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Help[Opinions] Help with an Irish girl name. Please!
Hello all you name wizards. I am hoping someone out there can help me out! I'm currently pregnant with baby #2, who we just learned is another little girl. Our first daughter is named Kaelyn, a variation on the Irish name Caoilainn. My husband chose the spelling, as he agreed to use an Irish name but wanted to spell it more phonetically (and just happened to choose an also trendy-though-we-didn't-know-it-at-the-time spelling. Eeks!)
Now, I want to choose another Irish name for this baby, but we're having a rather difficult time of it. Again my husband has agreed to the use of an Irish name, but wants the spelling to look more anglo and phonetic, I suppose. The mn will be Elizabeth, after his grandmother.
A few names off the (rather short!) list so far are:
Bridget
Brenna (though I've come across some info saying it's not Irish at all but Welsh or otherwise. Anyone know?)
Cara (with the prn like car-uh)
Niamh (though he'd want to spell it like Neave or Niav)
Teagan (though I've seen MUCH debate over the origins and prn. of this name but really do like it)
Maebh (he would spell it Maeve)
Regan (does anyone have more info on the origins and prn of this name?)
Quinn
Rori (Rory)
Alana (more debate about origins, though many sites have said it truly is Irish)
Aoife (I love it but hubby doesn't since he can't seem to find an anglo spelling that suits him)
and lastly, Sorcha, which I believe hubby really dislikes but I love. Again the problem being spelling and pronunciation.
I guess the largest problems are names that I like but seem to have shaky Irish roots and names that I like but seem to be unable to find a "suitable" spelling (I know, the diehards will think we're killing the name, but...) to suit hubby.
Opinions? Other names that perhaps I have yet to run across and should maybe consider? Names that should come OFF that list because they aren't truly Irish? I've already searched most of the names on this site, as well as babynamesofireland.com and other similar sites. I'm just hoping for some personal feedback, I suppose.
Thanks for any input anyone can give. I'm beginning to feel rather flustered with the process of picking a name this time around!
Now, I want to choose another Irish name for this baby, but we're having a rather difficult time of it. Again my husband has agreed to the use of an Irish name, but wants the spelling to look more anglo and phonetic, I suppose. The mn will be Elizabeth, after his grandmother.
A few names off the (rather short!) list so far are:
Bridget
Brenna (though I've come across some info saying it's not Irish at all but Welsh or otherwise. Anyone know?)
Cara (with the prn like car-uh)
Niamh (though he'd want to spell it like Neave or Niav)
Teagan (though I've seen MUCH debate over the origins and prn. of this name but really do like it)
Maebh (he would spell it Maeve)
Regan (does anyone have more info on the origins and prn of this name?)
Quinn
Rori (Rory)
Alana (more debate about origins, though many sites have said it truly is Irish)
Aoife (I love it but hubby doesn't since he can't seem to find an anglo spelling that suits him)
and lastly, Sorcha, which I believe hubby really dislikes but I love. Again the problem being spelling and pronunciation.
I guess the largest problems are names that I like but seem to have shaky Irish roots and names that I like but seem to be unable to find a "suitable" spelling (I know, the diehards will think we're killing the name, but...) to suit hubby.
Opinions? Other names that perhaps I have yet to run across and should maybe consider? Names that should come OFF that list because they aren't truly Irish? I've already searched most of the names on this site, as well as babynamesofireland.com and other similar sites. I'm just hoping for some personal feedback, I suppose.
Thanks for any input anyone can give. I'm beginning to feel rather flustered with the process of picking a name this time around!
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Replies
Do you like Roseen? And there's always the girl from "Ballykisangel", Assumpta. Maybe Deirdre?
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I like...
Brenna
Cara- I like it Kara though
Teagan
Quinn
Rori (Rory)
Alana
Also, what about Maura (like Laura but not)? It's the only Irish name I know of.
♥ Kristen ♥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and sometimes all you have to do is go dance in the rain.
♥ Visit my profile, you know you want to ♥
Brenna
Cara- I like it Kara though
Teagan
Quinn
Rori (Rory)
Alana
Also, what about Maura (like Laura but not)? It's the only Irish name I know of.
♥ Kristen ♥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...and sometimes all you have to do is go dance in the rain.
♥ Visit my profile, you know you want to ♥
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Thanks for all your help, still! I have crossed names off the list and added a few new ones one, so at least I feel like I'm getting somewhere!
I did add Riona to the list, but am curious about the pronunciation. A few sites have said "ree-in-uh" and a few "ree-ohn-uh", I'm inclined to think it's probably ree-in-uh, though I read it ree-ohn-uh when I first saw it, too. Help?
I had Cara down, but also am curious about the pronunciation. I have been saying car-uh, but have found most sites list it as care-uh. Does it matter? Which is more "Irish"? Same with Tara (which I do like, too)- is it tare-uh or tar-uh?
Thanks a bunch. Perhaps we'll actually find something soon and decide! You all have been more helpful than you can know! More than the 3 books, 2 websites and countless other people I've asked! :)
I did add Riona to the list, but am curious about the pronunciation. A few sites have said "ree-in-uh" and a few "ree-ohn-uh", I'm inclined to think it's probably ree-in-uh, though I read it ree-ohn-uh when I first saw it, too. Help?
