What's so wrong with having an Irish name?

XxMCRxBabyxX

Very often on boards you see someone making a sneery comment over gaeilge names and I have never understood why. There seems to be some implication that only posh spoilt D4 kids have those names and I'm sure most of us would agree that that isn't true. So what's wrong with having an Irish name? How can a name annoy or offend someone so much?

Knasher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDx8DKPH-og

Really annoying outside of Ireland.

Latchy

Nowt wrong with Irish names, a name is a name in any language .

FTA69

Because some of them are completely fabricated in order to just sound "Irish" and also be "unique" at the same time. I've no bother with a "Gráinne" or a "Dónal", it's when abominations like "Caoimhleann" and what not start materialising is when it begins to sound silly.

Shenshen

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

Very often on boards you see someone making a sneery comment over gaeilge names and I have never understood why. There seems to be some implication that only posh spoilt D4 kids have those names and I'm sure most of us would agree that that isn't true. So what's wrong with having an Irish name? How can a name annoy or offend someone so much?

Nothing wrong with them per se, I would just always advocate giving the kid a second, pronouncable name so that later in life they can decide themselves how much time they wish to spend on repeating and spelling their name to everybody they meet.

It's only fair to the child, I think.

BillyMitchel

Double barrell surnames are worse.

latenia

I have real difficulty remembering Irish names, especially when they're called something like Aoife, Áine or Aileen.

Legs.Eleven

Thank you, OP! Exactly!! Everyone in my immediate family has an Irish name, including myself and this bollocks about it only being for D4 heads doesn't apply here. All of us were born 1980 or before and my parents were working class and not in any way posh. Irish names can be beautiful (although there's plenty of clangers....my own name isn't the nicest) and I don't know any other country that complains about giving kids names from their own country. What kind of stupid complaint is that? More Irish self-loathing bollocks if you ask me.

krudler

BillyMitchel wrote: »

Double barrell surnames are worse.

double barrel with one of them in Irish, shudder.

degsie

Phil McGoother, Fanny Phelan, Justine McGee, Pat McGroin, Eileen Dover.... they all sound grand to me...:pac:

SkadooshJ

Its not the names thats the problem. Its the D4 accent pronouncing them which is the issue.

i.e Saoirse is fine when said in any Irish accent but when its "D4-ised" it sounds horrible.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Shenshen wrote: »

Nothing wrong with them per se, I would just always advocate giving the kid a second, pronouncable name so that later in life they can decide themselves how much time they wish to spend on repeating and spelling their name to everybody they meet.

It's only fair to the child, I think.

I take it that means you would say the same to French parents giving their child a French name or Swedish parents giving their child a Swedish name etc?

hyperborean

Makey upey Irish names, like Odhran and Caofhlainn should be banned,

My name is URL

People on Boards just seem to have a thing about hating Irish full stop. I don't speak the language myself but it never fails to amuse me how riled up people get about it all.

As for names... just be thankful we're not Thailand.

Shenshen

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I take it that means you would say the same to French parents giving their child a French name or Swedish parents giving their child a Swedish name etc?

I have given out to my mother in the past for giving me a German name that's unpronouncable anywhere else, and no second name to fall back on.
I have to make do with a stupid nick name. I do think a little bit of consideration for your child when chosing a name goes quite a long way indeed.

smash

I just think a lot of Irish names much like the language itself, sound horrible!

Mr Whirly

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I take it that means you would say the same to French parents giving their child a French name or Swedish parents giving their child a Swedish name etc?

There's a higher likelihood of children from this country emigrating. I have an Irish name, a pretty common one and it was still a pain in the hole when I lived abroad.

Latchy

There can be some pretentious associated with some Irish names like it somehow makes the named person more Irish then somebody else and if that's what floats yer boat then so be it .

Anynama141

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Irish names can be beautiful (although there's plenty of clangers....my own name isn't the nicest)

Strictly speaking, 'Legs' isn't an Irish name.

jester77

Shenshen wrote: »

I have given out to my mother in the past for giving me a German name that's unpronouncable anywhere else, and no second name to fall back on.
I have to make do with a stupid nick name. I do think a little bit of consideration for your child when chosing a name goes quite a long way indeed.

Was your mother German or why did she give you a German name?

XxMCRxBabyxX

hyperborean wrote: »

Makey upey Irish names, like Odhran and Caofhlainn should be banned,

But those aren't made up names (though I think it should be spelt more like Caoilainn). They're quite old Irish names.

