Irish baby names - opinions?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2008
Irish baby names - opinions?
20
Mon, 01-07-2008 - 6:47pm

My DH and I know that we'd like an Irish first name for our second child (the middle name will be a family name). We're both Irish, and we just generally think Irish names are lovely sounding. Our last name ends with a long e sound so that eliminates any names that may rhyme with e.

Girls:
Saoirse Louise (pronounced searsha) - Although there are many of the same letters in both names, I think it flows nicely.

Evelyn Louise (pronounced eve-lin) - Will everyone assume it is pronounced ev-uh-lin?

Boys:
Declan Clark
Nolan Clark
Conlan James

Any other suggestions? Thanks!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-18-2007
Wed, 01-09-2008 - 11:31am
I just watched a show on TV last night called Quint-Essentials. The mother named one of her daughters Kieran!
Lilypie Expecting a baby Ticker pregnancy
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Thank you, Elena (el
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-09-2008
Wed, 01-09-2008 - 11:43am
I am irish as well and I like my name it is Shannon Inkeri, Inkeri is Finish pronounced ink-ery. Female of course. Hope you consider it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-11-2007
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 2:22am
babynamesofireland.com is a wonderful site - i spent most of my last pregnancy drooling over boy names like eamon, declan, and eoghan
Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker
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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2005
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 8:53am

Aoife is my absolute favourite name. Its pronounced EE-FA.


Niamh and

Lilypie - (xPLv)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-01-2003
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 12:47pm

EVERYONE will assume it's pronounced EV-uh-LIN, because that's the known pronunciation for that spelling, for many years


I think Saoirse is very pretty sounding, but so unfamiliar in this country, she will be constantly correcting people or flat out having them asked how you say it


so I really don't know what to recommend here. I'd still go for Saoirse over Evelyn any day (Evelyn is just OLD, very OLD)


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2008
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 4:23pm

i adore Ciaomhe, Aoife, Eilidh and Niamh for girls and for boys I'd go with Declan.


Avatar for 3togetready
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-19-1999
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 5:35pm
I think that with a lot of the girl names you (and her) will always have to tell people how to pronounce the name.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2008
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 7:01pm

I just don't know if I want to choose a name that people won't be able to pronounce. My name is Kara, pronounced care-ah, but I am constantly correcting people who say it car-ah. It's not that big of a deal, although it always bothered me when teachers said it incorrectly. I adore the name Saoirse, but I am not sure I can commit to it.

The name Evelyn is pretty whether it is ev-uh-lin or eve-lin, but I prefer eve-lin (nn evie). And it is obviously much more unique pronounced eve-lin.

Caiomhe is also a beautiful name.

Thanks a million for the suggestions!

Avatar for dr_kae
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 9:45pm
With names like Saoirse, people will work harder to remember the right pronunciation because it's so far off of the spelling. It's not like my name, Kristen, which is so easy to confuse with Christine, Krista, Kjerstin or Christian. Saoirse is very much an independent name that people will look to you for cues as to its pronunciation.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-14-2006
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 10:10pm
I have to say Declan CLark is great - now I may be a bit biased but my 1-year old's name is Declan Edward!





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