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Help[Opinions] Re: Eireann (pron. Erin)
in reply to a message by cait
I don't care for the name Eireann (or Erin), but if they're in America, then I think the spelling will cause many problems, and she should have gone with the spelling Erin. But, I see no problem(s) with people using a name, like an Irish name, even if they haven't visited the country or have any Irish in them. If we stuck with names we only have a heritage from, or countries we've visited, we would have very limited name choices. Also, I don't see a "wannabe Irish" trend (and I actually think that's a foolish term, sorry). If we all thought that way, we'd be a lot of wannabe's: "wannabe unisex," "wannabe a girl with a boy's name," "wanna be a surname."
This message was edited 1/11/2005, 6:46 AM
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My perception of what I've heard called the "wannabe Irish" trend is that people with little or no Irish (or Scottish) heritage who've never spent time there give their children names that are (for lack of a better way to put it) VERY IRISH.
For example, Erin is the Anglicized version of an Irish name. However, it doesn't seem VERY IRISH the way that Eireann does. In the United States (maybe anywhere?) the names wouldn't be pronounced the same, so that it's awkward to spell a child's name Eireann and pronounce it Erin. It seems like the namer is trying to make the name more "unique" (in the slightly negative sense often associated with kre8ive names). Erin is a perfectly good Irish name, but Eireann is (in my opinion) "too Irish" for someone not from there.
Have I managed to convey some of my thoughts on the matter? I think the "wannabe Irish" trend definitely has something to do with Anglicizations. For example, Aodhan would be far more "wannabe Irish" than Aidan, its Anglicized form.
It also DOES have something to do with heritage. I don't think that naming a child something from a completely different tradition is the worst naming style, but it can make a full name odd if the first and last names come from completely different languages. Aidan O'Rourke sounds a lot better (in my opinion) than Aidan Maslowski, or Aidan Klein.
Personally, I feel that there are so many wonderful names from EVERY naming tradition that there are plenty to choose from. Also, in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, where many of the members of these boards are from, almost everybody is originally from somewhere else, and most people (in the United States, at least) have ancestors from at LEAST four different countries. There's a lot of stretch room within that.
You may not agree with me, and that's okay, but I hope that I've been able to explain some of my thoughts on the subject.
~ Cait
Edited for grammar.
For example, Erin is the Anglicized version of an Irish name. However, it doesn't seem VERY IRISH the way that Eireann does. In the United States (maybe anywhere?) the names wouldn't be pronounced the same, so that it's awkward to spell a child's name Eireann and pronounce it Erin. It seems like the namer is trying to make the name more "unique" (in the slightly negative sense often associated with kre8ive names). Erin is a perfectly good Irish name, but Eireann is (in my opinion) "too Irish" for someone not from there.
Have I managed to convey some of my thoughts on the matter? I think the "wannabe Irish" trend definitely has something to do with Anglicizations. For example, Aodhan would be far more "wannabe Irish" than Aidan, its Anglicized form.
It also DOES have something to do with heritage. I don't think that naming a child something from a completely different tradition is the worst naming style, but it can make a full name odd if the first and last names come from completely different languages. Aidan O'Rourke sounds a lot better (in my opinion) than Aidan Maslowski, or Aidan Klein.
Personally, I feel that there are so many wonderful names from EVERY naming tradition that there are plenty to choose from. Also, in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, where many of the members of these boards are from, almost everybody is originally from somewhere else, and most people (in the United States, at least) have ancestors from at LEAST four different countries. There's a lot of stretch room within that.
You may not agree with me, and that's okay, but I hope that I've been able to explain some of my thoughts on the subject.
~ Cait
Edited for grammar.
This message was edited 1/11/2005, 2:20 PM
1