Irish Girls Names

[mommiedearest]

Hi

I don't live in Ireland any more and my husband (who isn't Irish) and I have just had a baby girl, who we have called Aine (it is pronounced Awnya - sort of rhymes with sonya)which is a really old Irish name

I think it is a lovely name - Aine means radiance and light and she was the Celtic godess of Fire.

However, some people have been really negative about the name, which is really upsetting.

Am I mad for giving her this Irish name??

No! I think it's a lovely name, and if you're Irish it's a lovely way of giving her a piece of your heritage

My dd's dad is Irish and I really wanted an Irish name for her, I loved Aoife but we couldn't agree on one

not mad at all, just don't expect many people to pronounce it correctly! I still struggle with Niamh and Siobhan, although I think they're really pretty names!

itsounds lovely but i wouldnt have a clue how to pronounce it I must admit.

Or should that be Niahm

NO!!! Aine is a lovely name, she will love it when she gets older and it will connect her with her heritage for ever

I like unusual names and i think it's lovely to have chosen a name that means something to you. I wouldn't have known how to pronounce it though which prob means she'll go through life having to correct people and being called AIN. You could always use a different spelling to encourage people to say it right or give her a middle name she could switch too if she wants!

The bottom line is it's you're choice - don't worry about what other people say. If you're happy with it then stick with it and i bet she never knows anyone else with the same name

Aine is a lovely name. Met my first Aine a few months ago and thought that it was really nice and unusual.

Hi

I am Manx (that is from the Isle of Man in case anyone is in doubt!!)

I think Aine is a really lovely name and it is good to give a name that reflects part of your cultural heritiage.

On the IOM we have some really unusual names that most people in the UK have never heard of - my friend is called Grahaigh which is pronounced Graya and is Manx Gaelic for "loved one". When she went to Uni in the UK nobody could say it, but once she had told them how it was said, that was fine. It actually was a talking point for her, and she loves her name.

A lot of people here go for traditional Manx names, so we also have Juan (prounced Jewan - Manx for John) Feena (fair maiden), all sorts really.

Most people will ask how its pronounced and then be very positive about Celtic names, so be proud and don't listen to those that are too ignorant to appreciate the name

I think Aine is a beautiful name. I wanted to call my dd Aislinn, but dp's cousin bagged it. Another cousin bagged Roisin. So she is Grace, but the Irish side of the family - a very traditional diddly-diddly music type lot call her Grainne, which is the Irish version which she loves.

Love then manx names too -never heard them before!

I teach an Aine - she is lovely.

I also teach an Aoife - who is equally loevly

Nope, it's lovely

dd2 has an Irish name and our connections with Ireland are a good deal more tenuous than yours (we had our honeymoon there!! ) - we have the spelling/pronounciation issue here too, but now we live in Scotland we are coming across one or two more with her name.

People will get used to it - don't let it upset you. I had several negative comments on dd2's name but now no-one can imagine her being called anything else

Hi everyone

Thanks for all the positive feedback - especially the Manx one! Feel much better now

Popsycal - Is the little girl Aine you teach in the UK? Do people have problems with the pronounciation, especially the other children?

Oh tell those people to bog off. It's a lovely name.

The girl I teach is in the north east of england. When I saw her name onpaper, I was not sure how to say it, so I asked her, ahe told me, and that was that. No one has a problem with it. It is such a lovely name. I was just thinking today how nice it was

FWIW - the other children have NO problem at all with it!

remember when she starts schiool, she will introduce herself verbally - so it wn't be an issue to other children

lovely name but don't forget the fada - áine.

There use to be an Aine and Orla at DD2s mother and toddler group. My DD2 has a gaelic name and nobody ever spells it right.

My goodness chevre, the fada and all it really will blow everyone away!

i do write it with the fada as the A doesn't have the o sound without it (to an Irish speaker anyway!)

i haven't spoken a word of irish in about 20 years but when i say aine i thought 'that ain't right' you need a fada or else call her ann.

can't believe folk are negative about the name, rude c*nts.

It's a really beautiful name.

Ta mommiedearest

Well I am glad to see so many mumsnetters being supportive to poor mommiedearest.

People often can be very insensitive - try explaining any time that you are abroad (including the UK) that you are Manx, not English, not the Isle of Wight the Isle of Man, and no we don't still birch people!

In case any of you are expectant mums and are feeling daring enough to consider a Manx name for your potential babes, here is a link to the IOM govt web page with some common Manx first names.

[http://www.gov.im/mnh/heritage/library/publicinfo/manxNames.xml]

Hi Ellan Vannin

Some of these names are beautiful, thanks for posting this. Maybe for next time round