[name_m]Hi[/name_m] lovelies, I promise to try to keep this as short and least confusing as possible!
SO and I are expecting our first child, and as a life-long name nerd it’s a lot harder to decide on a name than I thought. My SO is Irish and loves the idea of using an Irish name, which I am all for, however the Irish names I like are not so easy to say and spell in English. I’m also REALLY not a fan of changing spellings to make them more “Americanized” or “unique”.
For example, I love [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] “Ee-fah” and [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f] “Kee-vah” but they will never be said or spelled right. I’ve been scouring the internet for some ideas and have even used other websites for ideas.
I was given the suggestion of [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], which I like a lot, however there is a different problem. Using a family name for a middle name is something I’ve always been dead-set on. We have decided on [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f], after my SO’s grandmother who has recently passed away. I can sometimes get over alliteration (not usually a fan) however our baby’s last name also will begin with M and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] M. is too much of a tongue twister, [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any suggestions of Irish names that aren’t over done or boring (example: [name_f]Erin[/name_f], [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], etc.) but are still able to be said and spelled correctly in English?
Thank you all a MILLION times!
~[name_u]Shay[/name_u]
I like [name_f]Neve[/name_f] however would want it spelled [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] which I’m not sure how that would be received. I do like [name_f]Neala[/name_f] a lot though!
My favorites are [name_f]Laoise[/name_f] and [name_f]Fionnuala[/name_f], which…definitely pronunciation issues. I’ve seen [name_f]Fionnuala[/name_f] spelled [name_f]Finoula[/name_f], [name_f]Finola[/name_f], and [name_f]Finula[/name_f], which are more easily pronounced.
I’m not sure the name you’re looking for exists, honestly. Most Irish names are either spelled in a decidedly non-phonetic way or are the common ones you listed ([name_f]Erin[/name_f], [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], [name_f]Bridget[/name_f].) Maybe [name_f]Aileen[/name_f]?
I’d consider just picking a name you love regardless of spelling trouble—it’s really not the end of the world. Heck, I had to spell my name 3 times at the bank today, and I’m just an ordinary [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f].
I was slightly afraid that finding that perfect Irish name that is easy to say, spell, and sounds as beautiful as the rest wasn’t going to be able to be found. One can dream, yes?
I do like [name_f]Fionnuala[/name_f], and I suppose I don’t mind some of the spelling alternatives. It’s when it completely changes a name that is bothers me, like [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f] and [name_u]Keeva[/name_u]. Yes they are said the same, but they don’t look the same at all…if that makes sense!
I’d say [name_f]Orla[/name_f], [name_f]Una[/name_f], [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] (a little tricky but not as hard as some of the others), [name_f]Deirdre[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f]/[name_f]Onora[/name_f]/[name_f]Honora[/name_f], [name_f]Nola[/name_f]/[name_f]Nuala[/name_f], [name_f]Sorcha[/name_f], [name_f]Enya[/name_f]/[name_f]Anya[/name_f] (I’ve seen both in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] though I do think [name_f]Aine[/name_f] looks prettier). There are some nice M names but I see what you mean with the middle and last name.
My favorite Irish names are [name_f]Ailis[/name_f] and [name_f]Roisin[/name_f], which are probably too unpronounceable. Except, I have seen [name_f]Ailish[/name_f] used (I even know an [name_f]Ailish[/name_f] in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]!) and it doesn’t seem quite as offensive as, e.g., Shevahn.
Then there’s a bank of the Irish-American names you’re probably trying to avoid, but which are used here a lot because of your exact dilemma - it’s hard to find an authentic name people can pronounce. And of course they aren’t all Irish, they just read Irish to a lot of Americans/Canadians/etc: [name_f]Fiona[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Brigid[/name_f], [name_f]Eileen[/name_f]/[name_f]Colleen[/name_f]/[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f], [name_f]Erin[/name_f], [name_u]Shannon[/name_u], [name_u]Kerry[/name_u], [name_f]Brenna[/name_f], [name_f]Ashlyn[/name_f], [name_f]Keira[/name_f], [name_u]Clare[/name_u] (spelled for County [name_u]Clare[/name_u]), [name_f]Tara[/name_f], [name_f]Cara[/name_f]/[name_f]Kara[/name_f], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u], [name_f]Alana[/name_f], [name_u]Riley[/name_u], [name_u]Delaney[/name_u], [name_u]Adare[/name_u], [name_m]Carlow[/name_m], [name_u]Flannery[/name_u], [name_f]Mara[/name_f], [name_u]Keely[/name_u]
[name_f]Ashling[/name_f]- Anglicized but used in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]
[name_f]Bridie[/name_f]
[name_f]Clodagh[/name_f]- spelling might be an issue but pronunciation is pretty intuitive
[name_f]Moira[/name_f]
[name_f]Maureen[/name_f]
[name_u]Tierney[/name_u]
I also second the suggestion of [name_f]Orla[/name_f].
I think it’s so sad that your SO shot down [name_f]Fiona[/name_f]. [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] is such a beautiful and underrated Irish name, and it’s so easily pronounced. And I personally think that the character from Shrek is pretty great! The whole point of her character is that a person doesn’t need to be physically/conventionally beautiful to be happy or awesome. But honestly, I don’t understand why one character in one movie franchise is defining the name for so many people. There are millions of movies and TV shows out there with millions of names in them…I think it’s sad when one random association affects a beautiful name so much :(.
