Irish names for a girl

[HarrietM87]

I’m Irish, DH is English, baby will have DH’s English surname and live in London. Our DS has a standard (though uncommon) Irish boy’s name (similar to Sean - ie Irish spelling but generally recognised in England so not many issues with pronunciation or spelling so far).

I’m pregnant and if it’s a boy we’ll probably go for Patrick (just saw another thread on this - love the name!).

If it’s a girl we’d like to give her an Irish name but ideally nothing that will cause her too many problems, and also don’t want to use an anglicised spelling. Can’t use Aoife, Niamh, Meabh, Eimear, Orla or Derbhla due to close friends/family.

Any suggestions of names that fit these criteria (ie recognisably Irish but straightforward-ish spellings)? My absolute favourite is Ailbhe but I think that might be difficult for English speakers and if it’s spelled Alva it loses the Irish connection completely. Also love Nora but DH hates because of “bloody Nora”. Also considering names which aren’t Irish as such but commonly used in Ireland like Mary and Anne. All suggestions welcome!

100% you should pick names that are easy to read aloud or it will be the bane of your, and your child's life. Names like Gráinne turn into 'Grainy.' Another option is to anglicise the spelling of a name you like so that it's pronounced correctly. Depends on how much of a puritan you are

@agteacht I think Fiadh is becoming very popular at home at the moment - I know of 2 born in the last year (only duplicate girls’ name out of the many babies I know). I know it should be nice but I just hear Thea in an Essex accent!

I do not know any Fiadhs! Actually where I am it seems Irish names are used less and less.

Never heard Macushla just Cushla which i mentioned myself. Know a little girl with the name and googled it after meeting her as I was sure her mother had made it up lol oops!

Fiadh is having a bit of a moment here- I’m in Belfast and know a few born in the last year or two.

Outing, but I have a Sadhbh. It’s pretty much unheard of up here, but people get used to it. I wouldn’t let the spelling thing put you off a name you love- people have got used to Siobhan and Hermione, they can manage Ailbhe!

I had the same problem when I was trying to think of a girl’s name for dc2- I wanted another Irish name but it seemed like all the nice ones were mega popular (Niamh, Caoimhe, Aoife) or rarely used for good reason (Nollaig...).

DH seriously suggested Blaithín and I was about to lose it before finding out dc2 was a boy!

I love love love Ailbhe. Aoibhe is my personal favourite I think. Love Sadhbh but its not the most practical.
My family are Roisin, Maeve, Muireann and a Mairead. Pretty biased, but they're great
I carry a couple of fadas in my first name , and yes they throw people off when reading, but once people realise how to pronounce a name it's usually OK.
If you love Ailbhe, do it!

And congrats

I used to work with an Irish woman called Eithne which I think is a lovely name and easy for non-Irish people to pronounce and spell.

We used to live near a little girl called Beibhinn. My ds was in the same class as her. Some people struggled with the spelling but I don't think it was a huge issue.

Briege?

Shannon

Fiadh precious one saibhe queen of the fairies or doierann the amazing one

Nanny

It's Doireann 😊

(I have one!)

And even in Ireland, people mispronounce it ALL the time!

whose

Noooo... Cushla is not a 'name'. It's made up. Yes, derived from the Mo Chuisle phrase but not remotely Irish, just a phonetic way phrasing the Irish word for 'pulse'.

This is a real pet hate of mine.

Ditto Shannon, Reilly, Ryan...not Irish names, American notions of Irish names 😧

Her mum and google say it is and she has two other very irish names for the others so i was convinced!

Cáit
Coleen
Erin
Cara
Márie

rathkelter I’m surprised you think the answer is to not spell an Irish name correctly or go for a name that’s easy to pronounce..My name is not the bane of my life.. I’m happy to correct anyone who doesn’t pronounce it or spell it properly. My dc have friends from many countries in Africa, I asked how their names were pronounced when I first met them.. I don’t get the angst

whose

I mean, it's a name in that her mum decided to call her it, and all Google will tell you is it is name people dreamt up but no. It's definitely not an Irish name in the sense of a traditional name, with meaning, and I explained why in my last post. It anglises an Irish phrase that originally meant pulse and decides that's a name. Nope. 🙈

@HarrietM87 yea I can hear what you can hear... and we live quite near Essex...

@TerribleCustomerCervix it was someone who lives in Belfast actually who told me Fiadh was becoming quite commonly used. My family are in ROI but also don't want to use something they hear loads. But not asking them as don't want the opinions 😂😂😂

@Rosere I agree Ailbhe is really pretty. Do you say Aoibhe as 'Eva' or 'Ava' or can be either?

I do really like Roisin!

Sibéal
(Shibale)

My 16year old is Bridget, it's a fab name, x

OP don't worry ro much about the spelling people get used to it or ask. Dd3 is Aoife she has more issues w people calling her E-fer rather than E-fa than with how to spell. People will admit to struggling with the spelling but get strangely off with you if you say "you are pronouncing it wrong " so if the name is straight forward sounding don't worry so much about the spelling.

Personally I love Caoimhe Niamh and Iona they were on our short lists many years ago (my Aoife is almost 16) but you could also go with more angalised names like

Fiona Dana Finola Erin Cara or Brianna names people can spell and who has the Irish roots

I love Maeve - utterly beautiful. The great warrior queen. I wanted it on my list if we'd had a girl, but DP hated it because it made him think of Mavis.

Not sure why pp thinks Irish people don't use Erin. I'm in NI and the place is teeming with Erin's - a popular name 'on both sides', as they say.

I adore Maeve too, but much prefer the 'bh' (Irish) spelling

I've never met an Irish Érin in Ireland, but many Americans!

Im in NI and know a few Erin’s here too. Also Fiadh becoming very popular here over the last 5/6 years.

The only Erin I know is a little girl from a Protestant background in NI. The name did surprise me I have to say! I don't know any in ROI, but tbh it's a brand of soup there.

@agteacht I love Roisin. Its great. I pronounce Aoibhe as Eve, my sister calls it Eva. I like either. Love Aoibheann too, pronounced as Even or Aveen. Whichever depending on where you are.