Irish names

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Irish names
18
Sat, 10-01-2005 - 10:52pm

Just looking for some suggestions ...

My husband and I have a 4-year-old and 10-month-old and are 3 months pregnant again (total surprise lol). Anyway, our daughters' names are Kaitlyn and Devanie, and we would like an Irish name for this baby as well. The only problem is most of the names I come across are either too trendy or popular (Kaitlyn has become quite popular since we named our first-born, and I don't think I want to repeat that) or not quite Anglicized enough (if any of you are familiar with Irish names you know what I'm talking about). We don't want anything too "out-there" that would be impossible to spell or pronounce. People seem to have enough trouble with Devanie (a form of Devan). :)

Anyway, I just know you guys always seem to come up with names you might not come across on most Web sites or baby name books, so I thought I'd open the floor to suggestions. We're especially having trouble with boy names, since we never had to pick one before. I'd really appreciate anything you could throw out there. TIA!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-13-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 12:27pm

Hi there!

Some of my favourites, the Irish and anglicisations :P

Girls:
Fionnuala: Fenella, Finola
Aoife: Eva
Brighid: Bridget, Brigit
Caoimhe: Keevy, Keeva, Keavy
Fiona
Maeve
Niamh: Neve, Neeve
Aoibheann: Eavan, Evanne
Eibhlin: Eileen, Aileen
Eilis: Eilish
Eireann: Erin
Eithne: Ethna, Ena, Edna(!), Enya
Honora, nn Nora/Norah
Maura
Maureen/Moreen
Moira
Nuala: Noola, Nola
Nora, Noreen
Una, Oona
Siobhan: Shavonne, Shevonne, Shevaughn
Sine: Sheena
Sile: Sheila, Shelagh
Treasa: Trassa, Tressa

Boys
Fionn: Finn
Fionnlagh: Finlay, Finley (I think this is sometimes a girls' name in the US?)
- Also: Finnian, Fintan, Finbar
Tighearnan: Tiarnan, Tiernan, Teernan, Ternan
Tighearnach: Tierney
Tadhg: Teague, Teige
Sean, Shaun, Shawn, Shane
Seamus, Sheamus, Shamus
Ruadhan: Rowan
Ruaidri: Rory
Rordan: Riordan,Rearden
Patrick
Eoghan: Owen, Ewan
Niall, Neil, Neal
Naomhan: Nevan, Nevin
Dubhghall: Dougal, Dugald, Douglas
Dubhan: Dwayne
Eamon
Faolan: Fillin, Felan
Fearghal: Fergal
Fearghas: Fergus
Gallagher
Garbhan: Garvan
Aonghus: Angus
Aidan (overused)
Alan
Alastar, Alastair, Allister
Brendan, Brennan
Brian, Bryan
Brody
Caolan: Cellan, Kellan, Kelan, Kellen
Cianan: Keenan
Cian: Kean, Keane, Kian
Ciaran: Keiran, Carran
Ciar: Keer, Kier, Keir
Cillian: Killian
Colm, Colum, Colman, Coleman
Conleth: Conley

Maybe that'll help :)

-Sisi

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 12:29pm
You won't believe it, but three of those girls names you listed are already taken in our family ... luckily we'll probably be using the name we didn't use last time if this turns out to be another girl (we loved both names, so we kept one for any future girls we might have lol). Our real problem is thinking up a boy name we both like. Incidentally, I've always liked Declan. It's been on my list all three times now, but DH always says no because he doesn't like the nn he may derive from it (if you try to shorten it, you'll see what I mean ... he thinks it sounds a big offensive, KWIM?). I guess if we find out this is, in fact, a boy we'll have to really start searching. :) Husbands are so hard to please!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 12:35pm
Thanks, Sisi. I actually have a few of those on my list. :) I was really set on Killian (funny to see someone else actually suggest it, since I never hear it), and DH liked it too, but every time he mentioned it to someone they'd assume he was getting it from the beer lol. That seems to have dampened his desire to use that, so I feel like I'm having to start all over here. :) The search continues! (sigh)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-13-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 3:03pm

I didn't know there was a Killian beer, lol. Scottish and Irish names have a shared history and IMO work together...so some Scottish boys' names for you?

Archie (as a nn for Archer rather than Archibald)
Blair (despite what a very dear friend thinks, this is a boys' name. But then I consider Rowan and Rory to be very masculine names too.)
Calum/Callum
Colin/Collin (pron. Coll-in, not Colon! )
Duncan
Euan/Ewen/Ewan (our 6-year-old, btw)
Fraser
Gavin
Gordon
Graham
Grant
Hugh
Ian/Iain
Keith
Kenneth (?)
Kendrick
Lennox
Lochlann/Lachlan
Malcolm
Nicol
Robert
Ramsay
Reid
Ross
Russell
Stewart/Stuart

On the Irish side, did I mention Ronan?

-Sisi
(Mum of Ewan, 6, and Isla, 2...and expecting again, too :P)

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-13-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 3:22pm

If you want genuine irish or scottish names, here are the links to the top 100 names for 2004 in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. You have to scroll down for a bit to get to the listings.

Scotland:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/library/pernames/04names.html

NI:
http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Uploads/publications/first_names_bulletin_2004.pdf

Eire:
http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/births_d_m/current/babynames.pdf

HTH
-Sisi

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Sat, 10-08-2005 - 5:26pm

lol Yes, there is a Killian's Irish Red. I've suggested using the one-l spelling Kilian to avoid this, if it makes him feel better, but I have a feeling he's not going to go for it now.

I am open to Scottish names as well, as you've mentioned they often do work together, and I'm really not even averse to names of other derrivation that wouldn't be unthought-of (ie. Nathan or Charles for a boy or Abigail for a girl, off the top of my head, as names such as these aren't uncommon and often even have Gaelic spellings if we wanted to use them).

I like Archer, but more for a middle name I think, and it's possible Rowan and Ewan are both in the running (they're on my short list so far and DH actually likes Ewan ... he's not sure about Rowan yet, because he says he prefers the more common Ryan and figures it sounds similar enough). So certainly compliments to you on choosing your son's name. ;) The only thing holding DH back from Ewan is he's not sure it sounds quite right with our last name -- McCormick (which I obviously think sounds just fine, but what can you do? lol).

I also had Ronan on my list but I'm not sure that I like the meaning "little seal." I know, too picky. lol

Anyway, thanks again for all the boy suggestions. We really appreciate them!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2004
Sun, 10-09-2005 - 2:38am

My son's name is Tagun, a variation of Teagun (which is used for both boys and girls). We changed the spelling to try to make it so it wouldn't get mispronounced so much.

Jennifer

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Sun, 10-09-2005 - 7:22am
Oh! I think Ewan McCormick goes perfectly together. Ever hear of Ewan McGregor - the actor? Pretty similar - Sounds great to me!
Hope

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