She’s a matriarch of Irish descent, and I wanted a strong, Irish name - and I found one. Only problem is, on review, is it just too unusual to work in a novel? Would your average reader know how to pronounce the name, or does it not matter? After all, I never pronounced [name]Hermione[/name] correctly until the first film came out, and that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the first three [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] books.
Well, it depends if she’s full-blooded Irish and her ethnicity is a key point to her and her character. If she’s a third-generation [name]Brooklyn[/name]-ite, it’s unlikely she’d have such an unusual name. If she is authentically Irish, make sure she has a name that is conceivable for her to have. For example, if [name]Mairead[/name] is a name that’s only likely to be heard in [name]Ireland[/name] in the 60-and-over crowd, don’t make young [name]Mairead[/name] be a teenager. Honestly, I see this more often in literature (someone foreign having a name unsuitable for their age; it’s like a toddler being named [name]Edna[/name] in the US) and it bothers me far more than not knowing how to pronounce the name.
If it makes a difference, I also know several first-generation Irish people, and none of them have such unusual names.
If it’s a big concern, I would just choose an Irish or Irish-influenced name that’s more easily pronounced. [name]Maeve[/name] comes to mind; also, [name]Muirgen[/name].
She’s not a teenager, she’s somewhere in her 50s with three teenage children, and she’s an Irish immigrant to the UK, married an English guy and moved across the water. It’s not a major plot point as such but it does come up on occasion, and the children have the traditional Irish spelling of more common names.
I’ve never heard the name [name]Muirgen[/name] before, but I quite like it, though I’m not sure [name]Maeve[/name] is strong enough for her character.
I think you can give her any name you’d like.
My name is [name]Irmgard[/name]. A highly [name]German[/name] name. I’m not [name]German[/name]. I’m Luxembourgish/British. Most people assume that I’m in my 60’s or 80’s. I’m in my early 20’s.
If you want to use a name stereotypical for a girl of Irish descent, go for: [name]Caitlynn[/name] or [name]Catelin[/name] or Katelinn.
Parents choose to give their child names. I believe that a teenage girl of Irish descent could be given the name: [name]Mairead[/name]. Perhaps it’s the name of a family member or dear friend.
I prefer unusual names. Names that not everyone else has. Names to remember.
Either way, I think [name]Mairead[/name] would be a wonderful for a grown woman in her 50’s.
Wish you the best of luck.
I really like [name]Mairead[/name]! I think it fits your character very well, from what you’ve said. If you’re looking for other strong Irish names with more intuitive pronunciations/that are slightly more common, you could also try [name]Sinead[/name], [name]Siobhan[/name], [name]Aileen[/name]/[name]Eileen[/name], or [name]Bridget[/name].
If you pronounced it " [name]May[/name]-[name]Red[/name]" it could sort of be the Irish version of “[name]Mabel[/name]”, which makes me think of someone in their fifties.
I think it works. Many readers probably wouldn’t know how to pronounce it correctly, but like you said it wouldn’t impact their ability enjoy the story. They’d either look it up or pronounce it however came most naturally to them.
[name]Glad[/name] to see the general consensus is that it’s still OK to use it. I think it fits her perfectly, which is why I’m hesitant to change, but I didn’t know if it would pose a proble. Think I’m going to keep it, thanks everyone.