Napper Hawkins

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I take it that means you would say the same to French parents giving their child a French name or Swedish parents giving their child a Swedish name etc?

French and Swedish kids speak French and Swedish, respectively.

Shenshen

jester77 wrote: »

Was your mother German or why did she give you a German name?

I am German, living in Ireland now.
My mother is German, my father Austrian.

smash

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

But those aren't made up names (though I think it should be spelt more like Caoilainn). They're quite old Irish names.

Thank god for deedpoll huh....

HurtLocker

Nothing wrong with the person with the name. But what parent in their right mind would name their child "Siobhan" pronounced She-va. If you can't speak Irish its impossible to read and its impossible to spell when you hear it. I struggle to see why bother call a child that? Tradition ain't a good enough reason in my mind but I can't make up others minds. IMO Just makes the child's life harder once they leave to Gaeilge loving education system.

smash

HurtLocker wrote: »

But what parent in their right mind would name their child "Siobhan" pronounced She-va.

That is not how you pronounce Siobhan ffs.

AnonoBoy

HOW DARE PEOPLE HAVE A NAME THAT I DON'T LIKE!!!!!

:mad:

3qsmavrod5twfe

BillyMitchel wrote: »

Double barrell surnames are worse.

Used to be when someone was the offspring of two "prestigious" families and wanted ties to both. Now it means parents weren't married.

Napper Hawkins

HurtLocker wrote: »

Nothing wrong with the person with the name. But what parent in their right mind would name their child "Siobhan" pronounced She-va. If you can't speak Irish its impossible to read and its impossible to spell when you hear it. I struggle to see why bother call a child that? Tradition ain't a good enough reason in my mind but I can't make up others minds. IMO Just makes the child's life harder once they leave to Gaeilge loving education system.

Shiv-awn.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

French and Swedish kids speak French and Swedish, respectively.

Yet not every girl called Chloe speaks French (or Greek) and not every boy called Michael speaks Hebrew...

Most people who give their children Irish names have a connection to the language or at least the country and nationality.

byronbay2

My name is URL wrote: »

People on Boards just seem to have a thing about hating Irish full stop. I don't speak the language myself but it never fails to amuse me how riled up people get about it all.

+1 on that. It's amazing that some people get so agitated about Irish names and how contemptuous they are towards people who like Irish names. Similarly (though OT), the Atheists who ridicule and belittle Christian beliefs on other forums. Can they not just agree to differ? I am not a Christian btw.

ElleEm

I'm not a fan of Irish names myself, but the ones I do like, others seem to have an issue with! I certainly don't judge the parents or kids for having
them.
The people I do judge are those who give their kids "Irish names" with English spelling, but still call them Irish names (Keeva, Shawn, Owen, Ruary).

I have a friend called Niamh, who does a lot of business with people in the UK. It will never fail to make me laugh when I hear them call her "Nee-am-huh"!

Cody Pomeray

FTA69 wrote: »

Because some of them are completely fabricated in order to just sound "Irish" and also be "unique" at the same time.

What's wrong with made up or "unique" names?

There was a first John, after all, a first Euan, Eoin, Seán, and any other variation that has since become popular.

I can't see any problem with a made-up name or an unusual Irish name.

Shenshen wrote: »

My mother is German, my father Austrian.

Der Kleine Anschluss:pac:

XxMCRxBabyxX

HurtLocker wrote: »

Nothing wrong with the person with the name. But what parent in their right mind would name their child "Siobhan" pronounced She-va. If you can't speak Irish its impossible to read and its impossible to spell when you hear it. I struggle to see why bother call a child that? Tradition ain't a good enough reason in my mind but I can't make up others minds. IMO Just makes the child's life harder once they leave to Gaeilge loving education system.

There is a name she-va but it's spelt Síomha. How someone could mis-pronounce Siobhan that badly is beyond me. I can understand sn issue with that.

goose2005

FTA69 wrote: »

Because some of them are completely fabricated in order to just sound "Irish" and also be "unique" at the same time. I've no bother with a "Gráinne" or a "Dónal", it's when abominations like "Caoimhleann" and what not start materialising is when it begins to sound silly.

Variation of Caoilfhionn "slender-fair", name of a virgin saint.

Chips Lovell

People should be able to call their kids whatever they want.

And everyone else should be able to silently judge them.

HurtLocker

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

Shiv-awn.

>.>
<.<

Well I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years, which is probably about twice My point proven... I guess.

IM0

its grand just dont move to india though

FTA69

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

What's wrong with made up or "unique" names?

