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,

Perpetua Fidelis
Bridie
Brida
Assumpta
Dolores
Bernadette
Dymphna
Kathleen
Nora
Carmel
Gerald
Hugh
Lawrence
Patrick
Ambrose

The name brings me back to Frank Kelly's "Gobnait O'Lunacy" 😊

Fidelma was a 2nd cousin of my mother. Also think recall a Majella?

I think the nuns had the best names - either the Latin Catholic ones or the double barrelled (Sr Mary Clare) or the ones with male names - we had a Sr. Kevin.

Yes, we had a Sr John, a Sr Bernard and a Sr Thomas when I was at school!

Not 1920s but I had an uncle St John, pronounced sin-jin.

Brother and sister I know are Jarlath and Attracta. A friend is Assumpta, my SIL is Dymphna.

Yes, my friend's brother was a "Sinjin".

Packy (short for Patrick) I’ve a few uncles called that, felix (pronounced fay-lee) again I had an uncle called that… and then all the standard Peter, John, mark, Mary, Anne, bridget (Bridgey)

Oh yes! The Irish goalie Packy Bonner!

It’s the Irish for Francis.

My English friend moved to Ireland and was teaching a Packy. She said she felt terrible every time she said his name in class because to her she was using a racial slur.

It may be very slight, but there's a very definite difference in pronounciation.

I found out a few years ago a cousin of mine nicknamed Davy was christened Davnet and not Davina like I always thought.

My great granny from Cork was born in 1875. Her name was Abina which must have been unusual for an Irish girl.

Yes, of course, but she can’t hear it. (Though she’s taking lessons.)

I then blew her mind entirely by saying that the Irish for ‘sins’ (peacaí) was also pronounced similarly.

Sister went to school with a girl called Immaculata . In the 80s . Poor girl . And my friend married a man called Pius .

My DH first cousin is Immaculata - only child born to a spinster aunt in her early 40’s - father never revealed or mentioned……couldn’t make it up - maybe it was The Holy Spirit.

Now that sounds like a very interesting story...

Some of these names sound really Pagan. I love them.

We have many Marys and Margarets.

We also had

Kathleen
Nora
Monica
Bessie (Elizabeth)
Francis
Cuthbert
A million Williams!

Joseph
Larry
Máire

Supposedly this is Gobnait ....see above

🤣 Most are very very Catholic!

Peacaí from Latin peccatta. All Irish words starting P are loan words I believe. Paki itself means 'pure' in Urdu or Punjabi though....

A definite case of ask no questions...
Quite a brave thing to name a child in the circumstances!