Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Help us decide please

50 replies

Baby2Sep22 · 13/09/2022 21:17

Due date next week and still haven’t decided on a girls name. One Irish parent, one English - currently living in England.

Shortlist
Aoife
Orla
Ailbhe
Saoirse
Nora
Ada

Ideally I would like to use an Irish name

can’t use Maeve/Niamh/Sadhbh

surname is one syllable beginning with “k”

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Mumofgirls2017 · 13/09/2022 22:04

Aoife or Nora

holidaynightmare · 13/09/2022 22:06

Orla or Nora/ Noura/ Noraeh

Kanaloa · 13/09/2022 22:08

I would choose Orla. It’s so pretty, not too overused, and for a child living in England it won’t be awkward to spell out constantly. That’s a consideration for me because I have to spell both my names (first and surname) all the time. It’s not a big deal but it can be a bit annoying constantly having to spell it, especially over the phone, then receiving misspelled items constantly!

yikesanotherbooboo · 13/09/2022 22:09

I've always like Aoife .My other preferences would be Ailbhe or Nora.

FireSideCat · 13/09/2022 22:10

Orla

Luredbyapomegranate · 13/09/2022 22:36

1 Orla - a quite nice quite popular safe bet. I much prefer Oona though
2 Ada - it’s fine
3 Saoirse - a spelling challenge, but much better known these days.

4 Aoife - alright but so many Eves around and it sounds so similar

Ailbhe - no, it’s too close to Alvin. Alba is alright
Nora - it just makes me think of sad 1950s spinsters. Cannot understand why it’s getting popular. Dora is alright.

If you don’t like Oona (you should!), Aislinn / Aisling is fabulous. Caitlin is lovely. Or Catriona (is that Irish as well as Scottish? I know a few Irish ones). Ciara is nice. I like Bridget and suspect it’s about to get fashionable again. Aine and Tara are quite nice too. Or for non traditional how about Arran.

Mabelstearooms · 13/09/2022 22:37

Nora

Margo34 · 13/09/2022 22:38

Orla or Nora

Luredbyapomegranate · 13/09/2022 22:43

Eilis is lovely also. And I think Liadan is really underused.

Frances, Katherine nn Kitty, and Molly as a nn for something like Marianne are also really nice - not Irish specifically I know, but like Nora seem to have been traditionally quite popular.

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 13/09/2022 22:43

I meet very few babies nowadays but the last two baby girls I met are called Orla. In England.

Of your list I like Nora and Saoirse (like pp said it’s a spelling challenge, but worth it for such a lovely name. The actress with that name means more non-Irish people know how to pronounce it)

Twizbe · 13/09/2022 22:44

Nora - simple and easy to pronounce in England.

I gave my daughter a beautiful welsh name. It's pronounced just as it's spelt. However, here in London no one has heard of it. It's become a bit a of a joke now wondering which mispronunciation they will use.

momtoboys · 13/09/2022 22:50

Well, Maeve would be my first choice but since you cannot use that I think Aiofe is absolutely lovely. I also like Saoirse. As you can see I am partial to Irish names.

Snugglemonkey · 13/09/2022 22:52

I am Irish in Scotland and pregnant. We are going with an Irish name too. I have always loved Aoife and like Saoirse too. Caoimhe was top of our list for ages as was Roisín. P

AdaColeman · 13/09/2022 22:54

Ada is a wonderful name!
My favourite Irish name is Gráinne.

resm · 13/09/2022 22:56

Aoife or Ada from your list. Bronagh is lovely too.

MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat · 13/09/2022 23:02

Saoirse or Orla

baxtersm · 13/09/2022 23:05

What about Erin?

SatInTheCorner · 13/09/2022 23:11

Nora is an awful name.

Love the rest though, particularly Aoife and Saoirse.

WaffleAndGelato · 13/09/2022 23:11

Shame you can't use Maeve, that's my favourite. Nora from your list is my next pick, so pretty. Also love Orla which would've been DS's name 10 years ago had he been a DD - but as PP said that becoming super popular, I know 3 pre school Orlas. My twopence suggestion would be Maude which is fabulous. And I've a soft spot for Nuala which is super unpopular on Mumsnet but there you are. I like Lisa as well, don't care who comes along saying it's dated, it's beautiful.

MadeinBelfast · 13/09/2022 23:18

If she's Orla her initials will be OK. I quite like that but it might be something to consider! I think all your names are fairly well-recognised in England now, maybe wait and see what she looks like and then decide which one suits best 🙂

Mummytobe333 · 14/09/2022 04:19

Love the name Orla 💗

mathanxiety · 14/09/2022 04:20

I love Ailbhe and Nora.

StampOnTheGround · 14/09/2022 05:06

How is Aoife pronounced?

I also do like Orla and Saorise (the latter is more widely pronounced as it should be now because of the actress)

felulageller · 14/09/2022 06:56

Saoirse

It will be mis-pronounced and misspelled forever but it's still an ace name!

DuchessOfSausage · 14/09/2022 08:38

Aoife - will be misspelt and mispronounced, Eva and Evie type names are very popular
Orla - sounds dull when said as Awluh
Ailbhe - will be misspelt and mispronounced, is is Elva/Alva?
Saoirse - will be misspelt and mispronounced
Nora - bloody nora!
Ada - not my taste but it's ok

Try the name with the surname. Orla Knight is going to sound like All a Night