the style of English that we speak here. Including the use of names.

DorasBob · 24/09/2018 07:27

Aoife makes me think simultaneously of Heffer and Queef.

So no that one Grin

Cleebope2 · 24/09/2018 17:25

I was totally aware when I posted those names that some didn’t originate from the Irish language but I wanted to throw a few names of Irish girls I know and like into the mix anyhow. No need to be so pedantic about it! The thread could be interpreted as names popular in Ireland not just Gaelic ones.

CherryBlossom23 · 24/09/2018 17:31

It could be interpreted that way, but the OP specifically said she was looking for Irish names, not names popular in Ireland.

Cleebope2 · 24/09/2018 17:35

I knew someone would come along and tell me off . Consider myself told!

Littlesparrow0 · 24/09/2018 19:46

Ah yes @mathanxiety I thought I may have took that post up wrong. No your right I too seen some of the names listed on here and said to myself that's not Irish and that's just plain made up!!!
So apologies because I 100 percent agree. People need to stick to legit old fashioned Irish names rather than throwing something together and saying "it's irish" it's a complete insult people!

Herculesfan · 25/09/2018 20:42

I could have written this post myself a few years ago. I went with Ailish.

Namelessinseattle · 26/09/2018 14:28

Names popular in Ireland; Emma, Emily, Amelia Grin prob not what the op wants

I think Irish posters should get a little flag beside our names. We are very laid back but very quick to take offense at any making a crack at anything Irish. (Unless it’s ourselves)

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