Our baby girl could come any day now, and we are still stuck on a name. My entire family is of Irish heritage (with a teeny bit of Scottish), and I’d like a name that is “classic Irish” – a name that when it is said or written people (at least most) will identify it as Irish/Celtic. However, I don’t know that I want a name so uniquely Irish that it would be difficult for many people throughout my daughter’s life to pronounce or spell here in the US. There are lots of names that I’d have no hesitation choosing if I were living in [name]Ireland[/name]. The traditional spellings don’t bother me personally and I prefer them, but I wonder if it would make things challenging for my daughter?
My two sons’ names are [name]Conor[/name] and [name]Liam[/name]. When I chose their names I was going with the guidelines above – “classic Irish” but not too “out there” for living in the US. Unfortunately, the names have become quite a bit too popular for my liking since naming them. But I do love their names as they stand alone.
Anyway, here is a sampling from the long list of girls’ names we’ve been collecting. Many of them are okay with me, but I keep waiting to love one or discover one that I absolutely love. And that would go well with my boys’ names, etc.
*[name]Aislinn[/name] (ash-lin) (unsure how concerned to be over spelling/pronunciation for my daughter’s sake… also I do not like [name]Ashlyn[/name], [name]Ashley[/name] and the like and want a name that conjures up classic Irish, not trendy pop-ish names, if that makes any sense?)
*[name]Nora[/name] (feel like has become so mainstream that not necessarily immediately identified or known as Irish)
*[name]Maeve[/name] (husband does not like)
*[name]Alana[/name] (same comments as [name]Nora[/name])
*[name]Fiona[/name] (but cousin and friend both have girls with this name)
*Caelainn (but don’t like [name]Kaylin[/name] and don’t want it confused as such) … also having difficulty confirming traditional spelling and how much I’d want to stray from it or not
*[name]Keelin[/name] (for some reason I find this a little hard to say? and not sure how I feel about the Anglicized spelling)
*[name]Ciara[/name]
Names that I think are now somewhat unisex but we fear are too boyish for our taste: [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Finlay[/name]
Our list is much longer, but I’ll spare you all from all of them! I’m sure some of you may suggest other names we’ve thought of. Any thoughts? Thank you!
[name]Aileen[/name]
[name]Aoife[/name]
[name]Brigid[/name]
[name]Cassidy[/name]
[name]Deirdre[/name]
[name]Iona[/name]
[name]Muriel[/name] (I like this version better than the original Irish spelling of [name]Muirgheal[/name])
[name]Roisin[/name]
[name]Saoirse[/name]
[name]Teagan[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name] is a favorite name of mine. I feel the same way about [name]Nora[/name] and [name]Alana[/name] as you do. For some reason I don’t like [name]Ciara[/name]. I like [name]Fiona[/name] but it seems that you know too many little girls already with this name.
