So sorry to keep bugging you all. It’s just so much fun to talk all things names with people who love them as much as I do!
I am mostly [name_u]Irish[/name_u] and have many family members with [name_u]Irish[/name_u] names, so I love the idea of continuing that for a future child. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite was always [name_f]Nora[/name_f] but I am now unable to use that one. I’ve been loving [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] (with the sur-sha pronunciation, even though I know it’s technically wrong). I absolutely love the meaning of “unity and freedom”. I want my future daughter to feel free to do and be whatever she chooses.
What are your thoughts on [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]? I LOVE it, but would you be afraid of your daughter being made fun of in school if you gave her this name? How accessible do you think it really is in the US (Midwest specifically)?
One thing that I’ve noticed about [name_u]Irish[/name_u] names is that boys’ names seem to have stronger meanings than those for girls. (Like [name_u]Declan[/name_u], [name_u]Callum[/name_u], [name_u]Owen[/name_u], and Griffin). [name_u]Declan[/name_u] is my favorite boys name and one I plan to use in the future. [name_u]Irish[/name_u] girls’ names seem to frequently relate to looks and beauty. [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] is slightly different, as it it includes joy in its meaning.
What are some [name_u]Irish[/name_u] girls’ names that are accessible in the US and have meanings similar to [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], [name_f]Aoife[/name_f], [name_u]Declan[/name_u], and the others listed? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
Pronunciation can be hard , so while phonetically [name_u]Irish[/name_u] names aren’t the easiest to spell , generally if people hear it enough it become second nature
Some of my favourite [name_u]Irish[/name_u] girl names are [name_f]Niamh[/name_f], [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] , & [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f]
saoirse is a lovely name, not my style but i would love to see someone else use it! now i’m going to be honest, i’ve lived in the u.s. my entire life and i didn’t know that i was pronouncing the name wrong until like three days ago
i always thought it was pronounced suh-royce or something similar to that. so while i don’t think i’d worry about my daughter being made fun of, i would be a little put off knowing that she would have to correct the pronunciation and/or a lot. however saoirse ronan is a pretty popular actress here so maybe in the future the pronunciation and spelling would be more intuitive! imo if you love it, i would use it, since people around your daughter would get used to it!!
here are some irish girl names that i think would work great in the u.s.
maeve
rowan,
lennon
moira
aileen
kiera
ashlyn
morrigan
tara
kathleen
caitlin
fiadh (isn’t intuitive either, but it’s so pretty)
@midnight.melody Thank you so much! [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] is quite a bit to put on a child. I have thought about that and it is one of my main hesitations because I think it can be hard if parents don’t take the magnitude of a potential name into consideration. I think if I were to use it, or or [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] () for that matter, I would tach my daughter to love and embrace her name. Because I think it’s important for parents to do so. Another thought—will the pronunciation of either name be more intuitive as they become more popular?
I love all your suggestions, especially [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f]! Thank you again!
I’m in the US and familiar with the pronunciation thanks to [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m], and maybe it will become more widely known? (I think she also uses the SUR-sha pronunciation, right? [name_u]Or[/name_u] Sehr-sha?) it’s a beautiful name!! And a lovely meaning too.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] if it’s not intuitive for Americans, it doesn’t seem super hard to learn, and I imagine kids would pick up on it even more quickly than adults, after hearing it a few times. I think it’s cool for kids to have distinctive names with cultural significance!
I am half [name_u]Irish[/name_u] and was considering [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] with my daughter as a potential. Later as a middle name option, but I ultimately chose differently. I think it is beautiful though and if you love it, don’t be afraid to use it.
[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] is lovely and I feel like there’s an actress with the name who might have made it more familiar to people? I do think it might get mispronounced, but it’s easy to learn?
[name_f]Cara[/name_f] means ‘friend’ in [name_u]Irish[/name_u]?
@Zeno8 Thank you for this! I agree with you completely on your point about kids understanding cultural significance. I was also a little concerned that if I used this name, I’d lock myself into using [name_u]Irish[/name_u] names, which would mean I couldn’t use some of the spunky, vintage girls’ names I love, I’ve decided that isn’t necessarily true. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] doesn’t date back as far as many other names, it is from the 1920s, so I think it still “fits”. And while I may or may not use names from my list like [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], or [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], because the endings are similar when spoken aloud, I have other choices. And it’s not hard to find other awesome ones! Thank you again!
@Greyblue Thank you! Yes, I wasn’t familiar with the name until [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] came around, to be honest. I agree that it would be easy to lean after hearing it a few times. And I appreciate the suggestion of [name_f]Cara[/name_f]. Thank you again!
[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] is so so pretty! I think you can use it with that spelling. I’m from the Midwest and I feel like [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] is somewhat recognizable. I think once people know how to pronounce it, it will be fine. I don’t think she will get made fun of at all. It’s a great name!
@KJ1020 Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I also feel like it is a name that will age with her easily and go with some of my other favorites, even though they aren’t [name_u]Irish[/name_u]. Thank you again!
@CurlyC So sorry, I just saw this. Thank you so much!! I completely understand and agree with your point. The pronunciations and spelling issues are the main reason im hesitant to us it. I think it would be a beautiful middle. Thank you again!
) for that matter, I would tach my daughter to love and embrace her name. Because I think it’s important for parents to do so. Another thought—will the pronunciation of either name be more intuitive as they become more popular?