Una or Oonagh

[Jizzyjeff]

If you like this name, which spelling do you prefer?

We both love the sound of the name but disagree on the spelling. Happily dh is okay for me to ultimately get the spelling I want as he says I've done all the hard work... but I'm interested in opinion.

Baby will have part Irish heritage and the surname is double barrelled English name-Irish name, if that makes a difference.

Oona or Oonagh for me. I wouldn’t worry about her having to spell it out or explain to people, I’ve spent my entire life spelling my Irish name so has my DD, she is 7 and happily spells it out and it’s origins for people.

Jasmine for me

Oonagh is beautiful. Oona is also stunning. I’ve never met one before. una I would pronounce yoona then be corrected

I like Una. I don’t like the look of the Oo at the start of Oona/gh.

Jasmine and Scarlett are ok, not particularly keen on either. Una feels stronger and more interesting to me.

Úna is the Irish spelling.

Oona is how Charlie Chaplin's fourth and last wife spelled her name.
Oonagh is an Irishising of Oona, an attempt to convey Irishness without actually using the Irish spelling.

I'm not a fan of Scarlett - in Dublin it means being mortified with embarrassment. Jasmine is much nicer.

But I think Úna is far nicer then either of them. It has a very classic feel to it, a really old Irish name that transcends all fads.

@Fifilafrog

I am a Fionagh. Yes, I have to spell it out but I don't mind that, people often guess that it's the Irish spelling. I have a cousin called Oonagh. It's part of your daughter's heritage. I'd go with that spelling.

Fionagh is not an Irish spelling. Oonagh is not an Irish spelling.

Sometimes the simpler version is the authentic version eg. Úna

I think you should do a post asking people how they would pronounce Una as I'm sure it's only very few that would say Yoona and you may dismiss this option for an issue that isn't really that big a problem.

Good idea

I think you should do a post asking people how they would pronounce Una

And ask them where they live as accent is a big factor in pronunciation.

My MIL pronounces Uno as Yoono and I have no idea why. It’s not yoono in Spanish.

I don’t like Oonagh, I order Una. To be honest I prefer Jasmine.

Úna (pronounced ooo na).
It’s a bit like Méabh - beautiful name but loses something special when I see it spelt ‘Maeve’

Una. Oonagh looks really ugly with the -GH and the double o.

Úna. Oonagh is very ugly looking imo. I wouldnt use Úna personally, feels a bit dated to me but that's probably a sign it will have a revival in the next few years.

I think Jasmine would be my pick, beautiful name. Scarlett as has been said above means embarrassed in Dublin - as in "I'm scarlet for ya".

So I've now gone off Una / Úna/ Oonagh / Oona...no matter which I chose there will be issues with either spelling or pronunciation.

I've gone off Jasmine because I don't like Jazz and there will be mispronunciation to Jasmine.

Also gone off Scarlett because of the Dublin association with embarrassment... I have relatives in Dublin (as well as pretty much all over Ireland)

So that leaves Amber. Which is a lovely name but I'm not in love with it.

Any suggestions?? I don't have any favourite boys names either. The only one we like is Oscar, and I'm not 100% on that.

Oh dear!!

*mispronunciation to Yasmine, not Jasmine

Amber or Jasmine are both lovely

I can't see why Jasmine would get mispronounced as Yasmin, they are completely different names but I agree that the Jazz nickname may be hard to avoid

Una all the way

Girls (because you liked Úna)
Clodagh
Aoife
Saoirse (Seer-sha)
Áine
Fiadh (Fia, but sooooooo popular right now)

Oona, without the gh.

Love Aoife and Saoirse...love them.

But by God are they the worst Irish names for having to spell out and pronounce for people 🤣

Ah I dunno OP, I think Lasairfhíona has to take that title! And Saoirse has Saoirse Ronan attached to it, so there'll be a bit of recognition of it already.

What about Cara, Tara, Emer, Brigid/Bridget, Alannah, Fiona, Orla, Brona etc as easier Irish girls names?

🤣

Of those names listed, 3 belong to best friends of mine, 1 is the name of their daughter and I'm not keen on the rest

Fucking hell I'm getting nowhere fast

I really wouldn’t worry about having to spell them out OP. Even common names need spelling ie Catherine, Kathryn, Katherine, Stephen, Steven. I have a name I have to spell the second I say it out loud, and both my children have names they have to spell for people but it’s not a great hardship and most people get the pronunciations after one correction if they don’t get it right first time.

I've got an unusual name...I have to spell it put evwry time and I also have to correct the pronunciation 90% of the time. I work with someone, worked with him for 10 years. He still can't pronounce my bloody name. I have stopped correcting him.

It's really tiresome. And we have a double barrelled surname which is a bit of a mouthful and will also need spelling out. I just want to make it as easy as possible for the poor child !

We won’t even go there so with Aoibhinn and Aoibheann 😂
To simplify… my absolute favourite name / Irish name is ‘Dara’
But best of all, it’s unisex (although often spelt Darragh/Daragh for males)