Other names to consider
[name]Ailis[/name]-aye-lish
Aibhlinn-ave-leen form of [name]Evelyn[/name]- [name]Love[/name] it
[name]Aideen[/name]
[name]Aine[/name]-another of my favorites like [name]Anya[/name]
[name]Aislinn[/name]
[name]Aoife[/name]
[name]Bidelia[/name]
[name]Branna[/name]
[name]Brenna[/name]
Bronagh-[name]Brona[/name]
[name]Brigid[/name]-like it
[name]Caoimhe[/name]
[name]Ciara[/name]
[name]Cliona[/name]-starting to like it
[name]Colleen[/name]
[name]Clodagh[/name]
[name]Dara[/name]-I like it
[name]Darcy[/name]-Another favorite
[name]Delaney[/name]
[name]Decla[/name]
[name]Deirdre[/name]
[name]Duff[/name]
[name]Eachna[/name]
Einin
[name]Eileen[/name]
[name]Eimear[/name]
[name]Eithne[/name]
[name]Enya[/name]
[name]Etain[/name]
[name]Emer[/name]
[name]Erin[/name]
[name]Fianna[/name]-I like it
[name]Fiona[/name]-gorgeous of course
[name]Fionnuala[/name]
[name]Grainne[/name]
[name]Ida[/name]/[name]Ide[/name]
[name]Iona[/name]-[name]Love[/name] it
[name]Isolt[/name]-starting to like it
[name]Juno[/name]
[name]Keela[/name]
[name]Keeva[/name]
Kyna
[name]Kathleen[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]-A favorite
[name]Maire[/name]-love this with the Irish accent
[name]Mairead[/name]-like parade with an m (a favorite of mine)
[name]Meara[/name]-i like it
[name]Mona[/name]
[name]Moira[/name]
[name]Muirgen[/name]
[name]Niamh[/name]-another favorite
[name]Neila[/name]
Noleen
[name]Oona[/name]
[name]Orla[/name]-another favorite
[name]Reagan[/name]-I know it’s popular but I still like it
[name]Riona[/name]-starting to be a favorite
[name]Roisin[/name]
[name]Saoirse[/name]
[name]Siobhan[/name]-have always liked it
[name]Shannon[/name]-my sister
[name]Sinead[/name]
[name]Sorcha[/name]
[name]Tara[/name]
[name]Tiernan[/name]
[name]Tierney[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
I don’t know too much about irish/celtic names, but I’m one of those people who really doesn’t know how to pronounce those names at all. So with that perspective, of the names listed:
[name]Brigid[/name] - seems classically Irish but not at all out there - I think it goes well with [name]Conor[/name] and [name]Liam[/name]
[name]Siobhan[/name] - I’m not a huge fan of this name but I feel like it’s familiar enough that people would know how to pronounce it although it has the irish spelling.
[name]Riona[/name] - I didn’t even know this was a name, but I like it. It has a nice meaning. It’s easy to pronounce. [name]Don[/name]'t know if it would be too similar to [name]Fiona[/name] for you.
[name]Aislinn[/name] - Now I am one of those people who would see this name and think its “Ays-linn”. BUT I have met a few baby Aislinns and I think maybe it’s becoming a little more popular to where it will be more familiar to people.
I didn’t immediately realize that [name]Nora[/name] and [name]Alana[/name] were Irish, so you might be right about them not being Irish enough. I always thought [name]Nora[/name] was a nn for [name]Eleanor[/name] or [name]Lenora[/name].
I think [name]Aislinn[/name] would be a good name, in terms of it being very Irish in spelling, but still easily pronounced. Unfortunately, some people will associate it with or misspell it as [name]Ashlyn[/name].
[name]Maeve[/name] would be a perfect name if your hubby liked it. It is definitely Irish, while being well known enough that most people won’t have problems pronouncing it. It think it is lovely.
[name]Fiona[/name] is nice as well and extremely easy to spell and pronounce for most people. I would still suggest you use it if you love it. The only time I consider a name off limits is if its my niece or nephew’s name.
I am not a fan of Caelainn. It seems more difficult to spell and it just gets lumped in with all the trendy [name]Kaylin[/name], [name]Kayle[/name] and [name]Kayla[/name] names. Same with [name]Keelin[/name].
[name]Ciara[/name] is my favorite on your list. I had a [name]German[/name] [name]Shepherd[/name] named [name]Kiera[/name], and part of me wished I had saved the name for a possible daughter. I really love the name.
[name]Love[/name] [name]Aislinn[/name] and [name]Maeve[/name] from your list, although you also have some great suggestions too. [name]Love[/name] [name]Nora[/name] and didn’t know its Irish roots. Celtic names are so lovely and such a great way to honor your heritage. Spelling and pronunciation can be a pain though. Pick what you love and be prepared to teach folks how it is pronounced/spelled. My very common name is regularly misspelled and even mispronounced, so go figure. Good luck!
