Baby names Pádraig or Ruairí

[Irishfarmer]

Ok, I am jumping the gun here I'm only a few weeks pregnant.

Just wondering what people think of Pádraig (Paw-rig) or Ruairí (Roo-ree) those pronunciation can depend on where in Ireland you live.

I love both names. Going by my experience and DHs plus most people we know there is a fair chance DC will live outside of Ireland at some point in their life. I've lived in England, Scotland and Australia. Would you find these names difficult to pronounce?

For a girl I think we are fairly set on Clara, I really like Fionnuala but DH isn't as keen.

I've never come across anyone called ruairi who pronounces it "roo ree", I only know people who pronounce it "roar-ey", but I'm saying that I only know 3 ruairi's so hardly a mass sample!!

Lovely names all the same. Have always loved the name Padraig

@MammaMiaMarie if I am giving DS an Irish name it will be with the Irish spelling. I am Irish and live in Ireland so makes sense. I didn't respond to the person because honestly even if I lived in England I'd have gone with the Irish spelling too. I have friends + family living mostly in S.E. who has given their DC Irish names with Irish spelling. I also went to school there and I had a Sinéad in my year and an Aoife in the school, both Irish parents but born in England.

Roar-ey to me sounds like Rory.

I love both names, and Paudie is a great abbreviation

Most people get over any issues with Irish names after they've heard them twice. I have an Irish name and live in the US - it's really not an issue.

I honestly don't understand how anyone would have to concentrate really hard in order to produce sounds they've heard before. There's no need to compare the sound to the spelling; just repeat the sound you've heard and ignore the name tag or the business card if that's where you're making it hard for yourself.

I would go with Ruairi and use Padraig as a middle name if you love both. Or switch around, with Padraig first.

@MammaMiaMarie , the OP is in Ireland, so spelling a name to be acceptable in the UK is a bit weird. The OP is not in the UK.

@2bazookas you're painting a really insulting picture of English speaking people.

Are they really so stupid that a name in another language would fry their tiny little brains?

@mathanxiety I don't think I'll use both names we plan on having a 2nd child and would probably use the name we don't use if the 2nd is a boy too. I'd say it will come down to if he has red hair or not!!

Ruaridh is fairly common in Scotland and the other I'd bust an attempt to pronounce a bit like Patrick but with a softer ending. Both lovely names. Congratulations x

Similar to a previous poster, the ruairi's I know are all based in Ulster, so perhaps that's has something to do with the pronunciation! At the end of the day, once you tell people how to pronounce the name the way you want it, that should be it.

I see you mentioned Donnacha, this is one I've been considering too, but there's just something about it im not 100% sold on!

Roar-ee is how you pronounce Rory.

Ruairi is pronounced as the OP has posted. Roo-ree

To be very pedantic, there's a little schwa sound between the OO and the R but it's barely audible and most people slide over it.

@ Jofergo, do you have problems with all the irregularities in English too? All those words where spelling doesnt equal pronunciation?

Irish spelling and pronunciation don't operate by the rules of English, such as they are.

I'd have assumed they were Patrick and Rory, but he can just correct people 🤷‍♀️

Oops old thread

@TheWayoftheLeaf 1st I like the WOT reference, I loved those books! The thread is very old but I resurrected it, I started this thread 4 days after I got my BFP so was a bit eager 😂now 5 weeks to D -Day and I didn't want to start a new thread in case ppl who commented before thought this looks familiar. People outside of Ireland assuming Patrick or Rory wouldn't bother me at all.

Tonnes of Irish people are quite unfamiliar with many Irish names too (ime), they have only really gained popularity in the last 20 years. I went to primary school in the 90s we had very few kids with Irish names then. Even Irish abroad have started using Irish names more, I was born in London to Irish parents and given an English name as were all of my cousins born around that time or before me, but many Irish abroad give their babies Irish names now.

@MammaMiaMarie Donnacha is lovely, I really like the way it sounds also I think Donncha O'Callaghan is great!

I'll post a pic when we do decide not long now!!

I love both names! (Not helpful sorry)

Exactly this.

Love both your names OP. I like Paudie as a short version too of Pádraig too. The one I know gets Paddy as well.

The only thing I would add is that there are two distinct pronunciations of Pádraig in Ireland as you can hear in the link below. The d and the g is pronounced in one version, that's the one I'm familiar with in Munster. But the other pronunciation is equally correct. Choosing the pronunciation that's used locally would be easiest, I guess.

forvo.com/word/Pádraig/

Sorry, an extra 'too' snuck in there!
Congratulations and best of luck with everything too @Irishfarmer.

@LizzieAnt interesting to listen to that one of those people has to be from Kerry. I know one Pádraig and hear him called Paw-rig, Pa-ric, Pawd-rig by different people. They all sound fine to me. DH cannot hear the difference when I try and point it out. I'd be happy with Paudie/ Paddy but I know I won't get much say in that! Ruairí I think wouldn't be shortened apart from by me to Roo which I think is adorable!
I'm from Munster but live in the Cavan/ Meath area so I'd imagine our families would pronounce both names a bit differently but in fairness that's just accent, Emma sound different in a Kerry/ Dublin/ Cavan accent

@IrishfarmerIt seems Conchúr is from Kerry at least, there's a little map (and anyway he sounds like he is). Yes, you'll probably get different pronunciations if your families are from different places, but as long as that doesn't bother you it's all good 😊 Roo is very nice too.

Well I would call him Patrick because it's lovely and underused (outside Ireland anyways) and goes well with Clara

Failing that Ruairi, people will say it Rory a lot, even in Ireland I guess, but still
Not a fan of Padraig

Pawdrig is the Munster pronunciation.
Pawrick is Connemara.

Meath has a Gaeltacht in Rathcairn, consisting of families transplanted from Connemara, which might influence frequency of the Connemara pronunciation locally.

I learned Munster Irish in primary school and Connemara in secondary. The way people pronounce names and certain words where there's a difference between them can vary according to whatever teacher you had in school too. A cousin of mine living in rural Leinster has a Padraic - Connemara pronunciation, with no links to Connemara at all.

Just wondering what people think of Pádraig (Paw-rig) or Ruairí (Roo-ree)

I prefer Patrick over the pronunciation of Padraig. Ruairi is easier to get your head around although you might get people pronouncing it as “Roo-ah-ree” until they’re told otherwise. Some people pronounce it as Roar-ree and some say Roo-ree.

Ruairi is easier to get your head around although you might get people pronouncing it as “Roo-ah-ree” until they’re told otherwise.

But Roo-ah-ree - with a lesser degree of emphasis on the ah part - is the correct Irish language pronunciation of the name. Lots of people say Roo-ree though.

forvo.com/word/Ruairí/