Thoughts on these Irish names?

Hi all!

I’ve been thinking recently about names I would consider using ‘in real life.’ I’m Irish and love having an Irish name myself, so I really like the idea of using all Irish names.

However, the majority of my family/friends also have Irish names - so a lot of my favourites are off the table.

I’ve come up with a list of names that are usable for me. I’m curious to see if any of them stand out to you! I would love to hear any thoughts you may have on these names or any ideas for sibsets :blush:

Girl names:
Lasairfhíona
Muireann
Alannah
Fia / Fiadh
Eithne
Siún
Clíodhna
Aibhilín
Naoise
Onóra
Sadhbh / Sadbh
Tuathla
Fírinne
Líadan
Saorla
Eileanóra
Méadbh
Cadhla
Síoda
Éadaoin

Boy names:
Daithí
Iarla
Tadhg
Donncha / Donnchadh
Murchadh
Faolán
Maidhc
Tomás
Liam
Gearóid
Dónal
Fiachra
Luan
Art
Lorcan

Edit: I’ve included a guide to pronunciations in the replies, hopefully it’s helpful!

I like a lot of these!

Lasairfhíona
[name_f]Muireann[/name_f]
[name_f]Alannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Fia[/name_f] /Fiadh
[name_f]Eithne[/name_f]
Aibhilín
[name_f]Onóra[/name_f]
[name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] / [name_f]Sadbh[/name_f]
[name_f]Saorla[/name_f]
[name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f]
[name_f]Cadhla[/name_f]

[name_m]Iarla[/name_m]
Donncha / Donnchadh
Faolán
[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m]
[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m]

These are also ok:
Clíodhna
Tuathla
[name_m]Daithí[/name_m]
[name_m]Liam[/name_m]
[name_m]Luan[/name_m]
[name_m]Art[/name_m]

1 Like

[name_f]Lovely[/name_f] list!! [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], [name_m]Daithi[/name_m], [name_m]Luan[/name_m], [name_m]Art[/name_m], [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] and [name_m]Fiachra[/name_m] are brilliant! [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f], [name_f]Eithne[/name_f], Cliodna, Noaise, [name_f]Onora[/name_f], [name_f]Liadan[/name_f] and [name_f]Saorla[/name_f] are my favourites!

1 Like

I love [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names, they’re beautiful and they hold so much history behind them :white_heart:

Since I am not familiar with the pronunciation of some of them, I’ve picked the ones where the pronunciation is a bit more straightforward (big thanks to other Berries that introduced me to these names) & the names that I personally adore …

[name_f]Muireann[/name_f]
[name_f]Fia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eithne[/name_f]
Clíodhna
[name_f]Onóra[/name_f]
[name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f]
Fírinne
Líadan
Méadhb

[name_m]Daithí[/name_m]
[name_m]Iarla[/name_m]
[name_m]Tadhg[/name_m]
Faolán
[name_m]Tomás[/name_m]
Dónal
[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m]
[name_m]Luan[/name_m]
[name_m]Art[/name_m]
[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m]

1 Like

For the names not on this site, I looked them up on Behind the Name for pronunciation and meaning. I also found this guy who tries to explain some basic rules if you want to try to learn it

I think he left the more complicated rules out and I have trouble keeping even the simple ones straight :sweat_smile: so I still like to look them up to be sure. But once you think you got some of the rules down, I found this video to test myself. She also mentions some of the names on OP’s list like Lasairfhíona, Aibhilín, and Éadaoin

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this also helps others who want to pronounce these names. A lot of them are very pretty once you know the pronunciation :heartpulse: :gift_heart:

1 Like

I am admittedly not the most familiar with a ton of [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names, but there are a few I really love! These are my favorites:

Muireann
Alannah
Fia / Fiadh
Onóra
Líadan
Eileanóra

Tadhg
Tomás
Liam
Fiachra
Lorcan

[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] and [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] especially, [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] is one of my favorite boys’ names and I love how fiery and sweet [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] is! I’ve always admired [name_f]Liadan[/name_f] as well. I think [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f], [name_f]Onora[/name_f], and [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] would be so fun together!

