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Traditional Irish Names - what do you think?

116 replies

El2020 · 04/02/2020 03:08

Hi all,

I’m TTC my second child and I’m looking to cull my shortlist for Irish kids name which would match my other DC.

A little bit of a background Smile

So I’m Irish Australian and my background is from the Gaeltacht in Ireland (as is my spouse’s). I spend half of my between the two countries.

For those who don’t know the Gaeltacht is where the Irish language (Gaeilge) is predominately spoken in Ireland. I’m not particularly bothered by traditional Irish spelling or too “out there names” (by English speaking standards) as I think it’s important to keep our culture alive. I also feel like when you have a famous Irish person, people are more inclined to remember an exotic name! So that’s always a bonus!

My only “thing/rule” is we both want a traditional name...so Irish names which were created more recently like Saoirse, Aisling and Enin aren’t really liked by my spouse.

I don’t personally like “en” sort of names like Aiden, Hayden, Cayden, Zadyen, Jadyen as these are a bit bogan (chav/redneck) in Australia.

Last time around we stuck with tradition and named DC after one of his immediate family members. The name is a classic male Irish name and I get a lot of compliments on it. No problems with pronunciation when people hear it once or twice.

In terms of middle names, I get to pick those and I’ve selected traditional evergreen names. On the off chance my child or future child hate their name, I have an English name they can use professionally or personally.

Here’s some names that are on our shortlist:

Girls

No order...

Sadhbh - “Sive” means goodness
Méabh - “Mave” means intoxicating
Áine - “Onya” means radiant and after the fairy queen
Órla - “Or-la” means golden princess
Bláthnaid - “Blaw-heen” means flower but I’m worried this sounds to close (for Australians at least) to a particular sexual favour.
Caoimhe - “Keeva” means beautiful
Róisín - “Ro-sheen” means little Rose
Múiread - “Mu-reed” Irish version of Margaret

The girl’s two middle names would be on the lines of Margaret, Catherine/Katherine, Eleanor, Mary, Jane, Victoria, Pearl, Violet, Iris, Rose, and Elizabeth to honour other family members and incorporate MY name this time round. I mean what works for men should also work for women in passing down the names.

Boys

Aodh - “ay” means fire
Éamonn - ay-mon” Irish version of Edmund and I like the 1916 reference to Valera
Cillian - “kill-I-an” like Cillian Murphy yummyyyy
Ruairí - “Rory” means fire king
Pádraig - “pod-rig” is Irish version of Patrick but I feel like this could be too stereotypical of Irish people
Séamus “shay-mus” is the Irish version of James

This time round we don’t have to follow tradition and I think we are both open to anything reasonable and Irish. DC has an evergreen middle name which I’d be do the same thing for another boy.

Let’s see what you guys think 🤔 TIA!!!!

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El2020 · 04/02/2020 03:09

**I spend half of my year between the countries

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Naomh · 04/02/2020 04:07

Which Gaeltacht are you from? Several of your pronunciations sound a bit off.

Bláthnaid is ‘BLAW-ned’ with a soft ‘d’ like the ‘th’ in ‘thou’. Bláthín (‘little flower’)is ‘Blaw-heen’.

Are you thinking of Mairéad or Maighréad, pronounced ‘My-rayd’ or ‘Moy-rayd. I know there are Muiréad variants, but I’ve never heard anyone pronounce the second syllable as ‘Eed’.

Áine and Órla are AWN-yuh and OAR-luh.

Ruairí is ‘ROO-ree’.

I’d go for Méabh or Sadhbh of your girls names. DS would have been Sadhbh. Not keen on your boys list.

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El2020 · 04/02/2020 04:17

I’m from west Ireland.

It might be my Australian accent coming through! We tend to sound things out phonetically (or at least I do) 😬 do you have any boy suggestions?

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Fivefootoffun · 04/02/2020 04:55

Love Meabh. Orla was on our short list as well (I’m Irish living in Scotland so wanted something people could easily pronounce). My DH loves Caoimhe.

Boys - absolutely love Patrick. Such a classic.i love Dáithi also. Other boys I know with Irish names include: Odhran (oran), Senan, Tadgh, Conor, Liam, Shay (I know you’ve seamus on your list), Fionn, Quinn (? Not sure if Irish!)

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El2020 · 04/02/2020 05:09

@fivefootofffun thank you 😊

I really like those two girls names as well. Weirdly enough the Australians I know do actually know Niamh and Meabh. However Órla could just easier and has a lovely meaning too! I like Caoimhe but this would blow so many minds with the spelling 😂

I actually like Dáithi and Conor (googled their meanings love love love!)