I had Cara down, but also am curious about the pronunciation. I have been saying car-uh, but have found most sites list it as care-uh. Does it matter? Which is more "Irish"? Same with Tara (which I do like, too)- is it tare-uh or tar-uh?
Thanks a bunch. Perhaps we'll actually find something soon and decide! You all have been more helpful than you can know! More than the 3 books, 2 websites and countless other people I've asked! :)
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Niamh is lovely but only spelled as Niamh, not Niamh.
I also love SINEAD
GRAINNE
CARA
LAOIBHSE (Pron: Leesha, irish for Louise)
Kaylie Anne
I also love SINEAD
GRAINNE
CARA
LAOIBHSE (Pron: Leesha, irish for Louise)
Kaylie Anne
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I like Regan for a girl. Are you pronouncing it REEgan or RAYgan?
Regan Elizabeth is pretty.
Regan Elizabeth is pretty.
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From your list I love Cara and Alana, although I'm not sure they flow with Elizabeth. Also I would suggest Sian, Sinead and Siobhan - I know they're not phonetic but they're common enough that almost everyone knows how to pronounce them
S xx
--
There was a time when you let me know what was really going on below, but now you never show that to me do you? - Leonard Cohen
S xx
--
There was a time when you let me know what was really going on below, but now you never show that to me do you? - Leonard Cohen
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Just remembered that Sian is Welsh, silly me
--
There was a time when you let me know what was really going on below, but now you never show that to me do you? - Leonard Cohen
--
There was a time when you let me know what was really going on below, but now you never show that to me do you? - Leonard Cohen
1
my fav Irish Chick names are:
AISLINN
CAILIN (too simular to your first babe's name though)
CHRISTIE (EXACT SPELLING OF MY FIRST NAME... listed as male though for the Irish peeps)
CIARA or KIERA
EIREANN
LÍLE
MADAILÉIN
MAURA (my neice's name is simular, but spelt MARA.. did not like it until she was born... I call her Miss. Priss Mara Jane)
NEASA
REAGAN
RORIE ( It is male... but come on "Gilmore Girls" can be female)
SHEA
TEAGAN
AISLINN
CAILIN (too simular to your first babe's name though)
CHRISTIE (EXACT SPELLING OF MY FIRST NAME... listed as male though for the Irish peeps)
CIARA or KIERA
EIREANN
LÍLE
MADAILÉIN
MAURA (my neice's name is simular, but spelt MARA.. did not like it until she was born... I call her Miss. Priss Mara Jane)
NEASA
REAGAN
RORIE ( It is male... but come on "Gilmore Girls" can be female)
SHEA
TEAGAN
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Thanks for all the help, everyone!
As I said (or did I?), I am a fan of the more "traditional" Irish names, but I think usually it's a bit much for my poor husband to swallow. :)
I do like Ciara, but have found most people pronounce it "See-are-uh" and I don't think that's how it's actually pronounced, is it? So we'd have the whole pronunciation problem again. I do like Riona- I'll have to add that to the list! And, I still really like Sorcha but when I showed my husband tonight he said "Sorcha?!" (he said it like "sore-sha") and gave me the no way face. Same with Aoife. Darnit!
I'm still most inclined to go with Bridget, but my husband informed me tonight that he doesn't think Bridget Elizabeth "flows" well, when I think it sounds beautiful! That, and he points to that darn movie "Bridget Jones' Diary" for a reason to axe it all together. As if this child will even know that movie by the time she's old enough to know her name! :)
Thanks again, and I continue to welcome any (and all!) opinions. :)
As I said (or did I?), I am a fan of the more "traditional" Irish names, but I think usually it's a bit much for my poor husband to swallow. :)
I do like Ciara, but have found most people pronounce it "See-are-uh" and I don't think that's how it's actually pronounced, is it? So we'd have the whole pronunciation problem again. I do like Riona- I'll have to add that to the list! And, I still really like Sorcha but when I showed my husband tonight he said "Sorcha?!" (he said it like "sore-sha") and gave me the no way face. Same with Aoife. Darnit!
I'm still most inclined to go with Bridget, but my husband informed me tonight that he doesn't think Bridget Elizabeth "flows" well, when I think it sounds beautiful! That, and he points to that darn movie "Bridget Jones' Diary" for a reason to axe it all together. As if this child will even know that movie by the time she's old enough to know her name! :)
Thanks again, and I continue to welcome any (and all!) opinions. :)
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I would go with Niamh (A personal fav of my own), Bridget, or Cara.
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I recommend going whole-hog and just giving your child something totally out there like Seosaimhthín Aoibheann. But since that's my feeling about Irish names and not yours (and your husband's), I doubt that'll be a popular idea. :-)
Actually, Aoibheann has a nice sound to it. Anglicized it read "Eavan." Argh. I get caught between that proverbial rock and a hard place with Irish names sometimes as well: I like how they sound, but I don't know if I'd be willing to give my child a name that I had to practice writing because I couldn't remember how it was spelled. :-)
My parents went the easiest route and found me a genuine Irish name that wasn't impossible to say or spell: Eilis Caitriona.
