I am pregnant with my first kiddo, and although its early and we haven’t found out the gender yet, I am loving looking at baby names. I like unique names, quite a bit outside the top 500. We are all set for a girl name, but we have been having a hard time coming up with a boy name. One that we have both fallen in love with is [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m]. My DH is Irish and I love the idea of traditional Irish names. [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] is a popular name is [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], and I think it sounds so masculine and fun!
But… as I’m sure many of you see already, I am wary of the pronunciation! [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] is pronounced like [name_m]TYG[/name_m], like the first syllable of the word “tiger.” I would love any of your opinions on the idea of this name. Would we be condemning our child to a life of “whats that? how do you spell? what did you say?” or is it not that big of a deal. My DH had the idea of spelling it differently, so it would look like it would look more like it sounds (Tigue), but is that killing the “irish-ness” and tradition of the name? HELP!
[name_m]Man[/name_m], I hope some people with challenging names chime in because I think it’ll come down to what you are comfortable living with. My name is often, but not always, spelled with two ‘s’ in the middle, but I’ve only got one ([name_f]Marisa[/name_f]), so I’ve gotten used to spelling it out whenever someone needs to write it down. But that’s not as challenging as [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m]. My gut says don’t change the spelling for an American audience, however. If your husband is from [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] and still has family there and you plan to visit somewhat frequently, I’d go with the traditional spelling. Tigue also looks like “TEE-gay” to me, so I think it would be as problematic. I like [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] a lot. So that’s where my vote would go.
I grew up (in [name_u]America[/name_u]) with a boy named [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m]! It definitely is not an intuitive pronunciation and he will probably get called “[name_u]Taj[/name_u]” a few times but I think it’s doable in the US. I think the Irish spelling is the way to go, but I totally see where you’re coming from in questioning it-- I have similar feelings with the Irish name [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f]. I know it is not practical in the US but [name_u]Keeva[/name_u] just doesn’t have the same je na sais quoi.
I also think it depends on what environment he will be growing up/going to school in. I grew up in a very small town so once we all learned how to spell/say [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] in second grade, he was set throughout high school. In a situation where he will be consistently meeting new people, however, this might be more difficult. On the other hand, city environments tend to have more diverse communities with more diverse names so that’s something to think about too.
Overall I think [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] is a great name and if you like it you should go for it!
Firstly, I love unique names and I think you should use the name you love.
But… as a person with a unusually spelt name, I think this is a valid question. Yes, people often ask “how do you spell that?”, “how do you say that?”, “am I saying it right?”, etc.
Is it annoying - yes, for a bit… but you get used to it (kinda makes me laugh now the way they look at you blankly).
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I hate my name because of it - no.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I wish I was called [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] instead because life would be simpler - hell no.
I personally don’t like [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] - just not my style - but I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with using a name like this. People will get over it, and your son will get used to correcting people. It gives him his own spunky, unique identity. Go for it, girlfriend!
Agreed. Tigue looks like “tig-you” to me. I don’t think it would solve the pronunciation issue, and it takes away the heritage connection that you originally liked it for.
Honestly, when I first looked at the name, I read it as Tag. But I really suck at knowing how to pronounce Irish names.
As someone with a name that is constantly mispronounced (even though to me it’s simple, said just as it reads), I must say that it’s bothered me my entire life. When someone mispronounces it, I get annoyed but fix it because that’s just what I’m used to. But when someone consistently says it wrong, even once I’ve explained it, I get really bugged, and feel as though they don’t value me if they can’t even be bothered to pronounce my name. And that’s coming from someone with a fairly simple name. [name_m]Just[/name_m]-een. Somehow it’s mistaken for even [name_f]Kristine[/name_f]!
But in saying that, if it’s a name you love, it’s your choice, and you’ll always love it.
I would keep the original spelling, just be prepared to be constantly spelling/pronouncing his name. If you’re not okay with constantly correcting people then I would recommend maybe finding a new name. Although I think most people will get it once you tell them the correct pronunciation.
I like Tadgh and would definitely go with the original spelling (I have never seen Tigue before, but I think most English speakers would pronounce it [name_m]Tige[/name_m], also. Pretty intuitive imo, like the word league) Another similar option you might like, though a completely different name & pronunciation, is [name_m]Tage[/name_m]
I think it’s a cool name, I would spell it the way it sounds, maybe…
Teage
I don’t think it “takes the Irish out of it” to adapt the spelling to be recognizable for where you live. Its still your inspiration & your keeping the way it originally sounds.
