Baby name Oilibhear?

[Juliette222]

Hello!
I wondered what you think of the baby boy name OILIBHÉAR? (pronounced Olly-vare).
We wanted to find an Irish name. I like that it has the friendly nn “Ollie” but an unusual longer name. But keen to hear what others think ….?
Thank you! :-)

Even in Ireland, the anglicised spelling Oliver is the version pretty much always used. I've literally never come across anyone using the Irish spelling.

Oisín is fine, but it does need that fada or it would be pronounced more like 'ocean' than the correct 'uh-SHEEN'.

Awful

Its used more when somebody is translating their English name into Irish e.g. in a classroom environment.
Yes, that is what makes it fake pretentious.

@Contactmap

Its used more when somebody is translating their English name into Irish e.g. in a classroom environment. Yes, that is what makes it fake pretentious.

I don't understand why that makes it fake or pretentious? Unusual, yes, but it's a genuine name, just uncommon as a baby name nowadays. The OP wants to choose a name that reflects her heritage and there's nothing wrong with that.

Tbh people calling Eoghan Eggnog are the ignorant ones, not a problem with a lovely name, and the nicest spelling imo, on that one.
Oisín is lovely OP.

I think if you're going for an Irish name you're better off avoiding one that sounds almost but not quite like a name commonly found in the UK. Then they won't have to endure a lifetime of 'you mean Oliver?' 'oh is it the French version of Oliver?' etc. etc.

At least with Oisín it's not going to be mistaken for something else. It stands out as being a unique (in a good way!) name.

link

OILIBHÉAR, genitive -éir, Oliver; almost certainly a Gallicised form of the Norse Ólafr or Óleifr, ancestor's relic (see Amhlaoibhh); a name introduced into Ireland by the Anglo-Normans and once fairly common, until its association with Cromwelll made it unpopular. With the beatification of Blessed Oliver Plunkett_ it is likely to be revived. Latin — Oliverus, Oliverius.

Having read the above I prefer Amhlaoibh.

Oisin is a lovely name, I think the nicer of the two. Although people in some parts of the uk will be more familiar with the Welsh spelling and pronunciation Osian (Oh - like hot, Shan is how I’ve heard it), but that’s also a lovely name!

There are sooooo many beautiful Irish names
Pick another one

@Juliette222

Thanks so much for all the posts guys - very helpful comments :) We are Irish but living in the UK. Very good point it can seem like a gaelicisation of Oliver.

Another name we like is Oisin - I wonder if you also think this will sentence the poor little guy to a lifetime of spelling issues in the UK?

Oisin is gorgeous and there's loads in the UK

I'm Irish, I could pronounce I think, but you sounded it out so maybe I cheated! If that came through on an email I wouldn't have a notion. Never heard of that name being used either, unless I am mishearing Oliver.

Oisín, though I think is lovely.

@Contactmap

Its used more when somebody is translating their English name into Irish e.g. in a classroom environment. Yes, that is what makes it fake pretentious.

??? Your post makes no sense.

There is nothing pretentious about Oliver or Oilibhear.

People have to learn how to pronounce new names all the time and failing to do so is narrow minded.
I think it is a name he would spend his lifetime spelling out though.

One of my DC has a name people seem to have difficulty with. I wouldn’t choose that name again if I knew others would repeatedly call and spell it incorrectly.

The replies to this post have been nothing but complete rubbish from completely ignorant commenters.

The name Oliver doesn't come from the English language. Nor does many other names the uneducated people in this thread would see as being "English"...

St.Oliver Plunkett is one of the most famous saints and it's not like the English language has a monoply on the name Oliver...

Irish names are wonderful. Have confidence. If you have French/Italian/Indian/African heritage in the UK you can give them a difficult to spell name...why does Irish names get these commenters so worked up?

Classic anti-Irish prejudice from small-minded warm-beer drinking brexiteers.