2 Likes

Yay I love to see Irish names being appreciated! Here are some of my faves…

Lasairfhíona - Omg I’ve never seen her on the forums before! One of my neighbours had a cat with this name (lol!) and called her Lazzy, so it feels very sweet and a little sassy to me. :cat2:
Eithne - Gorgeous and fiery! I’ve always thought that the meaning is quite cute too :peanuts:
Onóra - So elegant!
Tuathla - Ooo I’ve never seen this gem before! A fun spin on Tallulah!
Eileanóra - Reminds me of a bouquet of flowers! :bouquet:
Éadaoin - Sooo cute. Nickname Eadie as well!? :heart_eyes:

Tadhg - Love it, and the meaning too :star_struck:
Faolán - Adorablee! I think that Faolán and Oisín would make great brothers, because they mean ‘little wolf’ and ‘little deer’ :wolf: :deer:
Liam - A classic!
Fiachra - So cool, with an edge!
Art - My favourite Arthur nickname of all time! :teddy_bear:

Sibsets I’ve come up with…

Tuathla & Líadan
Saorla & Sadbh
Méadbh & Gearóid
Cadhla & Liam
Dónal & Tadhg
Lorcan & Fiachra

3 Likes

I’m a big fan of [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names but I am not from [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], so please take these opinions with a grain of salt.

Lasairfhíona - Really gorgeous and intriguing. [name_f]May[/name_f] be a bit intimidating for non-Irish speakers, but just lovely.

[name_f]Muireann[/name_f] - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] and kind of adventurous? I just imagine a pirate with the wind in her hair.

[name_f]Alannah[/name_f] - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] and very international. [name_f]Alannah[/name_f] would be easy to pronounce in many languages, however I think there are names on this list I personally find more intriguing.

[name_f]Fia[/name_f] / [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] - I absolutely adore [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f]. The meaning “wild” for a little girl is so poetic and wonderful. I think it is rightfully becoming more popular, but it’s such a simple, beautiful names I don’t even really care how popular it gets.

[name_f]Eithne[/name_f] - I like, but don’t love.

Siún - I’ve never seen this name before and find it intriguing. I like the simplicity of it, but it feels slightly incomplete to me?

Clíodhna - Something about this name feels a big plodding to me. I tend to like lighter sounds, so I think this one just isn’t my personal style.

Aibhilín - This one feels like a sparkly summer evening. [name_f]Love[/name_f].

[name_f]Naoise[/name_f] - I like this a lot. I think names ending in the -sha sound have this very lush sound. [name_f]Naoise[/name_f] makes me picture a rainforest in a glass.

[name_f]Onóra[/name_f] - I just love this one. So fresh and interesting, but has a lot of nickname potential and flexibility.

[name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] / [name_f]Sadbh[/name_f] - I don’t love the Sad beginning even though it’s not pronounced the same. Not my favourite.

Tuathla - Intriguing, but I’m more excited about other names on this list.

Fírinne - [name_f]Love[/name_f], love, love. [name_f]Love[/name_f] the sound, the meaning, how pretty it looks on paper. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a winner all around, imho.

Líadan - Used to be on my short list. I think Líadan feels super playful and youthful. I imagine a really cheery little girl running through the woods with leaves in her hair.

[name_f]Saorla[/name_f] - Very simple but beautiful and feminine. This feels like a name that could match a lot of different personalities.

[name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f] - So pretty. I think I slightly prefer [name_f]Onóra[/name_f], but it’s a close thing.

Méadbh - Absolutely enchanting name. I just like it.

[name_f]Cadhla[/name_f] - I like the simplicity of this one and it looks very pretty on paper.

Síoda - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f]. I would say this name is solidly in the middle for me. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t adore it .

Éadaoin - I like this one. I’m drawn to names ending in n as to me they sound active and energetic. This name has a lot of energy.

[name_m]Daithí[/name_m] - Absolutely love this. So sunny.

[name_m]Iarla[/name_m] - I like this a lot. I think it sounds gentle and whispery.

[name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] - I’m a big fan. I also really love the meaning and bright, high energy sound.

Donncha / Donnchadh - Not a fan of the [name_m]Don[/name_m] beginning.

Murchadh - Feels a little too blunt to me.

Faolán - I love the meaning little wolf and I think this is familiar and warm but still unique.

Maidhc - I don’t know why I like this and not Murchadh, but I am nothing if not fickle.

[name_m]Tomás[/name_m] - [name_m]Just[/name_m] feels a bit basic to me.

[name_m]Liam[/name_m] - Very familiar outside [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], but I have kind of a frat boy image of [name_m]Liam[/name_m] that sours my opinion of it.

