Unusual old names in Ireland from 1920s

[Weligama]

Thinking of old family and friends names from this era not always Gaelic in origin - possibly church related - my list includes the following - anyone else have any other suggestions:

Malachy,
Jarlath,
Cornelius
Aloysius
Jeremiah

Can’t recall many unusual female names except maybe Philomena, Immaculata, Attracta,

This is a great thread!
My grandfather was an Aloysius, he went my Al. I also had an uncle Alphonsus, born in the late 40s. I know one each of Cornelius, Camillus, Dympna, Marcella, Attracta (born 40s and 50s) and for some reason around my area, loads of Jarlaths but born more in the 70s

My area was mostly a sea of Michaels, Patricks, Johns, James, Marys and Bernie's. There is one family who used two names contracted together so Matt Jo, Mick Jim and (my fave), Co Ed, who was Cormac Edward. My dad gets such a kick out of telling us how the families with really common surnames had to use their parents names as descriptors, Red Pat's Mick and Mary Pat's Dick😄

Jeremiah is really popular with the 80+ crowd but only down south, Cork is full of them! And don't dare pronounce that last 'a' sound. Jer'em'i only!

Great to read these lovely names! My DM was born in 1928, her family were;

Martha and Mary (sadly both died in early childhood of Scarlet Fever)
Francis (Frankie)
Mary Patricia (Patti)
Sean
Kathleen (Kitty)
Angela

I have dated a Jesus and a Joseph, but that's another thread idea...

There was a Cissie - but what was it short for??
We had a Mina - short for Wilhelmina

@SilverfoxetteMossy is short for Tomas

Eamon/Bridie

know a few Martha’s

Our Mossy was a Maurice. Yes to an Auntie Cis (and auntie Maggie, auntie Nell, Anteater and Harmonica (our Monica!)

Grandmother was Emma (NI) which was shortened to Eve.

Great Grandmother (Eire) was Julia- her daughter was Sheila.

Slightly later (40s)- Mum and aunt were Maureen and Kathleen.

Kathleen
Bega
Grania

I’ve heard all of those names in the present day, all on youngish people. and Philomena is very popular! also know Ambrose, Pascal and Dympna I do mean more than one each, again my age and all the Concepta’s and Assumpta’s….. and loads of the other names on this thread, I don’t know why you think these are obscure names?

Forgot the men.

Joseph, James and Patrick.

Is Jarlath pronounced with a hard J or a Y sound?

Jarlath with a J sound. Great name.

Carmel, Eithne, and Nita (from Anita). Lots of Bridies and Mays but they were common names at the time.

Love this thread already!

Looking back the generations, we had...
Mossy, short for Thomas
Kit/ Kitty, short for Catherine
Dolores
Jarlath (also know a quite a few my generations, always associate it with being a Longford name - not sure why?)
Canice (associate it with Kilkenny)
Hannora
Jeremiah (Jerry)
Assumpta
Fidelus
Carmel
Camillus
Goretti

Then the usual... lots of John, Tom, Patrick repeated ad nauseum & all with the same surname.

I knew a Gobnait in Kerry many moons ago.

Both my parents and their siblings were born in Ireland in that era. Here are some of their names;
Conleth
Gerard
Gabriel
Joseph
Patrick
Oona
Philomena
Maura
Kathleen
Annie

And doesn’t every Irish family of that era have a Maureen?

I swim with a Dymphy, which I think is a nice modernisation of Dymphna. She's not actually Anglo background, so I assume her parents found it in a baby name book.

In my family they were both Sarah.
Very few names in my family they were not into variety 😂 Big Anne, Wee Anne. My Aunts had the same two names but reversed. Tommy. Tomo and Tom.

Very distantly there was a Fenella.

I think Mossy is short for Thomas.

Another one is Óige - when a son is named after their dad/grandad so they are whatever name óg ie young watever name and then they just get called Óige.

Great thread. I once taught a post grad class mostly with people then in their 50s. Of 11 women, 8 were Mary or versions of it (Marie, Maire, etc). All had been born on or near the Marian year (1954).

That reminds me of the number of John Paul / John/ Paul that I grew up with, all born in 1979.

We had an Assumpta and an Eithne.

The aunt Cissy on my DH's side was actually Mary
My side is full of Kathleens, Michaels Bernadettes and my DGM was Delia which I love.

I think two of my Cis’s were Catherine, one was Rose and I don’t know the last one.