Irish or Cornish baby names suggestions.

[Squishypenguins]

Suggest some Irish or Cornish baby names please. With Irish please add how to pronounce them

Lamorna
Laureen
Wyllow/Willow

Piran
Petroc
Tristan

Cornish girls - Tamar Kerensa Lamorna Sennen Zennor

Poldark

We have Perran & Jowan. I would pick Kerensa for a girl.

Warleggan

Eoghan (Owen)

I’m Cornish and live in Devon, I know quite a few children with Cornish names:

Kitto
Austol
Piran / Perran
Ruan
Locryn
Jacca
Ryol
Pasco
Ives
Taran
Yestin
Sennen
Mawgan
Senara
Zelah
Endellion
Mylor
Dellen
Gwenna
Gwenora
Kensa
Kerra
Rosenwyn
Rowenna
Steren

I'm really interested in these Cornish names, I hadn't heard of many of them and they are so different both in spelling and pronunciation to the standard "British" names - but all lovely!

They're from a different language origin, that's why.

Some are similar to Welsh.
e.g.
Kitto - Guto (Griffith or Guy I think)
Yestin - Iestyn (Justin)
Jago - Iago (James)

I think Jennifer is an anglicised Gwenefer (Cornish), Gwenhwyfar in Welsh, same meaning as Guinevere.

(Guto is pronounced Gitt-oh, Iago is Yagg-oh)

Loving the Cornish names. Many are new to me.

You’ve had lots of lovely Irish name suggestions too. Also consider Anglicised versions of Irish names, or internationally popular Irish names which can be easy to pronounce but still give a nod to the heritage. Finn or Oscar for a boy. Maeve, Orla or Fia for a girl.

Yes.

I have a Loveday, which raises eyebrows where I live (and comparisons with dodgy antique dealers).
However, my parents were at a party (in Cornwall) and there were no less than 4 granddaughters with the same name.

i love Caoimhe

Thats what we did for our first child but when looking over the ideas we had then neither of us felt inspired. I felt we had chosen our favourite.

I want our second child to have a name equally beautiful and unique so I decided to ask for fresh ideas.

I don't think that I am doing anything immoral or problematic searching for further options that fit within our cultures.

Niamh and Merryn are my favourites

If you want a Scilly suggestion, Bryher?

No sorry, it was more that I hadn't seen your husband was Irish and wondered why someone would search for names they couldn't pronounce, which seemed odd. But it makes sense in your situation.

Especially as people are telling the OP incorrect pronunciations for names and listing names as Irish that aren’t — Teagan, Tallulah, Ivo and Torin amongst others.

OP, if your husband is a Gaelgeoir, which dialect of Irish he speaks will have a big impact on how he pronounces some names (Caoimhe can be Keevuh or Queevuh, for one) — let him take the lead on Irish names, rather than taking incorrect advice from online randoms.

I've known a fair few Demelzas over the years.

In my family there's a Chessen or Chesten, the Cornish version of Christine.

Trying to respond to as many as possible here. If I miss any then I apologise.Thank you for all of your suggestions.

NamingNoNames thanks for the links I will have a look.

Cornish Girls
Lowenna
Morwenna
Sennen
Merryn
Cornish boys
Jago - I like somehow not on the list it will go on.
Jowan - same as above.
Piran - on the list I am slightly unsure if shortening it might be hard.
Lowen - putting this on the list
Kensa - too close to a close family member
Kerensa - also too close to a close family member
Demelza - putting it on the list
Tamsyn - also too close to a close family memeber
Morgan/Mawgan - too closely associated with someone in know
Elowen - my favourite, husband not so keen
Zelah - the delay i grew up with was called Zel a lot which I don't like so not sure
Rosen - I think i like Rosenwyn more.
Sowenna - Too many Wenna's in school where I grew up.
Teagan friend

Perran - is on my list
Taran - I like this one it is going on the list
Ruan going on my list
Jori (cornish equivalent of George) - too close an association with a particular person for me
Kytto - I like this one. Going on the list

