Firstly, congratulations!
Secondly, McGinty is such a fun surname; it’s really a style statement on its own. I would stay away from anything ending in an -ee sound, as this will skew the name over into children’s books territory (“Wee [name]Maggie[/name] McGinty / had problems aplenty.”) Likewise, anything starting with a Mc sound will make the name sound like a reject from the teleplay for [name]Angela[/name]'s Ashes.
So, keeping in mind your criteria for something unambiguous, recognizable, feminine and unpretentious:
[name]Aria[/name] This is the Italian word for “air,” and a term in opera for the diva’s solo. It certainly flows well, as I think a name with many vowel sounds will work well with your surname. It’s not terribly popular but certainly isn’t fresh either. I personally find it a bit light and insubstantial, but that is a very subjective opinion.
[name]Callie[/name]/[name]Callista[/name] I think [name]Callie[/name] is out due to the -ee sound, but [name]Calla[/name] would be a great contender for you. [name]Callista[/name] is a beautiful name as well, but it’s a bit fussier, especially next to down-to-earth McGinty.
[name]Carys[/name] You’re right-- this is not unambiguous. But it will work very well in the middle spot, as its meter (CAR-is) flows straight into mc-[name]GIN[/name]-ty.
[name]Cassie[/name] to insubstantial-- this is a girlish nickname, not a full grown-up name. [name]Cassia[/name] on the other hand would hit all the right notes: feminine, easy to pronounce, spicy (it means “cinnamon”), and the meter works well with your surname. [name]Cassia[/name] McGinty is fabulous.
[name]Chelsea[/name] out due to the ending sound -ee
[name]Keelie[/name] out due to ending sound; not substantive enough for a grown woman
[name]Kenzie[/name] out due to ending sound; same as [name]Keelie[/name]-- not substantive enough
Keslie- same as above, out for phonetic reasons
Leighella- this is a smash between two uber-popular name elements. It is feminine and unpretentious, but difficult to say (there are two vowel sounds right next to each other-- lee- eh-la) and doesn’t look nearly as ravishing as [name]Calla[/name] or [name]Cassia[/name].
Lyanna/[name]Liana[/name] Much prefer [name]Liana[/name]; however, this is a type of clinging vine. Phonetics work well with your surname.
[name]Makayla[/name] see [name]Angela[/name]'s Ashes comment above
[name]Makenna[/name] [name]Angela[/name]'s Ashes
[name]Milena[/name] nn [name]Mila[/name] beautiful-- both [name]Milena[/name] and [name]Mila[/name] work very, very well with McGinty. There might be questions on pronuncation (MY-lah versus MEE-la, for example)
[name]Miranda[/name] a lovely choice. Unambiguous, fresh, feminine and just the right side of fussy to pair with McGinty.
[name]Reina[/name] this is the Spanish word for “queen.” It’s an unexpected choice, but the phonetics work with McGinty. People might think it’s a very religious name (it was often given in honor of the Virgin [name]Mary[/name], [name]Queen[/name] of [name]Heaven[/name]).
[name]Shaelyn[/name] nn [name]Shae[/name] I do not at all care for this. It is a combination of very popular sounds but not a name with roots, meaning, or history. Additionally I think the “[name]Shae[/name]” spelling and sound is very dated. If you want to stay away from trendy, avoid this entire family of names.
[name]Skyla[/name] nn [name]Skye[/name] [name]Skye[/name] to me seems to be a stronger choice. [name]Skyla[/name] again has that “made-up” air about it. Next to something mature and evocative like [name]Miranda[/name], it really falls flat.
[name]Summerlyn[/name] nn [name]Summer[/name] likewise, this is a smash of two common names /name elements. It feels invented and rootless. The -lyn names are mega-popular now and will feel incredibly dated in another decade. Again, next to [name]Miranda[/name] or [name]Calla[/name] it doesn’t stand up.
[name]Winter[/name] This is the newest name crazy. I think this will be like [name]Cheyenne[/name] in the mid-90s. Additionally, the “win” sounds next to mcGINty is too repetitive.
Going off your preference for short, 2-syllable names with a strong K sound (i.e. [name]Kenzie[/name], [name]Kelsie[/name], [name]Keelie[/name]), how about:
[name]Katya[/name]
[name]Kara[/name]
[name]Kyra[/name]
[name]Ciara[/name]
[name]Kirsten[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] / [name]Claire[/name]
[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Cleo[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Corinna[/name]
Some fun Irish names:
[name]Alana[/name]
[name]Eavan[/name]
[name]Deirdre[/name]
[name]Devin[/name]
[name]Ennis[/name]
[name]Enya[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Kiera[/name]
[name]Marin[/name] / [name]Maren[/name]
[name]Maura[/name]
[name]Morna[/name]
Neasa / [name]Nessa[/name]
[name]Neve[/name]
[name]Nola[/name]
[name]Norah[/name]
[name]Orla[/name]
[name]Riona[/name]
If you want to go very Irish, and keep your favorite sound:
[name]Caoimhe[/name] (pr KEE-va)-- a traditional name meaning “beautiful and kind”
I don’t think the traditional Gaelic spelling will work for you since it’s obviously hard for most Americans to wrap their minds around, but you could Anglicize it to [name]Keeva[/name] or Keava.
