Oona

[17caterpillars1mouse]

What do you think of the name Oona? I imagine a lot of people will prefer the spelling Una, which is actually a family name for me (though she pronounced it you-na) but I just love the spelling Oona

I prefer Úna, pronounced oo-na, but the Anglicised Oona is also kind of cool. It's used in Finland too, I think, so has a kind of Scandi thing too.

I personally don't like Oonagh as much - the Anglicised vowel spelling plus the -gh as a sort of Irish flourish is a bit weird to me. The -gh isn't in the Irish spelling of the name, so I see no reason to use it.

I prefer the spelling Una, Oona just reminds me of my ooni pizza oven

If I was going to have another girl I would call her Oona, absolutely love the name.

Well the OP was asking opinions on it and mentioned the spelling.
Just giving an opinion that I dont particularly like the oo spelling.

Old fashioned - i am in Ireland and would associate it with someone in their 60’s or 70’s.

@SuperSleepyBaby

Old fashioned - i am in Ireland and would associate it with someone in their 60’s or 70’s.

So it is Irish as well as Scandinavian and I’m not going bonkers? Thank goodness for that.

@RickiTarr
I'd have thought Oona/Oonagh was the anglicised form of Úna though? (I'm open to correction here, don't know anything about the Scandinavian influences etc. that pp have mentioned.)
I'd pronounce Oona and Úna the same way (as Oo-nah).

It's lovely name. The oo is fun.

Úna is ok, bit dull. I dont like that it just means 'a' in Spanish. Im irish but the sound Úna, I hear the spanish meaning and it's just too bland and random as a name.

[quote LizzieAnt]@RickiTarr
I'd have thought Oona/Oonagh was the anglicised form of Úna though? (I'm open to correction here, don't know anything about the Scandinavian influences etc. that pp have mentioned.)
I'd pronounce Oona and Úna the same way (as Oo-nah).[/quote]
No, Oonagh is definitely an Irish spelling (as is Orlagh - getting my brain straight now). I’m not getting into the politics of the rest of it.

I think it's awful.

Sorry, cross post earlier @RickiTarr.
Úna is Irish, quite an old name, I'm not sure how old but there are 14th century Únas. May have come from Latin originally or maybe from uan, the Irish for lamb - as far as I know the etymology isn't certain.
Oonagh/Oona is an anglicised spelling, not an Irish language one. However, the name has been anglicised within Ireland as well as outside Ireland (for the last 100 years or so anyway), but the Úna spelling is more popular in Ireland. It's seen as a bit old fashioned now but I like it. I quite like the Oona spelling too OP.
I don't about the Scandinavian link. Other Irish names have ended up there and vice versa though. Or maybe the root of the name is different there, I'm not sure.

@Labradooodle

Úna is ok, bit dull. I dont like that it just means 'a' in Spanish. Im irish but the sound Úna, I hear the spanish meaning and it's just too bland and random as a name.

I think of the Irish word "uaithne" which has several meanings including "emerald green". I think this is the origin of the Irish name but not sure. There is a soft h sound in between the oo and the na iyswim.

Oona is also a scandi name (I'm scandi) but we pronounce is Awn-ah

Oona looks a bit odd but it's an okay name.

When I saw it at first I thought you meant Oana. I know a Oana. That's a nice name when pronounced correctly.

Oonagh/Oona is an anglicised spelling, not an Irish language one. However, the name has been anglicised within Ireland as well as outside Ireland (for the last 100 years or so anyway)

Ah thanks for putting me right. It crossed my mind that maybe Oona was the anglicised version of Oonagh the Irish one, then I realised that couldn’t be right so stopped before I confused myself again.

It gets so complicated where there have been so many layers of occupation and migration over centuries.

Love it! And love the Oo spelling

Yes indeed RickiTarr. Loads of anglicised spellings and pronunciations are used in Ireland, in surnames especially, and placenames also. Still Irish names of course, but not Irish language ones.

Love it

Una was on our list for dd3 but Oona seems ‘cooler’

Laughing at all this as my name is Oonagh and I have a love/hate relationship with it.

I can confirm I am in my 50s, not my 70s.

Una and Oonagh are pronounced the same.

It’s not Yoona.

It’s a no from me if I’m honest.

I like Úna, but somehow Oona seems dated in a bad way (besides looking wrong). Like Sheila seems dated but Síle is fine.

Maybe it's because it reminds me of Oona from The Growing Summer? A nice character, but even then it was an elderly name.

Ooni pizza oven

Not a fan at all but would choose Una rather than Oona/Oonagh if I had to. Luna is much nicer imo but I imagine quite popular post Harry Potter.

I have an Una. Scottish, it's from the gaelic, little lamb.

We love it. A beautiful, simple sound and an individual name that really suits her personality.

We went with Una rather than Oona, because you can't write it nicely with the double o, they don't really join.