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Traditional Irish Names - what do you think?

116 replies

El2020 · 04/02/2020 03:08

Hi all,

I’m TTC my second child and I’m looking to cull my shortlist for Irish kids name which would match my other DC.

A little bit of a background Smile

So I’m Irish Australian and my background is from the Gaeltacht in Ireland (as is my spouse’s). I spend half of my between the two countries.

For those who don’t know the Gaeltacht is where the Irish language (Gaeilge) is predominately spoken in Ireland. I’m not particularly bothered by traditional Irish spelling or too “out there names” (by English speaking standards) as I think it’s important to keep our culture alive. I also feel like when you have a famous Irish person, people are more inclined to remember an exotic name! So that’s always a bonus!

My only “thing/rule” is we both want a traditional name...so Irish names which were created more recently like Saoirse, Aisling and Enin aren’t really liked by my spouse.

I don’t personally like “en” sort of names like Aiden, Hayden, Cayden, Zadyen, Jadyen as these are a bit bogan (chav/redneck) in Australia.

Last time around we stuck with tradition and named DC after one of his immediate family members. The name is a classic male Irish name and I get a lot of compliments on it. No problems with pronunciation when people hear it once or twice.

In terms of middle names, I get to pick those and I’ve selected traditional evergreen names. On the off chance my child or future child hate their name, I have an English name they can use professionally or personally.

Here’s some names that are on our shortlist:

Girls

No order...

Sadhbh - “Sive” means goodness
Méabh - “Mave” means intoxicating
Áine - “Onya” means radiant and after the fairy queen
Órla - “Or-la” means golden princess
Bláthnaid - “Blaw-heen” means flower but I’m worried this sounds to close (for Australians at least) to a particular sexual favour.
Caoimhe - “Keeva” means beautiful
Róisín - “Ro-sheen” means little Rose
Múiread - “Mu-reed” Irish version of Margaret

The girl’s two middle names would be on the lines of Margaret, Catherine/Katherine, Eleanor, Mary, Jane, Victoria, Pearl, Violet, Iris, Rose, and Elizabeth to honour other family members and incorporate MY name this time round. I mean what works for men should also work for women in passing down the names.

Boys

Aodh - “ay” means fire
Éamonn - ay-mon” Irish version of Edmund and I like the 1916 reference to Valera
Cillian - “kill-I-an” like Cillian Murphy yummyyyy
Ruairí - “Rory” means fire king
Pádraig - “pod-rig” is Irish version of Patrick but I feel like this could be too stereotypical of Irish people
Séamus “shay-mus” is the Irish version of James

This time round we don’t have to follow tradition and I think we are both open to anything reasonable and Irish. DC has an evergreen middle name which I’d be do the same thing for another boy.

Let’s see what you guys think 🤔 TIA!!!!

OP posts:
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Naomh · 05/02/2020 17:29

Sow as in female pig, but no, not in an English accent, this is an older pronunciation in at least parts of Ireland. I don't know if it's current anywhere. If you look up say Liam O'Maonlaí singing 'Sadhbh Ní Bhruinneallaigh', you'll hear him pronouncing the woman addressee's name as 'Sow' (and 'How' when it's in the vocative):

Ní iarrfainn bó spré le Sadhbh Ní Bhruinnealla,
Ach Baile Inis Gé is cead éalú ar choinníní.
Óra a Shadhbh, a Shadhbh Ní Bhruinnealla,
A chuisle is a stóirín, éalaigh is imigh liom.

Naomh · 05/02/2020 17:31

God, just realised how long ago that's from. He looks very fresh-faced. Grin

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 05/02/2020 17:41

Thanks for that link Naomh- that makes sense now I’ve heard it.

BadTigerKitty · 05/02/2020 17:57

That's so interesting Naomh
Sounds just like the 'dh' sound (what's that called) in Tadhg. And in that pronunciation the 'bh' is dropped, just like the 'g' is sometimes dropped from Tadhg.

LizzieAnt · 05/02/2020 18:35

Hi, sorry for the confusion, I did mean sow as a female pig. Thanks Naomh, I've always loved the song too Smile. If you check out the pronunciation of Sadhbh on forvo a couple of people do give both pronunciations, which makes me suspect you might still come across it? Not sure though. I thought it might be worth checking out as the OP will be spending a lot of time in a Gaeltacht in the west.

Voila212 · 05/02/2020 18:53

Aisling, Clodagh, Cara, Eimear, Sinead.
Sean,Eoghan, Senan, Liam, Aodhan, Tiernen

mathanxiety · 05/02/2020 20:50

www.daltai.com/discus/messages/13510/52888.html?1291203583

^^ A discussion of the pronunciation of Sadhbh.

According to one poster here, the 'Sow' version is out of favour in Connemara because of its similarity to 'sow' (pig). If true, this is a very interesting form of language change.

Sive (rhymes with five) is a Munster pronunciation iirc. (Hence the play by John B. Keane 'Sive').

pallisers · 05/02/2020 22:22

completely off-topic but I had SUCH a crush on Liam O Maonlai

MaraScottie · 05/02/2020 22:25

I have a Sadhbh (rhymes with 5)

I also love Donnacha, and Ronan.

pallisers · 05/02/2020 22:34

And now I've gone down a rabbit hole of youtubes - what a wonderful musician he is. My crush is back. Thank you Naomh.

InvisibleToEveryone · 05/02/2020 22:39

I know of a baby girl, Siofra
And baby boy Oisin.

Love Siofra.

Stillabitemo · 05/02/2020 22:56

Caoimhe for a girl and either Seamus or Eamonn for a boy :)

Naomh · 05/02/2020 23:09

He is good, @pallisers! I also fell down the rabbit hole of those Highland Sessions and remembered how gorgeous a voice Kathleen McInnes has — I love her version of ‘Jimmy, mo Mhíle Stór’. And Iarla Ó Lionáird.

Krazynights34 · 05/02/2020 23:15

I’m Irish and literally can’t remember how to pronounce names after reading this (it’s probably the beers I feel had 😂).

Names I remember liking before I fled to England..
Girls
Sorcha (this was pronounced Sor-ka)
Niamh (as discussion above Nee- uv)
Maire (fada on the a)
Aine (fada on the A - Awyn-ya)

Boys
Diarmuid
Cian (I would say Kee-an, in case that needs to be explained)
Fiachra (Fee-ak-ra)
Padraig (I spoke Donegal Irish though I’m not from there - and we would say Paw-drig)
Tomas (fada on the a) Tom -AWs
Fionn (f-yunn)

I’m going to stop before I start making names up!

LizzieAnt · 05/02/2020 23:25

Ah, love all that music too!! Just thinking that in a bilingual community it makes complete sense that names need to be acceptable in both languages. I love the name Conall, but didn't use it because the first syllable (Cun) doesn't sound so nice in English anymore! I might have been overthinking that one thoughSmile. Also love the name Aibhilín (pronounced Av-eh-leen) from the Norman Aveline. It's rare now but pretty I think. You did say you didn't mind complicated spellings OP Grin

ElfishBiatch · 06/02/2020 10:41

I like Orla, Roisin, Cian, Ciaran and Cillian

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