Thoughts on Irish little star!

[Marrilou]

Hi all, after some thoughts... I have a ten month old baby who has an Irish name (his dad's side of the family are Irish) and have another baby due in April that would ideally like to also give an Irish name to. I love the name Rae for a girl and have come across the name Réiltín (pronounced Rae-elle-teen) which is apparently Irish for little star. I am thinking I'd maybe like to call the baby this as their full name but know them as Rei. What do people think of this? If you saw the name Rei would you pronounce it as Rae/Ray? Does anyone in Ireland know of anyone with the name Réiltín as I can't find much about it on the web. Many thanks!

@WhatWouldZenoDo

Ive heard of this name but I am in Ireland.

Did you have a thread suggesting Raymonde??

I think Ray from Raonadh is more instinctive.

@WhatWouldZenoDo no that thread wasn't me though have started a few so it could've been 😄 Thanks for the suggestion of Raonadh but can't find anything about it online - is it little used? How do you pronounce it?!

Maybe the previous poster is thinking of the name Raonaid (Ray-on-id). A beautiful name but unfortunately it's associated with a young woman who was tragically murdered in Ireland about 20 years ago. I'm not sure of its meaning.

Nice doc about her here:

I agree, I think Raonaid is a lovely name but I couldn't separate it from Raonaid Murray. I've never met another Raonaid (not that I met Miss Murray but you know what I mean), which doesn't help shake the association.

I think Eileen and Maureen are nice.

@KirstenBlest what do you think of Reiltin?

I quite like it and if you can cope with Tadhg, why not?

Generally, I'd say avoid names that have spelling or pronunciation issues, but if you are OK with it, fine.

The thing with Eileen and Maureen is that they seem like granny names - Eibhilín and Máirín would probably be gushed over on here

It's just that ending - the 'een'. Doesn't matter how it's spelled.

It's just a long whiny sound at the end - sounds so awful in some accents too. Roisin is lovely looking. I knew a Rosheen from South London (spelled that way!) - her saying her name was like nails down a blackboard. Rawshaaaayn.

I'm Irish, living in Ireland and have never heard of this name. Is it a 'new' modern name?

It's one of these new fangled Irish names. I find all names ending with ín to be a bit saccharine. A bit O'Disney if you will.

It's not a modern or new fangled name. I know a Réiltín of 40 odd and another in her 60's. There's one in my DD's class and another in my DN's class, and I can see 2 on my work email contact list.
It's a totally normal Irish name, its not hard to say or spell.

5 pages discussing the name Reiltin - it certainly is divisive

I wouldn't say it's a 'totally normal' Irish name. It's been an extremely rare name up until recently. I'm sure there are a few middle aged Siúns too but in general I'd say that's a 'new' Irish names too.

This is an interesting tool from the CSO that lets you track the popularity of any name in Ireland. You can an see that Réiltín has been virtually unused up until 2008.

www.cso.ie/en/interactivezone/visualisationtools/babynamesofireland/

Even when it’s pronounced as a t rather than a ch, it’s a slightly soft t (hold your chin back a bit and touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth just inside your teeth).

I find the hard English pronunciation of Irish names can be a bit jarring. Tadgh like tiger or Peadar to rhyme with ladder. But that’s neither here nor there if you’re not used to hearing it any other way.

Personally I don’t like names that incorporate diminutives. It’s one thing to affectionately shorten a name in the family or among friends but I think everyone is entitled to a name with sufficient gravitas to be taken seriously as CEO, prime minister and whatever else they take into their heads to be. The ín/een doesn’t seem to stick permanently to boys’ names though it’s used in practice with babies and toddlers. I wouldn’t want to carry an een around for life.

I’m undecided about Rei. I quite like it -short and strong. I prefer Rae as a spelling. But I think I’d hear it as Ray which I really don’t like. I’m funny like that though. I have completely different reactions to Piers/Pearse/Pearce for instance. But thinking about it, Ray, as in a ray of light fits in well with the concept of Réiltín and it’s growing on me

I wouldn't say it's a 'totally normal' Irish name. It's been an extremely rare name up until recently

And yet, as I said, I know several and they are not recent.

Great, but as the CSO tool shows it's extremely rare and virtually unused up until the last ten years.

Very surprised at the narrow minded comments that ‘she’s English and will have to always spell out her name’ etc. 🙄 my name is a very well known name, however there are at least 4 variations of spelling so I always have to explain to people. What’s wrong with the baby having a name that signifies her heritage!! People have managed to grasp siobhan, neveah, aoife etc! If you love it go for it! The meaning is beautiful, it sounds lovely and I love rare names. I think she would automatically get called Rae as a nickname anyway regardless of spelling. I did see the suggestion of Orla somewhere, this is in my top 5 girls name’s. Love it! Orla Rae I also love if you’re looking for other options. Read a few threads and it seems a lot of people on here love to just be so super critical where they’re actually just being rude, not remotely constructive. Would ignore 💞

It's a totally normal Irish name, its not hard to say or spell.

The downsides are that if you aren't familiar with it, you will attempt to say it not knowing it is Irish. If you hear it, you'll attempt at the spelling.

Another consideration is might people think it's a boy's name, but maybe in 20 yrs time it will be as mainstream as Caitlin or Niamh.

@SushiSoozie I think the CSO site confirms it's not a 'totally normal' Irish name. It is 'little star' in Irish, but it is not traditional in any sense of the word and it has been created relatively recently. I'd put it in the same group as made-up names such as 'Neaveh' (Heaven backwards.

*Nevaeh

I think the CSO site confirms it's not a 'totally normal' Irish name. It is 'little star' in Irish, but it is not traditional in any sense of the word and it has been created relatively recently. I'd put it in the same group as made-up names such as 'Neaveh' (Heaven backwards.

Bollocks. Show me a 60 year old called Neaveh and you might have a point. It's a known, used, irish name and people of all ages have it as their name.

@SushiSoozie you seem overly invested in this, is it your name?! Either way, you need to go have a cup of tea and calm down

And anyway you obviously aren't going to back down on this which of course is fine but I know it is EXCEPTIONALLY rare for a 60 year old to have this name in Ireland. You're being ridiculous.

I've just put the name into fb and google...there are loads of adult women with this name. It's even the name of a play. There's an irish times obit for someone with the name born in 1924.
That doesn't suggest unheard of modern made up name, does it?

and another link for someone born in Dublin in 1900. Is that modern?

WagnerTheWehrWolf
Thanks for the Baby Names CSO list. Very interesting and another rabbit hole to go down instead of doing some work

I grew up in Dublin and never heard of this name. 🤷‍♀️

My favourite Irish girls name is Saoirse. I also think it has the advantage of being one of the very few Irish names that actually sounds better in an English accent. Its ALSO modern sounding without feeling try hard

But it's just Suh-shuh in an English accent. Orla is just All-uh. They are so nice in an Irish accent but dull in an English one.

Not the same. I know one who must be about to retire. It's unusual but it isnt backwards 🙈