Oisin / Donnacha / Naoise

[Bewildened]

Which do you prefer?

Irish parents, baby will grow up in London.

@BeatrizBoniface , I said Oisín and Niamh are Osian and Nia in Welsh.
The same story appears in Irish and Welsh mythology.

I've no idea if Naoise and Deirdre have Welsh equivalents.

I found this What is Naoise in Welsh? | Wales but it's complete bollocks.

Róisín and Oisín don't rhyme. There is an accent (called a fada) on the o in Róisín whereas there isn't in Oisín. Even if people leave the fada off in the spelling, it is still pronounced as if the fada was there.

Naoise and Oisin are both lovely.

It’s often met with resistance when an Irish person in England chooses a traditional Irish name for their child. Comments about the potential for misspellings or mispronunciations underscore a lingering, if subtle, undercurrent of anti-Irish sentiment still present in English society.

No other minority seems to encounter quite the same challenges regarding names. In my experience with my son, who has an Irish name, once we clarify the pronunciation, people generally make an effort to pronounce it correctly. My son's name is Caoimhín. Much to the horror of my very English in laws, I'm raising him in the Irish language. My husband consequently, is picking up the language😁
OP, all three are beautiful names, use all three😃

That’s interesting - I didn’t realise it was becoming more popular (probably a good thing!).

I appreciate that Donnacha isn’t the traditional spelling but it feels like a good compromise.

I think a lot of Irish boys’ names sound feminine to English ears - there are quite a few ending in “a” for example - but I don’t mind that at all.

I’ve got 2 other children with Irish names and have never encountered any problems.

A couple of people (non-U.K. nationals as it happens) have asked about pronunciation and once told have never got it wrong.

I am not ignoring my heritage for the sake of ignorant people who can’t look beyond their own limited experience.

Londoner with no Irish blood here and I knew how to say all of them. Even if I didn't, I'd just...ask? It's pretty normal for Londoners to meet people with names from all over the world, so they're pretty used to clarifying pronunciation!

I like Donnacha and Oisin the best, in that order.

Comments about the potential for misspellings or mispronunciations underscore a lingering, if subtle, undercurrent of anti-Irish sentiment still present in English society.
Not necessarily. I've probably commented because names often get misspelt if they have several vowels, so I would make that comment if the name was Naoise or Guillaume or Giulio.

My very common surname gets misspelt and where I live gets misspelt.
(something like Hariss and Cylde)

They can rhyme, although they don't for me. In England (and I think parts of NI) Roisín is often Rosh-een, and in NI Oisín is osh-een not ush-een.

Oisin is my favourite

I like them all but (in my bit of NI anyway) I do know a few small Oisíns, so it may also be common in London and there might be a few in his class? Probably not really a consideration though. Pick whichever you like best, they are all lovely.

Donnacha and Oisín

I like Oisin. I nearly had one but we chose another- my two are both Irish names and it’s not that big a deal pronunciation wise

I’m English, and I think they are lovely names (and I know how to pronounce them, I have Irish heritage and friends). We don’t quibble about names from any other culture, why Irish?

I love Oisin and think it's well known enough not to cause any issues with pronunciation. My nephew was very nearly called this. Donnacha is lovely too.

I like Naoise but the only two I've met were girls - I know it's originally a male name but seems like it might be becoming feminised? As someone who has an traditionally male name which has over the years come to be used pretty much exclusively for females I'd probably avoid it on that basis (I am female and am always assumed to be female based on my name, so imagine for any males with my name it would get a bit annoying!). I've also met several Nishas/Neeshas of Asian heritage who are again all female and have a very similar pronunciation so think I'd avoid for a boy (shame as it's a lovely name!)

I wouldn't worry at all about pronunciation, most people only need to be told once how to say names and given what a melting pot London is there are far more 'unusual' names out there than any of these!

... some Irish boys’ names sound feminine to English ears - there are quite a few ending in “a” for example - but I don’t mind that at all.

Me neither. I have a Daragh, which is very much a boys name - but I have heard of one girl at least called Dara.
On the other hand, I know one Tara who's a man - and I would definitely think of that as a girl's name.

No idea how any of them are pronounced but I don't think that's a problem. I grew up in a multicultural part of London and could pronounce all my classmates names and also spell them. I have an English name but the teachers would spell it wrong (can be spelt with a an C or K) far more often than the other children in my class!

Another English person here who loves Irish names. I wasn't sure how to pronounce Naoise (until the helpful post above) but did know Oisin and made an educated guess at Donnacha.

I think all three are lovely but Oisín is my favourite.

I wouldn't worry at all about pronunciation, most people only need to be told once how to say names
If only. IME, many just won't get it and you just put up with it, and often it's not the 'tricky' names they get wrong. (see my pp)

Irish people always get so pissy on threads like this 😂

Calm down.

I am sorry, I am sure they are lovely names, but every time your child has a supply teacher (and many other occasions) they will be called 'Oy-seen', 'Donna-cha' or 'Now-is'. However, as people have said, it will hopefully only have to be corrected once.

@Bewildened I love Donnacha and Iarla. Oisin would have definitely been an option only one in family. I wouldn’t worry about people how spelling/pronouncing incorrectly as they will just have to learn and anyone close to the baby will know . Also recently heard Enda for a wee boy and I think it’s cute

I recently had a post up also about thoughts on Donnacha and got plenty of “doncha wish your gf was hot like me” etc people not knowing no similarities in pronunciation

I like Donnacha best, Oisín second. Naoise is a good name, but I think many people may consider it a girl’s name and your son might not like that, especially when at school age. So I would go for one of the other two.

I like Oisín the best (by quite a lot) and Donnacha second. Not a fan of Naoise but I couldn't say why... nothing wrong with it just a personal preference!