Gearóid - I like this one. Feels suave and charming, like a musician or dancer.

Dónal - Again, not a [name_m]Don[/name_m] fan.

[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m] - I like this one. Feels firey and cool.

[name_m]Luan[/name_m] - There’s nothing wrong with this name, I’m just not personally that drawn to it.

[name_m]Art[/name_m] - All I can think of is an old man or [name_m]Art[/name_m] the Clown (I haven’t even seen the movies) which is a shame, because I think [name_m]Art[/name_m] is a great, evocative concept for a name.

[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] - A nice, handsome name, but I feel like it gets a bit lost among all the similar popular choices like [name_m]Logan[/name_m], [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m], or [name_m]Liam[/name_m].

2 Likes

Thank you all so much, it’s really cool to see which are your favourites! Absolutely loving everyones’ thoughts and ideas :blush:

@KaiLun and @SimiNova thank you for mentioning the pronunciation! I didn’t realise some of these weren’t on Nameberry, so I’ve gone through the list and tried to give explanations for the pronunciation (apologies for the massive wall of text incoming)

Lasairfhíona - ‘LOSS-uh-reena’ , an ancient name meaning ‘flame of wine’ , pretty rare in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] now
[name_f]Muireann[/name_f] - Nameberry has this as ‘mweer-in’, I have never heard of this pronunciation. [name_f]Every[/name_f] [name_f]Muireann[/name_f] I have ever known has pronounced it like ‘mwer-in’
[name_f]Alannah[/name_f] - just like [name_f]Alanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] - same pronunciation as [name_f]Fia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eithne[/name_f] - Nameberry has this as ‘EN-ya’ which is how it would be pronounced in [name_m]Donegal[/name_m] (where the singer [name_f]Enya[/name_f] is from) however where I’m from (and the vast majority of Ireland) it’s pronounced as ‘eth-na’
Siún - ‘shoon’, means ‘graced by God’
Clíodhna - ‘CLEE-uh-na’ , means ‘shapely’, ancient name belonging to the [name_f]Queen[/name_f] of the Banshees in [name_m]Irish[/name_m] mythology
Aibhilín - ‘av-il-een’ , [name_m]Irish[/name_m] form of [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Naoise[/name_f] - ‘neesha’
[name_f]Onóra[/name_f] - ‘uh-nora’
[name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] - ‘syve’
Tuathla - ‘thue-a-la’, meaning ‘princess of the people’, very rare to the point it’s almost unheard of, but I quite like it!
Fírinne - ‘FEER-na’ meaning ‘truth’
Líadan - ‘LEE-uh-thin’ with the ‘th’ in ‘thin’ pronounced like the ‘th’ in the word ‘that’ - so like a softer d sound (if that makes any sense at all :exploding_head:) means ‘grey lady’ , poetess in [name_m]Irish[/name_m] mythology
[name_f]Saorla[/name_f] - ‘seerla’
[name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f] - same as eleanora
Méadbh - same as the Anglicized [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Cadhla[/name_f] - ‘kyla’
Síoda - ‘SHEE-uh-tha’ with the ‘th’ pronounced like in Líadan above , meaning ‘silk’
Éadaoin - ‘AY-deen’ meaning ‘jealousy’ - I love this name but the meaning is not the best :smiling_face_with_tear:

[name_m]Daithí[/name_m] - Nameberry has this as ‘Dah-hee’. The first syllable is the one stressed, and is somewhere between ‘thah’ and ‘thaw’ with the same ‘th’ pronunciation as Líadan (can you tell I’m finding it hard to describe pronunciation :rofl:)
[name_m]Iarla[/name_m] - ‘eerla’
[name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] - Nameberry has this as ‘Teyg’. I would describe the pronunciation like ‘thyge’ - like the word thyme with a g instead of m. Some areas would probably say ‘Tyge’ depending on accent
Donncha - still don’t know how to describe the d pronunciation ! Like ‘thun-a-ka’ with the same ‘th’ scenario as Líadan. The meaning is ‘brown-haired warrior’
Murchadh - ‘mur-a-ca’ meaning ‘sea battle’
Faolán - ‘fway-lawn’ meaning ‘little wolf’
Maidhc - just like [name_m]Mike[/name_m]! Short form of the [name_m]Irish[/name_m] version of [name_m]Michael[/name_m]
[name_m]Tomás[/name_m] - ‘thum-aws’
[name_m]Liam[/name_m] - think this one is fairly well known !
Gearóid - ‘gar-ohdj’ (like ‘age’ but with an o instead of a) [name_m]Irish[/name_m] form of [name_m]Gerard[/name_m]
Dónal - same soft D as above, pronounced like "though-nel’ (some areas pronounce with a hard d sound) , means ‘ruler of the world’ but also used as the equivalent of [name_m]Daniel[/name_m]
[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m] - ‘FEE-ukh-ra’
[name_m]Luan[/name_m] - ‘lou-in’ , love the sound but ‘an Luan’ means ‘Monday’ in [name_m]Irish[/name_m] and I don’t know if I can look past that :sweat_smile:
[name_m]Art[/name_m] - just like art
[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] - ‘LORE-ken’, if there is a fada (accent mark) on the a then it would be ‘lur-cawn’ but I don’t love the sound of that personally