I love [name]Maeve[/name], [name]Nora[/name], [name]Ciara[/name] and [name]Aislinn[/name] from the names on this list but [name]Nora[/name] is too close to [name]Conor[/name] and [name]Ciara[/name] seems a bit overdone with all the spelling alternatives.
[name]Conor[/name], [name]Liam[/name] and [name]Maeve[/name] is my favourite, shame your husband doesn’t like it.
I love [name]Maeve[/name] and [name]Aislinn[/name]! So beautiful!
I second the suggestions of…
[name]Orla[/name] (I know a very sweet person with this name, but she spells it [name]Orlagh[/name])
[name]Niamh[/name]
[name]Cassidy[/name]
[name]Brigid[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
[name]Shannon[/name]
[name]Kathleen[/name]
Thanks so much for all your thoughts and suggestions so far. I’ve tried several times to appeal to my husband with [name]Maeve[/name], but he just doesn’t seem to like it at all! Not even a little bit. I might try again.
I also appreciate all the feedback on [name]Aislinn[/name]! It’s in my husband’s top two choices. I love the meaning and sound of the name, but for some reason two things seem to be holding me back a bit: sounding like [name]Ashlyn[/name]/[name]Ashley[/name] and potential complications with spelling/pronunciation (which I never before thought would be an issue for me). It’s positive to hear that so many of you like it and think it may not be much of an issue. Would love to hear any other thoughts on this.
I like the suggestion of [name]Mairead[/name]. It had not come up in any of my reading or searching. Not sure how well it fits with the boys’ names though. Is [name]Maire[/name] pronounced “moyra”?
I’ve looked at so many names and keep waiting for one to jump out as “love it!”. Choosing my sons’ names was so much easier, and choosing a girl’s name is proving to be much harder for me.
I love all your options. I’m not expecting but trying to be, and I face the same problem with coming up with Irish names that aren’t wrong for me for one reason or another. My daughter is [name]Brenna[/name]. It’s a bit mod-Irish (my husband’s choice) and although I was fighting for something more traditional, it suits her perfectly. And everyone knows it Irish upon hearing it -my goal! (I guess because of the connection to [name]Brendan[/name]). I think [name]Brenna[/name] would sound lovely with [name]Conor[/name] and [name]Liam[/name], and although I feared it becoming too trendy, it seems to have slid under the radar so far!
My absolute favorite from your list is [name]Nora[/name]/[name]Norah[/name]. I think it’s a gorgeous name, but unfortunately I keep hearing of more babies being given this name around me, and I don’t think I’d use it [name]Darcy[/name]/[name]Darcie[/name] is another love of mine but I share this fear!
Two unusual ones that have come to my attention are [name]Tierney[/name] and [name]Neely[/name]. I immediately like them but can also find reasons to talk myself out of them! [name]Oona[/name] and [name]Orla[/name] are super cool in my opinion (and super Irish!) but I’m not sure how a young girl in my area would feel about carrying such a unique name.
Good luck to you!!! Please let us know what you choose
I had a student named [name]Mairead[/name], she also went by the nn [name]Maggie[/name]. That is where I first heard the name and fell in love with it. I think [name]Mairead[/name] fits with [name]Connor[/name] and [name]Liam[/name].
babynamesofireland.com says [name]Maire[/name] is pronounced My-ra. You can also use [name]Mairi[/name] (mahh-ree).
My favorites for you are [name]Aislynne[/name]/[name]Aislyn[/name], [name]Aileen[/name] and [name]Tierney[/name]. It’s not Irish, but [name]Pippa[/name] is lovely and seems British Isles. [name]Agnes[/name] was very popular in [name]Ireland[/name] a few hundred years ago, although it’s a Greek name. And while I’m digressing I may as well mention [name]Anouk[/name] and [name]Annika[/name]. [name]McKenzie[/name] has an Irish feel, although it’s Scottish. Probably because of [name]McKenna[/name], which is Irish. And a lot of parents are using [name]Riley[/name] for a girl; you could do [name]Reilly[/name].
