Sean and Sinead

[HarrietM87]

Ok so my son’s name isn’t actually Sean but it’s a similar classic Irish boy’s name that starts ‘Sh’. Is it awful if I call my daughter Sinead? Will it sound matchy and twee/a mouthful?

I started a similar thread recently about having 2 children with the same initials and consensus seemed to be it was fine, but wondering if this is a step too far.

Other options I’m considering are Ailbhe (worried the spelling will be an issue for her - live in London), Nora (think this is becoming quite popular which I’d like to avoid) and Mary (DH and I pronounce it differently which may annoy me/be confusing).

Other thoughts and ideas welcome!

I know a brother and sister called John and Jane and don't think it's weird.

Mary is the nicest of the names.

I think it IS a bit matchy,

Ailbhe is lovely but I get your concern re spelling and pronunciation.

I didn't know there were two ways to pronounce Mary.

Roisin? The sh sound is there obviously but not at the beginning I think it works better with your S--- boy.

It is a bit matchy. Also I hated having the same initial as a sibling it was anexcuse to open my letters

Too matchy for me, sorry!

How can you pronounce Mary differently?

I think your names are fine. It could be Sean (or Sh..) and Siobhan.

I’m from NI so Mary sounds a bit like Meery in my accent. DH is the standard Mare-y.

I feel like the post thing won’t be a problem as they are different sexes - it tends to only be official post that uses Initial plus surname and it nearly always has Ms/Mr. Once they’re old enough to receive post things might all be done by email anyway!

I do worry it’s a bit matchy. Also want them to seem like individuals. Might have to go back to the drawing board...

Ailbhe is gorgeous OP. I think you'll be ok in London, there's so many people here with non-English names. I'm in London too and considering Welsh names that will need explaining the first time like Eira and Osian.

How about Aoife, Orlaith/Orla, Fia, Una, Saorla, Saoirse or Caoimhe? I went to school with a Saoirse and a Caoimhe, in England, but not London, and everyone managed the names after the pronunciation was explained.

I think Aoife and Orla are quite popular in London, so should hopefully work reasonably well. I worked with an Una years ago - I think it's well known and straight forward. It's a gorgeous name.

Is there an Irish version of Mary? I ask because there is a Welsh version, Mari (marry). If so, would that avoid the pronunciation differences? FWIW I think Mary would be ok - that's just an accent difference. It would be strange if you had a Naomi and one parent said Nay oh me and the other Nigh oh me for example. I have a Welsh name which sounds different when said by Welsh family and English family due to the accents. That's before you throw in the German and Norwegian sides of the family I quite like the difference, and pronounce my name slightly differently when in Wales to how I do in England.

Thanks @CaffiSaliMali. We’ve ruled out lots if the lovely options you’ve suggested because they’ve been used by friends or family.

I can’t stand how Orla comes out as Awla in an English accent which is a shame as it does fit the bill otherwise.

The name Marie (but pronounced Marry) is common in NI but I know in England she’d just get the French pronunciation. I don’t like Maire which is Irish for Mary itself. I like how solid and old fashioned Mary is so maybe we should just go with that. With my son’s name they sound like an old couple in their cardigans which tbh is kind of the vibe I’m going for!

@HarrietM87, Is your DS called Seosamh by any chance?

I love the name Mary and wanted to use it but my family would have said it as Merry.
CaffiSaliMali didn't mention the usual welsh version of Mary, Mair. It is lovely but too difficult if you don't know how to say it - it's Like Myra without the a.

@MikeUniformMike no he’s not - more common than that. Nobel laureate.

Séamus and Sinéad is a bit more matchy, I think, because of the repeated ‘éa’ as well as the initial ‘Sh’.

How do you feel about Sadhbh? That’s what my London born DS was going to be if he’d been a girl. I agree with you about the horror of ‘Awla’.

I like all your names, but Ailbhe the most. DS has a much more unusual/non-phonetic-in-English name, but has had no problems in England.

It's a bit Janet and John, really... And please don't go with Ailbhe if you live in London, it'll be a needless nightmare for her.
Mary is lovely.

It was a joke OP - Joseph and Mary.
If it is the irish for James - it's great.

I think it’s too matchy perhaps. Ailbhe would be fine if you live in London, though. But I really like Mary.

Mary is great and sounds good with your DS’s name.

OP I love Mary it was on my list . It's such a beautiful classic name. I'm in Ireland and a friend is Ailbhe and lots of people seem to struggle with it so to be honest that would turn me off it.

Ha ha @MikeUniformMike totally missed that! I do like Seosamh as well actually 🤣. I adore my son’s name and just can’t find a girl’s name I love as much.

Convinced now that Sinead is out.

I like Sadhbh too but surely that’s harder than Ailbhe for English people? The baby will have my English husband’s surname so I like that my son’s first name also makes him identifiably Irish, which you don’t get with Mary, but then you run into the spelling issues.

Aoife, Aisling, Ciara, Clodagh and Niamh would be ones which are fairly well known in England imo and wouldn't have fadas anyway but I think Aisling and Niamh in particular are a bit 90s... Ciara also has the issue of the American singer pronouncing it Sierra which confuses things in England! You could maybe go for something like Kathleen, Bridget, Emer which are anglicised but not like, offensively so.

Thanks @Etcni. In the family we’ve got Aisling, Nuala, Derbhla, Roisin, Meabh, Ciara, Niamh and Eimear which rules all those out, and my best friend has just had a little Aoife as well.

That’s why I was looking at more 90s names like Sinead and Siobhan but ruled both those out now too.

Feel like all the more familiar ones have been taken and the obscure ones will create spelling/pronunciation issues!

Aine is another option. And Nora and Ailbhe still in the running.

Sadhbh - Sive? Ailbhe -Ailvuh? Aine - Ena or Enya?

In my youth/schooldays I remember that Siobhan was Sigh-oh-ban, Shob-han, Shivonne...
Sinead was Sigh-nee-ad or Sigh-need
Niamh got called Nee-um (Isn't it Nee-uv not Neev?)

and Sean was occasionally Seen despite James Bond having been Roger Moore for a while.

Just pick the name you like best, but bear in mind that some will try to say Ail-be and Sadub. My attempts were probably no better.

I'm a Mary!!!!

What about Moya?
I love Sadhbh.

I can see your predicament OP, a lot of the easier to pronounce ones seem to have been ruled out.

How about...

Ríona
Fionnuala (Nuala?)
Blathín
Clodagh
Éabha
Maeve
Mairead
Una