Notable people with the name include:

Oilibhéar Báicéir (born 1974), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Brádaigh, Irish Gaelic footballer
Oilibhéar Breathnach (born 1992), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Breathnach (1937-2016), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Cainín (born 1976), Irish hurler
Olibhéar Coileáin (born 1972), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Conchúir (born 1975), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Criú (1947-2020), Irish Gaelic footballer
Oilibhéar Crionagáin (born 1947), Irish Gaelic footballer
Oilibhéar Croiligh (1940-2025), Irish scholar and priest
Oilibhéar Fathaigh (born 1975), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Mac Giolla Mhuire (1947-2025), Irish Gaelic footballer
Oilibhéar Mag Eochaidh (1935-2020), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Mac Seanlaoich (born 1943), Irish Gaelic footballer
Olibhéar Mac Craith (born 1938), Irish hurler
Olibhéar Moráin (born 1975), Irish hurler
Oilibhéar Murchú, Irish Gaelic footballer
Oilibhéar Pluincéid (1629-1681), Irish Archbishop, Martyr and Saint and one of the greatest Irishmen to have ever lived
Oilibhéar Raghallaigh (1936-2009), Irish Gaelic footballer

Plenty of Irish people have the name...look up them on Google or Linkedin and see for yourself.

If someone with French heritage were posting here about giving their child the name Olivier would all the commenters have been calling it "pretentious" or that it is simply a French version of Oliver so pointless.

As an aside calling it pretentious is hilarious to those in the know as the Irish are typically the complete opposite of pretentious as Irish culture values humility and egalitarianism...which is part of the reason they are liked around the world (apart from Little Ingerland bigots)

Or is it the brexiteers saw the Irish origins of the name in the post and the anti-Irish knives came out in a way that wouldn't with a French person talking about Olivier? By the way anyone from around the world can use whatever Irish name they want.

For instance if someone with other European Ancestry (French or German etc) instead of Irish was posting would they have got the rubbish replies in this thread saying it is pointless to honour their heritage just because the English language happens to have an equivalent name? (Even when the actual name origin isn't even from England!)
Of course not because that hate and dismissive attitude is only shown by Little Englanders to the Irish.

Jakob (German) : (Example response from these commenters) "No, it should be Jacob, Jakob is pointless as it is too similar"
Juan (Spanish) : "What a pretentious thing to do, just call him John"
Vittorio (Italian) : "That is too difficult to spell when he is 2 years old, just call him Victor and stop being different"
Jaime (Portuguese) : "Sorry love this is Ingerland you must call him Jamie and ignore your heritage"

Get rid of your Anglocentric mindset and accept the fact your Empire is gone, and the Irish are valued members of Europe, the days of supposed Anglo superiority are long gone and Farage sold you down the river.

I actually know two boys called Oisin (in South West England), both of them have Irish mums. I like it!

And for all those saying "Oily Bear" which is mainly due to the fact that you are viewing the name in a different manner as it is new to you...(for example if William was a foreign name and was discussed by commenters from this thread they would be talking about the fact it is similar to a nickname given to the male "appendage" but because they are used to the name they won't think about it in that way).

Anyway the most common cognate of this name (and one that is also widely used) is Oilibhéir...which doesn't look like "Oily Bear" at all but who knows perhaps the ignorant commenters on this thread would say it looks like "Only heir"?

@GladHazelPoster I'm sure her 'baby' has a name by now, considering he'd be 6 by now!

This post is nearly 5 years old. Hope you haven’t been stewing on this for all that time.

This post is nearly 5 years old. Hope you haven’t been stewing on this for all that time.

Oily🐻 Bear was exactly my first thought.

Obviously not and I sincerely hope that wasn't your first thought!
I think you have to read the comments just to see how backwards they are...it's hard to believe people like that are still around...
I'm currently looking at Irish names so I came across this thread and I feel like it would be an insult to Intelligence itself to not put those comments in their place.

And willy with Prince William?
Excellent thanks for the world-class wit!

I'm another idiot pronouncing it Oilybear I'm afraid