Taking grammar rules into account, the correct spelling of Caelainn would be Caelinn or Cailinn, Caelinn is definitely incorrect.
I love [name]Maeve[/name] and [name]Ciara[/name]. Definitely avoid [name]Finlay[/name] - Its a 100% boy in [name]Ireland[/name] and the UK despite its baffling popularity on girls in the US.
Some of my own favourites:
[name]Emer[/name]
[name]Niamh[/name]
[name]Eabha[/name]
Sive
[name]Aine[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
[name]Keeva[/name]
I had seen it spelled as “Caelainn” in one book that I have (book of Irish names published in the UK), although many of the books seem to have their own distinct opinions on spelling and pronunciation for some names. I also have seen the spelling “Caoilainn” or “Caolainn” in several places as the authentic version of the name? I also like the pronunciation kale-in better than kay-lin, and I have seen both mentioned. Is it a matter of dialect? I would not want to use a traditional name intentionally and be saying it incorrectly.
If I use Aislinn, I’m inclined to spell it that way. I’ve read that while “Aisling” is the more traditional spelling, “Aislinn” is also used in Ireland? I don’t want to make up a spelling or use one that’s been adopted in the US but is not used in Ireland and/or is not the intended spelling of the name. Just my personal preference.
I was feeling a better about the name [name]Aislinn[/name], pronounced ash-lin. That is, until I started reading some boards on another site. I would never post my names for opinion or judgement on that other site, but reading some comments on another’s post of the same name made me frustrated and discouraged. [name]Do[/name] you think many people in the general public would pronounce is “ace-lin” (as the posts on this other board suggest)? Or could it be a simple matter of me correcting and moving on? Anyone with first hand experience with the name or know girls with this name? I’m not sure where it is now in my personal ranking, but I was really starting to come around to it and it’s in my husband’s top two. Thanks for your thoughts!
For those of you who like or even love [name]Maeve[/name], how do you feel about the meaning? And the supposed story behind the name? Is this a name with negative connotations in [name]Ireland[/name] because of this??? My husband was/is starting to come around to the name. However, I’m now finding myself questioning the meaning and possible connotations with this name, which he didn’t like from the start. I just don’t know why choosing a girl name is proving so challenging for us!
Congratulations! I have Irish/Scottish heritage too and I love Celtic names (although disappointingly my family members mainly have dull, traditional Irish-Catholic names - [name]Mary[/name], [name]Anne[/name], [name]Patrick[/name] etc.).
I’d second/suggest:
[name]Eilidh[/name] (AY-lee. Technically, it’s Scottish but generally labelled as ‘Celtic’)
Maireaid
Mhairi (I’ve also seen [name]Mari[/name]/[name]Mairi[/name])
[name]Tierney[/name]
[name]Emer[/name] (ee-meh)
[name]Clodagh[/name] (clo-dah, with a long O sound like [name]Chloe[/name])
[name]Orla[/name] (original spelling [name]Orlaith[/name])
[name]Aoife[/name] (EE-feh)
[name]Tara[/name]
[name]Ailsa[/name] (ayl-sah, another Scottish one)
[name]Sorcha[/name]
[name]Fionnuala[/name] (fin-oh-lah or fin-oo-lah, it might be a [name]Finlay[/name]/[name]Fiona[/name] compromise? I’ve also seen it spelt [name]Finola[/name])
[name]Saoirse[/name] (see-uh-shah)
[name]Maire[/name] (alternatively spelt [name]Maura[/name])
I think they all go well with your boys, but my favourites are probably [name]Emer[/name], Maireaid, [name]Orla[/name] and [name]Tierney[/name].
*Some of my pronunciation explanations aren’t that great and they tend to vary from place to place; for best effect, you have to put on a bit of an Irish accent haha.
Good luck!
[name]Darcy[/name]/[name]Darcie[/name] is another love of mine but I share this fear!