Girl's name Neala

BarraOG

We're expecting in a few months and my wife is mad about the name "Neala". First of all, I have never heard of this name before, have you?

She says it pronounced "Nee-lah". Is that correct? Is the name Irish? If so, what is its form in Irish and how is it pronounced?

I'd like an Irish name for our daughter with the Irish pronunciation. I've come up with the following which I think sound something like "Nee-lah" but the missus is having none of it: Síle, Síofra, Nuala, Ríona and Mealla. Any other suggestions?

GRMA!

markwho

Its the female version of Niall, think it means female champion.

Moonbeam

I am pretty sure it is one of those names that you can trace back to a few different origins Celtic,Hebrew,Greek and I am not sure where else.
I cam across it before and had to look up how to pronounce it.

I never heard of Mealla before.

Dearbhail,Caoimhe,Caoilfhionn,Aisling,Aoibh,Alannah (not just irish)Siún,Siobhán,Roísín,Sinéad,Laoise,Niamh, are just a few off the top of my head.

BarraOG

What would it be in Irish though? Neal is Niall in Irish...

Moonbeam

Ni-La was what I was told was the correct pronunciation .

BarraOG

Yeah, she reckons its pronounced Ni-La in English, but what would the Irish version of the name be in terms of spelling and pronunciation? Neal is the English version of Niall, so that would suggest that Nialla (pronounced Niall - ah) is the Irish version but that sounds really weird.

Thank!

craoltoir

Cad faoi Neasa?

Níor chuala mé Neala riamh. Tá sé cosúil le Néal (cloud)

Féach liostaí ainmneacha anseo: http://www.iol.ie/~sob/ainm/

An Riabhach

BarraOG wrote: »

Yeah, she reckons its pronounced Ni-La in English, but what would the Irish version of the name be in terms of spelling and pronunciation? Neal is the English version of Niall, so that would suggest that Nialla (pronounced Niall - ah) is the Irish version but that sounds really weird.

Thank!

Maybe put a fada over the i, e.g. Níalla-that would be more appropriate if the desired pronunciation is Neelah.

Of course regarding the Irish language name Niall,it is a very common mistake to pronounce it as Nile,when it should be pronounced as if there was a fada over the i, e.g. Neel or Neeal.
Niall=Níall(Neil/Neal)
Nialla=Níalla(Neala/Neelah)

An gal gréine

Just to add to what Seasan wrote, the Gaelic Ni is pronounced something like n-ehe-al and unlike the English kneel.

An Riabhach

An gal gréine wrote: »

Just to add to what Seasan wrote, the Gaelic Ni is pronounced something like n-ehe-al and unlike the English kneel.

Exactly-when the i is before the a in an Irish language word or name,it is very often pronounced "eeah...","eeuh...",some examples of words as Gaeilge beginning with ia are iasc,iad,iarnóin,iarratas etc.

Another example would be my own name as Gaeilge-Íasón.
The fada over the I is for the pronunciation "EEaSown" as opposed to "YAHsown" and "Yasson".

Anyway to cut a long story short Barra-your wife wants the name Neala,you would like the Irish version,so if you were to have the name but to have it written in Irish,your best bet would be Nialla or Níalla.