I hope my attempts at phonetics aren’t too bad! [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to update if it changes your perception of any of the names. I’m finding everyones’ input incredibly helpful, so thank you all!

3 Likes

I’m [name_m]Irish[/name_m] and have some of these on my lists too!! [name_f]My[/name_f] cousin is named [name_f]Aibhilin[/name_f], I just adore that name. I love these from your girls list too: [name_f]Fíadh[/name_f], [name_f]Saorla[/name_f], [name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f] and Éadaoin!! (One of my favourite people to follow on Instagram is a girl called Éadaoin and she highlights the best places in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] to travel to, she’s also on the YouTube series The Try Channel!)
Of your boys list I adore: [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], Faolán, Dónal and [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m]. I grew up with a neighbors boy named [name_m]Donnacha[/name_m] and my cousin married a Gearóid.

Sibsets:
[name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_f]Fíadh[/name_f] & [name_f]Aibhilin[/name_f]
Dónal, Gearóid, Méadbh & [name_f]Naoise[/name_f]
Faolán, [name_m]Daithí[/name_m], [name_f]Saorla[/name_f] & Clíodhna

1 Like

@KaiLun Thanks for giving your feedback on these names! Also thank you so much for helping with the pronunciation :blush:

@Greyblue Thank you!! :smiling_face: So cool to see which ones stand out to you!

@SimiNova I love them too! There are definitely many stories wrapped up in the names :dizzy: Sorry about the pronunciation :see_no_evil: I’ve tried to explain them in a reply further up, hopefully it makes sense. [name_m]Loving[/name_m] your selection!

@ashthedreamer Thanks for sharing your favourites! I had never really thought of [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] until recently and now I’m really starting to like it. I love [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] too but it’s such a popular name that it would make me hesitant about using it :smiling_face_with_tear: I love [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f], [name_f]Onóra[/name_f] and [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] together!!

@smileymiley [name_f]Love[/name_f] that your neighbour had a cat called Lasairfhíona :sweat_smile: Your descriptions of the names are brilliant! Each of these sibsets are fantastic, I love Dónal & [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], also Tuathla & Líadan

@FreyByTheWay Thank you so much for giving your thoughts on each name!! I also get the pirate vibes with [name_f]Muireann[/name_f] :sweat_smile: I adore [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] as well, but the popularity does bother me - it’s been in the top 5 for a while now, was the number 1 name before and number 2 last year. [name_f]Love[/name_f] your descriptions of each name, it’s so interesting to hear your thoughts. It’s also great to hear which ones don’t appeal as much and the reasoning, super helpful!!

@atomicginge I love Aibhilín too! Thank you so much for the sibset ideas - I really like [name_m]Tadhg[/name_m], [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m], [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] and Aibhilín together☺️

3 Likes

As a fellow [name_m]Irish[/name_m] person it’s always nice to see people considering the more unusual [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names! ádh mór! [name_f]My[/name_f] favourites from your list are:

[name_f]Fiadh[/name_f]
[name_f]Eithne[/name_f]
Aibhilín
[name_f]Saorla[/name_f]
Méadbh

[name_m]Tadgh[/name_m]
[name_m]Luan[/name_m]
[name_m]Tomás[/name_m]

1 Like

Thought I would expand on my previous comment.