They're f*cking stupid for a start.

Look at some of the celebrity monstrosities like Fifi Trixabel or Apple or Moonbeam or or any of that thundering b*llocks. I know a fella in West Cork (crusty type) who's mad into fantasy novels and called his child Sepharim or something like that. I actually know a woman who called her daughter Bat-Sheeba. Give me a break like.

jester77

Shenshen wrote: »

I am German, living in Ireland now.
My mother is German, my father Austrian.

Well, you can't exactly blame your parents for giving you a German name. I know Irish people with Irish names living in Germany and the Germans can't get their tongues around all the vowels, but they don't go blaming their parents for their name.

Fooker

I think Irish names are nice. Saoirse sounds nice too. But, it sounds cringey when you think that it's the equivalent of calling their child liberty..

Hell, the first child will be called Crazy Horse..

Absoluvely

Fooker wrote: »

I think Irish names are nice. Saoirse sounds nice too. But, it sounds cringey when you think that it's the equivalent of calling their child liberty..

Hell, the first child will be called Crazy Horse..

That's Crazy Talk

Shenshen

jester77 wrote: »

Well, you can't exactly blame your parents for giving you a German name. I know Irish people with Irish names living in Germany and the Germans can't get their tongues around all the vowels, but they don't go blaming their parents for their name.

I don't, I blame them for not giving me a second name and thereby an option. I think if you need to go for a traditional name as first name, go for it. Just give the poor little mite a second name to fall back on if they need to.

GSF

If its a girl call it Mary. You cant be in FF unless your name is Mary.

Start with Mary 1, then Mary 2, Mary 3 etc

who the fug

Fooker wrote: »

I think Irish names are nice. Saoirse sounds nice too. But, it sounds cringey when you think that it's the equivalent of calling their child liberty..

Hell, the first child will be called Crazy Horse..

If you end up with Aisling Fliuch on a birth cert,time to arrest somebody


My name is Irish it is a traditional family name

1ZRed

Doesn't bother me. What does bother me is when parents with no Irish decide to give their kids irish names so when you pronounce their names the way they are supposed to a magic stick seems to appear out of nowhere and drives itself 10 inches up their hole.

"No, it's fee-yun!"

Don't like it, don't give your kids Irish names ye can't even pronounce. Failing that, go ass **** yourselves

Cody Pomeray

FTA69 wrote: »

They're f*cking stupid for a start.

Look at some of the celebrity monstrosities like Fifi Trixabel or Apple or Moonbeam or or any of that thundering b*llocks. I know a fella in West Cork (crusty type) who's mad into fantasy novels and called his child Sepharim or something like that. I actually know a woman who called her daughter Bat-Sheeba. Give me a break like.

give you a break for what?

Tordelback

Bewildering subject, this. Why should anyone care what someone else's name is, unless it's some filthy swearword like 'Bertie'? As to being unpronnouncable or unspellable when abroad (or even here, to look at some of the comments above...), who cares? How does everyone else from outside the English speaking world manage when they come here? Perfectly fine, I think you'll find. Anyway, there's 7 billion of us now, a bit of diversity is useful.

I named my youngest after my own late Great Aunt, the sweetest most dignified woman I ever knew, qualities I wish for my own girl, and I'm always amazed by people who accuse me of trying to be hip or fashionable: her namesake was born in 1910!

gramar

If people are worried about having difficulties with thier name abroad what the f**k must the polish of the greek be thinking? They must have nightmares thinking about the day that someone asks them their name.

Shenshen

Tordelback wrote: »

Bewildering subject, this. Why should anyone care what someone else's name is, unless it's some filthy swearword like 'Bertie'? As to being unpronnouncable or unspellable when abroad (or even here, to look at some of the comments above...), who cares? How does everyone else from outside the English speaking world manage when they come here? Perfectly fine, I think you'll find. Anyway, there's 7 billion of us now, a bit of diversity is useful.

I named my youngest after my own late Great Aunt, the sweetest most dignified woman I ever knew, qualities I wish for my own girl, and I'm always amazed by people who accuse me of trying to be hip or fashionable: her namesake was born in 1910!

Perfectly fine?
Not really.

I'm sick to the teeth of spelling my name, only for the person writing it down to get it wrong anyway. I've had no end of problems with banks, employers and whichever agency updates your PPS details in the past.
It's a royal pain in the neck, let me assure you.

FTA69

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

give you a break for what?

It's a turn of phrase lad.