Fiadh
Saoirse (Seer-sha) - close family member
Sorcha (Surra-ka) - i like this going up my choices. It was already on my list
Roisin (Row-sheen or Rosh-een) on my list
Maeve (Mave) - close family member
Caoimhe (Keeva or Kweeva) this and the next few come under one of our debates. How much an English person needs to be able to read the name I like Caoimhe in particular though.
Aine (Awnya) see debate above
Clodagh (Clo-da) see debate above
Aoife (ee-fa) was already on the list
Eimear (ee-mur) not my favourite so far
Orla relative
Ciara (kee-ra) has this become rather popular
Aoibheann (Eve-eeen) see debate above
Sadhbh (sive -rhymes with five) see debate above
Cara I like this going on the list
Éala (ale-ah) on the list
Erin on the list
Elva going on the list
Nuala family member
Tallulah I don't like the popular knowledge of it
Aisling on the list
Muireann see debate above
Roise see debate above
Bronagh see debate above
Niamh - family member

Cormac - too close to a name with aassociations for me
Enda not sure on that one
Caolan on the list
Patrick family member
Finn friend
Ivo steps on toes of a different family member
Torin I like this one it was on my list
Ossian not my favourite
Quinn going on the list
Sean family member
Darragh (dar-ah) i like this. Going on the list
Liam know too many
Aonghus (ain-gus) not my favourite
Odhrán (Oh-rawn) know one too well
Oisín (Uh-sheen) know one too well
Fionn (fee-un) i like this. Going on the list.
Ronan will always mean keating to me
Tadhg (like the tig of tiger) see debate above
Oisin already on my list
Aodhan/Aidan relative
Brendan not my favourite
Cillian I like this one but worry if it has connotations
Ruairi see debate above

I love all these Cornish names! Starting to wish I'd married a Cornishman rather than a Welshman now, as they are easier to pronounce too! 😆 Unfortunately we couldn't give my son a lovely Welsh name my husband liked as I really struggle to pronounce it as I can't roll my 'r's' easily, it's his middle name instead.

I hope you have better luck with Irish pronunciations!

Apart from physical inabilities like myself and the letter 'r' I think you'll find people regularly in your child's life will learn very quickly how to pronounce their name. I have a few Irish friends with some of the names on this thread and once you know them you know them, only the spelling might remain an issue, but that can be true of many names even well known ones.

You have such a lovely list of names to choose from now, good luck!

It depends where you are based IMO. If you are in Ireland, will the Cornish name work there, if you are in Cornwall, will the Irish name work.
If you're in neither, will it work where you are.

Sennen and Merryn look like boys' names that have become unisex.
Elowen - willl probably be mispronounced. Elowyn is more popular and looks masculine
Demelza - too Poldark
Rosen - we're all going on a bear hunt
Rosenwyn - looks masculine. (I can't not think of buttermilk but I'm Welsh)
Saoirse (Seer-sha) , Sorcha (Surra-ka) - will be mispronounced and misspelt
Éala (ale-ah) - too close to Ella
Erin - mean girl name

Taran - would you really call a child Thunder?
Quinn - Quim
Tadhg and Ruairi - I like both but they'll get misspelt all the time. A friend has a Tadhg and some insist he's called Tiger
Kytto - I don't like the spelling

I wouldn't let where you are dictate the choice but be prepared for it to happen.

Ivo, Ivo
Tallulah
Teagan
Torin
(links are to Behind the Name, one of the more reliable baby name sites but it's not perfect. 200+ Top Irish Baby Names With Unique Meanings and Pronunciation 2026 | Mumsnet is probably quite poor.)

Respectfully, those baby name sites are generally complete nonsense.

The Behind the name one is fairly reliable. Nameberry and the like are not.

The Welsh version of the MN one raised a lengthy thread in Draignet because it was so bad and the Irish one is by the same person. (An example of how bad it was - it had the Welsh form of Adam listed as a girl's name)