Lasairfhíona - [name_f]Love[/name_f] this! :heart_eyes: Hadn’t heard of it before but love it! Although it’s long, it sounds so pretty! Plus flame of wine sounds so cool!! :fire: :wine_glass: It’s now my new favorite [name_m]Irish[/name_m] girl name :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

[name_f]Muireann[/name_f] - I like meanings related to the sea and the mermaid story is cool :mermaid:t2:

[name_f]Alannah[/name_f] - probably the easiest internationally out of your girls list but I like some of these other ones better

[name_f]Fia[/name_f] / [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] - simple and pretty, I can see why it’s so popular in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] right now. I think I prefer it spelled [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] to look more complete but [name_f]Fia[/name_f] would make it easier internationally. Both spellings are lovely!

[name_f]Eithne[/name_f] - You’re pronunciation does make more sense but I’m personally not usually into ‘th’ sounds (the d th mix is fine tho) so this updated pronunciation isn’t doing it for me. Plus the nut kernal meaning is a bit odd but perhaps it’s because I don’t understand the poetry reference. Could still work for you and others if you love it though

Siún - makes me think of trying to shoo someone away. It can be nice if you like the meaning though

Clíodhna - it’s pretty and I love the idea of being [name_f]Queen[/name_f] of the Banshees! :princess:

Aibhilín - love it! Already loved [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Aveline[/name_f] so this goes right along with them! I heard in a video however that there’s a few pronunciation options if you’re concerned about that at all. Also, idk about [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] but [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f] has been in the top 20 for the past 10 years in the US

[name_f]Naoise[/name_f] - I’m not big on sh sounds but otherwise there isn’t really anything wrong with it if you don’t mind the legend behind it

[name_f]Onóra[/name_f] - pretty and honorable :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

[name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] / [name_f]Sadbh[/name_f] - I think it’s cool that there’s a few princesses with this name. The legend about the deer is also interesting :princess: :deer:

Tuathla - I like the meaning! :crown:

Fírinne - sounds nice! I can see how the first syllable might sound like fear to people but I like it!

Líadan - sounds sweet

[name_f]Saorla[/name_f] - love it! And the meaning too :crown:

Méadbh - Ik a lot of berries like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] but I’ve just never been a fan

[name_f]Cadhla[/name_f] - [name_f]Beautiful[/name_f] :heart_eyes:

Síoda - it’s alright

Éadaoin - yeah, jealousy isn’t the best but I’ve seen people interpret it as passionate, fiery spirit, or full of charisma to put a better modern spin on the meaning :fire:
:slightly_smiling_face:

[name_m]Daithí[/name_m] - it’s ok but the meaning is cute, makes me think of a deer :deer:

[name_m]Iarla[/name_m] - [name_f]Love[/name_f] it and the meaning! :crown: I like the gentle sounds for a boy, probably my new favorite

[name_m]Tadhg[/name_m] - it’s alright

Donncha / Donnchadh - I like it!

Murchadh - I just realized after you spelled it out that it looks like someone is saying 'Murica as a shortened and often sarcastic form of [name_f]America[/name_f]. Not sure if that bothers you but otherwise I like the sound and meaning :ocean: :crossed_swords:

Faolán - my favorite :heart_eyes: :wolf:

[name_m]Tomás[/name_m] - the pronunciation I was looking at seemed to indicate that the first syllable was tuh or tuw so I was going to put the same description as [name_m]Liam[/name_m]. But with ‘th,’ then my thoughts are like [name_f]Eithne[/name_f] in that there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not to my personal taste

[name_m]Liam[/name_m] - it’s alright but pretty basic and simple compared to your other names. It also don’t really scream [name_m]Irish[/name_m] if you want people to immediately know that just by looking at the name but are easier for foreigners so just depends what you’re going for

Maidhc & [name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f] - they’re alright. If you want names that are familiar to [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers when they hear and say it but obviously [name_m]Irish[/name_m] after seeing it written, then these 2 are good

Gearóid - it’s fine but not a fan

Dónal - I like it! :crown:

[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m] - haven’t heard of this but I like it!

