Irish names English people can say

[Annie29]

Any Irish mums or mums-to-be out there with English OHs???
I really want my baby to have an Irish name, so that, despite my fading accent (the shame ), we can still maintain a bit of heritage (it's all getting lost with the World Cup coming up!).
DH and his family are from Up North, so they have trouble pronouncing any of my sisters kids names, all beautiful Irish names like Saoirse (they say Sushi), Ciaran (Key-ron), Blaithin (Blah-hoon!!) .
We've been told it's a girl, so any suggestions would be welcome! I have a DS, but couldn't come up with an Irish name for him, so this one HAS to have an Irish name!!!

Control Alt then the character you want, should give you a fadá.

Tankyou Ladysherlock..i was unsure of the spelling i thought it might be phada i am trying to get abit of cupla focal but its slooow[rin]

My dsil is irish and my brother is english - they have called their daughter Maeve, and both sides of the family pronounce it fine. We do have problems with dsil's niece's and nephew's names - have no idea how they are spelt, but sound like - Poiric and Granya.

I used to share a house with a Roisin - we used to get phone calls asking to speak to Raisin!

Orla
Orna
Mara
Cara
Tallulah
Nessa
Deriola

We are possibly having an Eabha next, but I have just read that it is the 75th most popular name in Ireland at present.
DH says she will be called 'Eeb-hah'

Aoife - Ee-fa

Bronagh was my number 1 girl name if I had had a girl - love it

Its not as much the pronunciation as the spelling too and havng to explain your name every time you're in a new situation.

I haven't read all the posts, but it seems you will want something that sounds like it's spelt.
Sive (rhyming with chive), Ashling, Riona (which means princess), Orla.

At the moment, you can't throw a stone here but you'll hit an Aoife, Orla, Ciara, or Caoimhe.

'I used to share a house with a Roisin - we used to get phone calls asking to speak to Raisin! '

English people are sad.

:o

Siobhan (sp?), used to go to school with a girl called that. How about Belinda (lovely Irish lady I work with is called that and nobody gets her name worng).

Clare or Kerry (OK they're county names, but they are Irish!)
Our next one if a girl will be Claire (I prefer the French spelling.) My dh is Irish but we live in Canada, we have the same problem... love the names but nobody will be able to pronounce/spell them!
I really like Ailish too. Another nice one is Shona.

Morning everyone,

thanks for the brilliant response to this! Can't get those fadas to work though, on this ancient computer.

KTeePee, I agree with your idea of giving them the simplified spelling, as long as it sounds Irish, I'd be happy. It's just the same old problem of getting the in-laws to learn how to say it, and then spell it... and then everyone else, like teachers, doctors etc...

SoupDragon, Caoimhe is gorgeous too, but I have suggested it to DH and there's no chance he could say it. At least if I can find one that he can say (Aoife!! Lol at Arfur!!) then the rest of em can learn.

Drosophila, So Sorry if I offended your name by the way. I knew I'd probably offend someone.

Stleger, Kitty? She's not going to be ninety years old, this baby! (Sorry any Kitty's out there!)

Hollyboo, those are nice names, but I find them a bit American Irish, if you know what I mean. Again, no offence meant to anyone.

Aifric is a really nice name too.

I'm really coming round to Roisin actually!!!

Kayleigh! Pretty name too.

Aveene, is that Aoibhin or Aoibheane? We have one of those in the family already. Lovely name, means 'beautiful sheen'.

Am ignoring the Welsh contingent here, as I'm ashamed to say I can't pronounce them!! Sorry girls! Kettles and pots anyone?

Ah Mary!!! There was a time when all first born girls were called Mary, my eldest sister is Mary, I have three Auntie Mary's (two in-laws) and about four girls I went to school with were Mary. So I think it qualifies!! And if I can't be bothered to call someone by their own name, I call them Mary too... (or John)

Doobydoo, Aine (I say Awe-na) is the Irish for Ann, which is me, so no can do on that one. Some people say it Awe-nya...Depends whereabouts you're from. It means grace.

Bronagh, I agree, is a 'sad' name. Ta me go bronagh, means I am sad...

Bluebear, Maeve is a lovely name, but DH just calls it mauve.. Your two names there are Padriag and Grainne! Fine Irish names! Padraig is the Irish for Patrick, I think Grainne is a traditional Irish name, from folklore.

Madchad, Eabha is lovely. I'd probalby go with the English spelling though (if I were to pinch it from you), just to make her life a bit simpler, but then it kinda loses it's Irish flavour a bit. Your other suggestions are nice too, isn't it funny how they all end with -a!!

Sive is a beautiful name, sometimes spelt Saidhbh!! Very appropriate too, for where I'm from, but unfortunately DH can only say Sieve. Riona is lovely actually. DH asked my what the Irish for princess was, and I could only think of Prionsios, which isn't that nice, but if Riona means that too, hmm!!

Ailish I like too, and Shona, or Shauna, maybe.

Fuzzy, belinda isn't really a traditional Irish name! Though I have heard of a few.

Thanks folks!

SO, the latest shortlist

Aoife
Laoise
Eimear
Erin
Niamh.

Roisin
Shauna
Roina.

Am liking Shauna and Shona

Oh Annie29 I'm so offended
I'm Irish through and through!!! Suppose they don't really sound like old Irish names.
What about Nell or Peig(Peg)?

Hollyboo sorry!!!!
Now, Peig, there's a woman! Did you have to do her in school? Oh the tediousness of it...
Are you living in England?

No you can't call her Peig - utterly utterly tedious!

Do they still do it I wonder??

The woman had no life, and they wrote a whole book about her?
They were still doing it ten years ago (in my day...) don't know if they still do it now. It's all changed hasn't it. Don't know anyone in Secondary school anymore!!

Equalled only by Mo Sceal Fein.
My recollection of Peig was that she was recounting self-congratulatory tales such as 'Sure Peig aren't you the best storyteller ever'
There was also some problem with the English version having an extra chapter, which you had to make sure you didn't refer too.
I actually liked Irish, but Peig was the pits.

Poor old Peig, she had a hard life. Why we all had to endure the details of it though... I gave her up and went to Pass Irish instead of Honours, where I got told off all the time for talking, even though it wasn't me!

Heard a radio prog. trying to find Ireland's youngest Peg! What about Gobnait!

Erin
Aisling (Ashleen)
Eileen
Philomena
Orla
Corrinne

Ahhhh the memories of Peg No they dont do it at school anymore. My kid sisters escaped it. I bear a bitter grudge against them for that.

If you call your kid Peg she'll smoke tea when shes older TRUST ME on that one.

PS. youve got my daughter 2 first names in your shortlist so you obv have good taste

I wouldn't worry about what people can pronounce or not, frankly. I've had 43 years of an Indian first name only Indian people can pronounce, and a Swedish surname only Swedish people can prounounce...and most people get it in the end. After I've shouted a lot

And nobody ever forgets you.

You've got my dd's name on your shortlist too!