I love [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] and I hope you get the opportunity to use it! And a bonus that your husband has Irish roots. I would spell it the traditional way and people only need to ask if they are unsure and then they know. Not a big issue [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
I have an unusual name M@hog@ny, I’ve had a few mispronunciations, but my biggest problem is no one can spell it. Which is odd considering it’s a very familiar word (I think?) and pretty intuitive as far as spelling goes. But I’ve gotten some of the oddest spellings, my name can be written out and somebody will spell it with an -ie inding, with an m instead of an n, just anything LOL. But other than that I haven’t really gotten any problems. As far as [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] goes, if you don’t care about correcting a few people (or about your son potentially having to correct people his entire life) I say go ahead. I initially pronounced it [name_m]Teague[/name_m] (as in league), but it would only take, “No, [name_m]TYG[/name_m] as in tiger.” and I’d be set. I don’t think that people should be afraid to use names that represent their heritage. Wear it proudly and I think you’d be surprised how quickly people will accept it. Especially in the US I think people expect to hear anything and even if you gave you son a name like [name_u]Mason[/name_u] people will still wonder if it’s spelled [name_u]Maison[/name_u], [name_u]Mayson[/name_u], Maason, Maceson or whatever other variant pops into their head. Also the spelling of your name is something that hardly comes up with the normal populace, unless you’re signing something, at an appointment, or at school (in which case the teacher only has to be told once). Otherwise people will just here “My/His name’s [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m].” I say no with the Tigue spelling as PPs have said I would not pronounce that [name_m]TYG[/name_m], more like Tee-goo/gyu like [name_m]Montague[/name_m]. Tieg or [name_m]Tyg[/name_m] are probably the best ways to spell it and they look horrible and will still get mispronunciations.
*disclaimer: I’ve never been to [name_u]America[/name_u], so my opinion may not be as relevant as others’.
It’s a tricky decision, and you and your husband are the only people can really decide what’s right for your family.
That said, I think Tadgh is a great name, and I hope you do keep it for consideration.
My personal preference is for the original spelling - as others have noted, with a relatively unfamiliar name (at least, relatively unfamiliar in the US), any spelling is likely to be mispronounced sometimes anyway. Those who are already familiar with the name might be confused by the variant spelling, too.
If you do decide to go with a variant, I find [name_m]Tige[/name_m] the most intuitive: “[name_m]Tiger[/name_m] without the r” then works for explaining both the spelling and pronunciation.
Whatever spelling you use, I would suggest considering a more familiar middle name, and perhaps thinking up some more familiar nickname options, in case he wants to ‘fit in’ a little more - this might only be a temporary thing while he’s working out his identity in late childhood and the teen years, but it gives him a few options. [name_m]Ty[/name_m] seems like an obvious nickname contender, or perhaps [name_m]Tad[/name_m] (using spelling rather than sound as the basis). [name_m]Tiger[/name_m] might work too, especially for a young boy.
Go for it. I’m American, and my sister used to have a friend in choir named [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m]. She and her other friends could say his name correctly, but their choir director tended to call him “[name_m]Ty[/name_m]”. The American Top 1000 has quite a few Irish boy names in it, like [name_m]Liam[/name_m] (which is #2 for the second year in a row), [name_m]Killian[/name_m], [name_m]Kian[/name_m], along with long-time stalwarts [name_m]Brian[/name_m], [name_u]Kyle[/name_u], and [name_m]Sean[/name_m]. [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] can work over here, even if it’s not (yet) as popular as the names I just listed.
I say go with the original spelling. It’s easy to pronounce and easy to remember once corrected, so yes he will have to say it every time it’s read, but I don’t think it will be overly annoying. I think the name itself is great!
I think it’s a lovely name but yes, he will have his name mispronounced or misspelled 99% of the time.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] actress [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m], who has been in the business for a long time and has even been [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]-nominated is still having her name mispronounced by interviewers, tv hosts, etc. and you’d think they’d make the effort -> so while your son’s friends and family will certainly learn to spell and pronounce his name correctly over time, I think everyone else would likely not make the effort which can be more than annoying.
Not my style but has quality. However he [name_m]WILL[/name_m] spend the next eighty years correcting both the sound and the spelling, so can I suggest a MN that is classic and very clear on these, so if he decides it’s all too much like hard work he has another option?
