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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Irish Boy Names

84 replies

RaisedByPuffins · 18/03/2019 13:22

Help needed for DS2 due in a couple of weeks!

Husband is Irish, I'm English and we live in London. We already have a 3 year old boy called Cuilean (pr. Quillan) and are totally stuck on boys names for this one. We want to give him a fairly unusual but not too hard to say Irish name. Particularly as we live in London so lots of lovely names won't work so well without the accent.

The spelling is less of a thing as I have a very dull/ordinary name that has 3 spellings so I always have to spell mine as do so many people I know Claire/Clare Sara/Sarah Rebekah/Rebecca etc.

We like but are not totally in love with:

Diarmuid
Ferdia
Lorcan
Donnacha
Tiernach

Middle name will be Thomas and we like but can't have:

Cillian
Colm
Ronan

Any suggestions gratefully received!

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Hollyhobbi · 25/03/2019 02:02

Eoin/Eoghan is pronounced as Owen which doesn't sound like Ronan at all. What about Eamon/Eamonn which is the Irish for Edward? Don't think it was on any previous posts.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 25/03/2019 02:07

Tadhg is one of my favorite names.

Daithi i like

NeverTalksToStrangers · 26/03/2019 09:59

I know Eoin/Owen doesn't sound like Ronan (I'm irish), but put together with the surname Owen Keating sounds a bit like the pop star.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 27/03/2019 06:46

i know Eoin/Owen doesn't sound like Ronan (I'm irish), but put together with the surname Owen Keating sounds a bit like the pop star

No it doesnt it sounds like owen keating, the pop stars name is RONAN which you've said stounds NOTHING LIKE EION/EIOGHAN. because it doesnt.

EION is OWE-N
RONAN IS RO-NAN

two totally differently sounding names even with the same surename

HarrietM87 · 27/03/2019 07:38

To be fair I know what nevertalkstostrangers means- they’ve both got the O and the N so quickly/over the phone could sound similar. Depends how sensitive you are to that sort of thing. I personally wouldn’t want to be called eg Whitney Spears.

Heratnumber7 · 27/03/2019 08:06

My favourite Irish boy's name is Jarlath.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 27/03/2019 08:32

Depends how sensitive you are to that sort of thing. I personally wouldn’t want to be called eg Whitney Spears

Totally different, whitney and Britney rhyme

Eion/ronan is more like saying kerry minogue sounds like kylie minogue because they both have a Kand a Y in.

Or isabel minogue sounds like danielle minougue.

I said both names over the phone this morning asked my best friend eion and ronan sounded the same in fact i was on the phone to her as i typed the message and she said nope they sound very disimilar

She was comunting on a busy bus. If some one with noise distraction can tell the difference over the phone i'm pretty suee everyone can

HarrietM87 · 27/03/2019 09:05

Wow naught you’re really invested in this 😂

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 27/03/2019 09:12

Not really i happened to be pn the phone to my friend as i read the thread we speak qt that time in the morning every morning

Wgich is why i didnt mention it in my reply it just happen i could prove that they sound bugger all like each other on the phone 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bluerussian · 27/03/2019 09:17

Ciaran
Sean
Declan
Ruari (pronounced Rory)
Patrick of course
There's another one I've forgotten, I'll come back with it if no-one else does.

I like Irish names.

Exhausted18 · 27/03/2019 09:22

If you like Ronan how about Riordán (Reer-dan) or Rúadhán (Roo-awn)?

I also love Damhán (Dah-van) and Ciaran, they are top of my list if I ever have a boy.

scratchbass · 27/03/2019 09:25

@Bluerussian Any Ruairi I know doesn't pronounce their name Rory, it's more roor-ie rather than roar-ie.

I'm no good at phonetic spelling Smile

Nuyearnume · 27/03/2019 09:26

How about Oisin,Darrach or Fionn

Exhausted18 · 27/03/2019 09:27

Sorry OP, missed the part where you said you didn't want fadas!! Colm? Or Feargal?

CarpetGate · 27/03/2019 09:33

Tiernan.

Donnacha or Donnagh are gorgeous, but English people don't have the soft "D" required to pronounce these names (put the tip of your tongue almost underneath your top teeth to begin the D).

Keener · 27/03/2019 09:45

That's true, Carpet -- and names with a soft D sound nowhere near as nice when pronounced with a hard one.

autumnkate · 27/03/2019 09:46

Seamus is lovely and I love Tadhg but it seems to be difficult in England

evaperonspoodle · 27/03/2019 10:45

I met a Daithi once it is my favourite name ever. How is Tadhg pronounced?

Exhausted18 · 27/03/2019 10:55

Tadhg is pronounced Tygh. Like the first syllable of tiger

Exhausted18 · 27/03/2019 10:57

Or rather, like Tiger without the "er" I should say

MindyStClaire · 27/03/2019 11:20

Naught if you're going to get so worked up, at least spell the names right. Grin It's Eoin and Eoghan (and I totally get what the PP was saying about Eoin Keating sounding a little like the pop star).

Keener · 27/03/2019 11:35

First syllabe of tiger but with a soft 'T' sound.

Keener · 27/03/2019 11:35

SYLLABLE.

TheLoneWolfDies · 28/03/2019 22:34

Why are people saying Naoise? Naoises a girls name and half of the ones reccommend are surnames.

willwinlottery · 28/03/2019 22:45

I like Declan and Fiontan