[name_m]Hi[/name_m], I’m currently ttc #4, and am really loving Gaelic and British names. Only problem? I’m 100% not Gaelic or British. Neither is my husband, unless you count his ancestor who came to the US from [name_f]England[/name_f] in 1620. 
It bothers me a little bit to use a name with very local flavor that I share no connection with. That being said, what names hit more of the middle of the road mark? Are [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] or [name_m]Torquil[/name_m] too far out there for me to consider? I welcome any and all suggestions.
Never too Irish
I think [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_m]Torquil[/name_m] are possibly a bit too Irish for you, simply because they aren’t very familiar outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], and they are very obviously Gaelic.
I would suggest:
[name_u]Kieran[/name_u]/[name_m]Ciaran[/name_m]
[name_m]Callum[/name_m]
[name_m]Killian[/name_m]/[name_m]Cillian[/name_m]
[name_m]Connor[/name_m]
[name_f]Kiera[/name_f]/[name_f]Ciara[/name_f]
[name_f]Sorcha[/name_f]
[name_f]Aisling[/name_f]
[name_f]Niamh[/name_f]/[name_f]Neve[/name_f]
The biggest problem i see with using a “too Irish” name (and many of them are lovely!) is that most people outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] struggle with prononciations. I’m thinking of names like [name_f]Sinead[/name_f], [name_f]Aine[/name_f], [name_f]Aoife[/name_f], [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f], [name_u]Ailbhe[/name_u], [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], [name_f]Sorcha[/name_f], [name_f]Grainne[/name_f], etc. For someone who has never seen these before, the names get so completely botched up its ridiculous!
Boys names might be easier - names like [name_u]Finn[/name_u], [name_m]Patrick[/name_m], [name_u]Kieran[/name_u], [name_m]Sean[/name_m], [name_m]Conor[/name_m], are all pretty familiar outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] and not un-pronouncable for a non-irish person.
I think it depends, some names are very Irish but also quite familiar, like [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] that you mentioned. I’m sure she, along with [name_f]Niamh[/name_f], [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f], [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f], [name_f]Sinead[/name_f] are well known enough for people to know how they are said/spelled.
You could also maybe consider using an English version of an Irish name, so [name_f]Nieve[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Niamh[/name_f], [name_u]Rory[/name_u] instead of [name_m]Ruairi[/name_m] etc.
Ultimately though its down to you. I dont think its too odd and once you’ve told people the name and how its spelled and pronounced they’ll know then for next time.
So I’ve been going to college in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] for the last few years but lived in the United States for my entire life prior to college.
Most of my friends over here have VERY Irish names that my parents and friends back in the US cannot even begin to pronounce correctly. The only names I think the average American might know how to pronounce are Sinéad and [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] solely because there are a few pop culture references.
With that being said, I firmly believe that names like [name_f]Aoife[/name_f], [name_u]Aoibheann[/name_u], [name_f]Grainne[/name_f], [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], [name_m]Cathal[/name_m], [name_m]Oisin[/name_m] aren’t usable outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]/the British Isles because they rely on knowledge of an entirely different language and alphabet.
I just think the pronunciation would be butchered every single time your child meets someone new, and the English language doesn’t use fadas (accent marks), so you would have to decide if you would want to spell an Irish name in an ‘easier to type out in English but simultaneously incorrectly spelled in Irish’ type of way such as leaving ”ine as [name_f]Aine[/name_f] without a fada.
Obviously if you really love a name it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, but that is just my two cents.
If you want some easier Irish names I would suggest:
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] (as opposed to Ruairí)
[name_u]Finn[/name_u]
[name_m]Killian[/name_m]
[name_u]Owen[/name_u] (instead of [name_m]Eoin[/name_m], [name_m]Eoghan[/name_m])
[name_f]Siobhan[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_f]Orla[/name_f] (also spelled [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f] over here, but [name_f]Orla[/name_f] would likely never be mis-pronounced)
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
Best of luck!
I’d say any name whose pronunciation doesn’t match its spelling is too Irish, especially without any connection to the country.
I love all this input. And the more it makes me think I shouldn’t use most of my favorites, because as a school kid I had a name that was hard to spell because it was [name_m]French[/name_m] and unfamiliar to Americans. Hm. But [name_m]Callum[/name_m] and [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] both seem like great options for my as-yet theoretical fourth. :)thanks everyone for your ideas.
I don’t support the theory that to name your child an Irish name you have to be Irish. Not any more than to eat an Irish soda bread or to buy a woolen sweater you have to be Irish.
That said, I might choose a name whose pronunciation somehow relates to its spelling. But I would choose that for any name, actually.
In terms of unfamiliarity - never too Irish (or Scottish)
In terms of spelling and pronunciation, in the US you’re going to be limited
Something like [name_f]Orla[/name_f], [name_m]Torquil[/name_m], [name_m]Struan[/name_m], [name_m]Cillian[/name_m], [name_u]Dara[/name_u], [name_m]Senan[/name_m], [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_m]Oran[/name_m], [name_m]Conall[/name_m], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], Cuan, [name_m]Dermot[/name_m], [name_m]Cormac[/name_m], [name_m]Fintan[/name_m], [name_u]Rory[/name_u], [name_f]Maura[/name_f], [name_u]Niall[/name_u], [name_m]Cian[/name_m], [name_m]Ronan[/name_m], [name_u]Tiernan[/name_u], [name_m]Finbar[/name_m], [name_m]Innis[/name_m], [name_m]Alasdair[/name_m], [name_m]Hamish[/name_m], [name_m]Duncan[/name_m], [name_m]Ewan[/name_m], [name_m]Angus[/name_m], [name_m]Fergus[/name_m], [name_m]Tavish[/name_m] and [name_m]Baird[/name_m] are unusual but more intuitively spelt, so I see no reason not to for them
Also go with whatever you like for the middles - that might be the place to finally get to use something really unusual
I think it’s nice, though pronunciation will be difficult.