I did like Tadgh for a boy but there is an Australian rules footballer named Tadgh. DH tells me that he knows several people who’ve Er... made really interesting spelling homages to “ Tadgh” for their DC. That’s not a good sign 😢

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mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 05:20

"Múiread - “Mu-reed” Irish version of Margaret"

This is the first time I have ever come across this particular version of the name, with the fada on the U (I learned Connemara Irish).

Mairéad, Máiréad, Maighréad, Máighréad, Muiréad (fada on E) - are the only versions of the name I am familiar with. I really like Muiréad - it's more Mwirr-aidh than Murr-aidh as with the Mai- version.

My favourites from your list (girls) are Sadhbh and Caoimhe.

Boys - Like them all.
Would you not pronounce Pádraig 'Paurig' or even spell it Padraic and pronounce it Pauric?

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mathanxiety · 04/02/2020 05:21

It's Tadhg Smile

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El2020 · 04/02/2020 05:27

@mathanxiety Tadhg - doh! Blush that’s not a great sign if I can’t spell it either! DH would be appalled with my spelling/pronunciation of these Grin

I like Mairéad and Muiréad as well. Decisions...

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WardrobeJumper · 04/02/2020 05:31

Róisín and Cillian.

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autumnkate · 04/02/2020 12:35

Cormac
Oisin

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myplateisfullenoughthanks · 04/02/2020 15:17

Caoimhe and Cillian although I love Seamus too

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WaxOnFeckOff · 04/02/2020 16:02

I like Méabh, Áine and Caoimhe from your girls list and would add in Marsaili although that is scottish gaelic I think rather than Irish.

For the boys I like Ruairí and Sé (rather than Séamus) and agree with pp that Cormac is lovely too. Or Ciar/Ciaran?

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Lmes · 04/02/2020 18:05

For boy


Cian

Means "ancient" in Irish. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of Brian Boru.


For girls

Etain
The name Etain is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "jealousy".
The Etain of Irish mythology was a beautiful fairy turned into a fly (or in some versions, a butterfly), by a jealous queen. The insect Etain fell into a glass of milk and was swallowed by yet another queen, then reborn as a beautiful maiden.

Faidh
Faidh is an old Irish word meaning“wild,” in the sense of a wild animal. It comes from the word for "wildlife," .

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florascotia2 · 04/02/2020 18:33

It's "Fiadh" Lmes not " Faidh". It means 'deer' as well as 'wild' - and more.
It's also become very popular in recent years. This is a rather critical newspaper article about it: //ttps://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/deer-god-frank-mcnally-on-the-dramatic-surge-in-popularity-of-the-girl-s-name-fiadh-1.3811391

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WaxOnFeckOff · 04/02/2020 19:24

Eithne?

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OddshoesOddsocks · 04/02/2020 20:50

I have an Orla and Maeve is on my shortlist for dd3 😍 love them both!

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Naomh · 04/02/2020 21:46

Yes, Fiadh, while it’s a nice name in itself, is sort of cliché Irish hipster name.

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pallisers · 04/02/2020 21:54

I like Maeve from your list

I love Ademar - I think it is a boys name but the only one I know is female.

I would have loved to call a boy Nessan (pupil of St Finbarr) but thought it was too close to Nissan.

My favourite Irish name for a girl is Sorcha.

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Istillgetjealous · 04/02/2020 22:11

I love Róisín Mary
Beautiful! I also love the meaning of Róisín

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DramaAlpaca · 04/02/2020 22:13

It's never a good idea to choose an Irish name unless you can spell and pronounce them properly.

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Naomh · 04/02/2020 22:28

I liked Lir before it became a chocolate brand. I know a cool female Lir.

DS was almost Iarla or Naoise.

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pallisers · 04/02/2020 22:31

It's never a good idea to choose an Irish name unless you can spell and pronounce them properly.

True but pronounciation of names does vary from county to county so there isn't always one right way to pronounce a name.

My dd was in school with a Niamh here in the US. I said something closer to Nee-ev but her mother (from county Meath I think) said Neev.

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TheTittefers · 04/02/2020 22:36

I like Dara for a second child (céad, dara, triúr ..) and it’s easy to pronounce, and it’s suitable for a boy or girl.

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Naomh · 04/02/2020 22:42

Yes, @pallisers, but the OP is pronouncing Bláthnaid as Bláthín, and has the final syllable of Muiréad as ‘eed’, so I think it’s more than Neev/Nee-uv or Keeva/ Queeva..?

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Annasgirl · 04/02/2020 22:43

It's a total pain for your child for the rest of their lives to have to explain and spell their name to everyone for ever.

I really cannot understand why people give their children Irish names with traditional Irish spelling unless they live in the Gaeltacht and plan to continue to live there, with their children, forever. And as for getting the spelling or pronunciation wrong - why would you bother?

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