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=619
Actually, Aoibheann has a nice sound to it. Anglicized it read "Eavan." Argh. I get caught between that proverbial rock and a hard place with Irish names sometimes as well: I like how they sound, but I don't know if I'd be willing to give my child a name that I had to practice writing because I couldn't remember how it was spelled. :-)
My parents went the easiest route and found me a genuine Irish name that wasn't impossible to say or spell: Eilis Caitriona.
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=619
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Your best bets are . . .
Cara Elizabeth (it means "friend")
Maeve Elizabeth
Bridget Elizabeth
Maureen Elizabeth (my niece's name)
Eileen Elizabeth
Deirdre Elizabeth
Sheila Elizabeth
Finola Elizabeth
Orla Elizabeth
Talulla Elizabeth (not for the faint of heart)
I'm comfortable with Irish spellings, but I can understand wanting something user friendly. But I wouldn't use an Anglicized spelling unless the Irish do already, like Maeve, Bridget, Finola, etc. The, shall we say, ~~amateur~~ attempts seldom look right.
If Irish spelling wasn't an issue, I'd ask you to consider Eilis (EYE-leesh), the Irish form of Elizabeth, as a fn. Or even Isbeal (ISH-bale, or ISH-bay-ull) for the more adventurous. I was listening to BBC radio and one of the correspondents was named Isbeal. It was enchanting. But I couldn't see it working outside of Ireland/U.K.
And finally, PLEASE leave Rory and Teagan for parents of little boys. Quinn is a surname. Have fun, be sure to let us know what you ultimately decide, adn thanks for a fun post.
Cara Elizabeth (it means "friend")
Maeve Elizabeth
Bridget Elizabeth
Maureen Elizabeth (my niece's name)
Eileen Elizabeth
Deirdre Elizabeth
Sheila Elizabeth
Finola Elizabeth
Orla Elizabeth
Talulla Elizabeth (not for the faint of heart)
I'm comfortable with Irish spellings, but I can understand wanting something user friendly. But I wouldn't use an Anglicized spelling unless the Irish do already, like Maeve, Bridget, Finola, etc. The, shall we say, ~~amateur~~ attempts seldom look right.
If Irish spelling wasn't an issue, I'd ask you to consider Eilis (EYE-leesh), the Irish form of Elizabeth, as a fn. Or even Isbeal (ISH-bale, or ISH-bay-ull) for the more adventurous. I was listening to BBC radio and one of the correspondents was named Isbeal. It was enchanting. But I couldn't see it working outside of Ireland/U.K.
And finally, PLEASE leave Rory and Teagan for parents of little boys. Quinn is a surname. Have fun, be sure to let us know what you ultimately decide, adn thanks for a fun post.
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There is on another website, if you haven't visited it yet, a great list of Celtic names and their variants.
http://www.daire.org/names/celtirishfem.html
This will take you directly to the Celtic female names of Ireland part.
I like Cara, Maeve and Aoife.
"But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father's embrace" -somewhere in Beowulf?
-Amy Lee
http://www.daire.org/names/celtirishfem.html
This will take you directly to the Celtic female names of Ireland part.
I like Cara, Maeve and Aoife.
"But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father's embrace" -somewhere in Beowulf?
-Amy Lee
This message was edited 9/17/2005, 5:34 PM
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Bridget - I like it
Brenna - I like it but it's not used as a name in Ireland
Cara - this is an Irish word not a name but I still like it if you live outside Ireland
Niamh - nice although I don't like the alternate spellings
Teagan - it's not really Irish and if it was, it's male not female
Maebh - okay (I like Meadhbh but I know that's too much :))
Regan - like Brenna and Teagan, not used as a name here
Quinn - too surnamey
Rori - only used for boys
Alana - I wouldn't call it truly Irish, though it can come from the phrase a leanbh which means oh child
Aoife - like a lot
Sorcha - love it :)
I'm trying to think of some reasonably-easy-to-pronounce Irish names. How about:
Aideen
Orla
Riona
Ciara
Myrna
Nessa
Tara
I'll add more if I think of them.
Good Luck!
Brenna - I like it but it's not used as a name in Ireland
Cara - this is an Irish word not a name but I still like it if you live outside Ireland
Niamh - nice although I don't like the alternate spellings
Teagan - it's not really Irish and if it was, it's male not female
Maebh - okay (I like Meadhbh but I know that's too much :))
Regan - like Brenna and Teagan, not used as a name here
Quinn - too surnamey
Rori - only used for boys
Alana - I wouldn't call it truly Irish, though it can come from the phrase a leanbh which means oh child
Aoife - like a lot
Sorcha - love it :)
I'm trying to think of some reasonably-easy-to-pronounce Irish names. How about:
Aideen
Orla
Riona
Ciara
Myrna
Nessa
Tara
I'll add more if I think of them.
Good Luck!
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