[name_m]Luan[/name_m] - sounds cute and sweet

[name_m]Art[/name_m] - cute but would prefer it as a nickname

[name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] - love it! :heart_eyes:

Sibset ideas:

[name_f]Fiadh[/name_f], Éadaoin, & [name_m]Lorcan[/name_m] meaning wild, fiery, and fierce! :fire:

[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m], Faolán, & [name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] - [name_f]Raven[/name_f], little wolf, and deer :deer: :wolf: can also add bear with a name like Bearnáirdín

[name_m]Daithí[/name_m] & [name_f]Sadhbh[/name_f] - swift and nimble like a deer

[name_f]Muireann[/name_f], Aibhilín, & Murchadh :ocean:

Lasairfhíona & Clíodhna :crown: :wine_glass:

Dónal, [name_m]Iarla[/name_m] (or Saorla), [name_f]Cadhla[/name_f], & [name_m]Luan[/name_m]

Síoda & Líadan

Fírinne & [name_f]Onóra[/name_f] - [name_m]Truth[/name_m] & [name_f]Honor[/name_f]

[name_f]Eileanóra[/name_f] & Méadbh

Donnchadh/Donncha & Murchadh :crossed_swords: Does it rhyme too much?

I’d probably avoid [name_m]Iarla[/name_m] and [name_f]Saorla[/name_f] together. As much as I really love both of them, they sound too similar together :broken_heart: same with [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] and [name_m]Fiachra[/name_m] :sob:

1 Like

Thank you for adding these pronunciations and meanings - I will try to get them added to the database shortly!

1 Like

@KaiLun @lasairfhiona thank you both so much for the pronunciation explanation, it was so helpful :white_heart: this post came at the best time ever for me as I am about to start a new story that I’d like to include [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names in so thank you both again :star:

@lasairfhiona now that I know the correct pronunciation I will add a few more names in if you don’t mind :heart_eyes:

[name_f]Lasairfhíona[/name_f] - she’s such a stunner !! And probably my very favourite on your list !!

Siún - I just love the look of this name, it’s gorgeous

Aibhilín - another stunner!! Wow wow wow, my second favourite after [name_f]Lasairfhíona[/name_f]

Éadaoin - so so lovely (I also wish the meaning was a bit more uplifting but she’s gorgeous nevertheless)

2 Likes

Maybe you could say it’s between a d and th?

I thought it’s the equivalent of [name_m]Donald[/name_m], is it both?

@orangeblossom Oh cool, hi!! Go raith maith agat :blush: I’ve admired them from a distance but never really thought of using them in real life (hence the username :sweat_smile: ) but now I’m definitely considering them!

Thanks for sharing your favourites - love your picks!

@KaiLun Thanks for giving your thoughts, super interesting! Siún does sound a bit like shooing someone away😅 I didn’t realise Evelyn was so popular in the US! I think of it as more of a middle-aged name so that’s a surprising one, but I love the thought of little Evelyns😊 Never heard of Bearnairdín before, Art also means ‘bear’ so really could have a whole load of animal meanings😅 Thank you for the sibset ideas - loving Eileanóra and Méadbh together, really beautiful. Agree that Iarla and Saorla are too similar for siblings. Iarla is one of my longtime loves so I may have to drop Saorla from the list.

Good point about the pronunciation! I’m sure any linguists would be horrified at my descriptions😅 For Dónal, you could absolutely use Donald! As far as I know, Donald is derived from Scots Gaelic, but the meaning and root is the same so it works!! Dónal and Daniel have completely different etymologies but it’s widely accepted that they are the ‘equivalent’ or ‘translated version’ of each other. Basically there are some English names with no direct translation, so we just use ones that are similar😅 There are plenty of Dónals who were named after a Daniel, and vice versa

@Greyblue Thank you! Feel free to let me know if any of my attempts at phonetics are unclear :sweat_smile:

@SimiNova Love to see your favourites!! I agree Lasairfhíona is a stunner (pretty clear from my username I guess :sweat_smile:) Also glad to see the love for Aibhilín, she’s fast becoming one of my favourites :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

2 Likes

Gotcha, thanks for explaining it, makes sense now

[name_m]True[/name_m]! Forgot about that one when making the sibsets :woman_facepalming:t2:

Same! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Yes, I noticed Haha! Meant to compliment that in my post :smile:

1 Like

Here are my top 5 of each gender. [name_f]Love[/name_f] them for a mixture sound, meaning, and accessibility, with sound being the most important factor!

Girls
[name_f]Fia[/name_f] / [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f]
Aibhilín
[name_f]Onóra[/name_f]
Líadan
Méadbh

Boys
Faolán
[name_m]Tomás[/name_m]
Dónal
[name_m]Fiachra[/name_m]
[name_m]Luan[/name_m]