The most unusual Irish name you ever came across

ahal · 24-06-2011 10:54PM

There was a girl called Afraic (spelling?) on a FAS course I was on once.

It was gas 'cause the Northern tutor used to pronounce it "A freak"

little miss muffet · 24-06-2011 10:54PM

What a great thread!1
My mother has 22 grand children all of whom have good strong irish names. she was never thought irish in school (don't know why, was in wexford in the 50's). She cannot spell any of the names so she spells the names as she pronounces them, e.g
Aveen - Aoibhín
earla - iarlaith
Mayveen - meadhbhín

Rosheen - Roisín

Orando Broom · 24-06-2011 11:17PM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Love MacDara.

MacDara make ya jump jumpâ€¦

iamwhoiam · 24-06-2011 11:34PM

The guy who presents Fíor Scéil on TG4 is Maolra Mac Donnacha .No problem with that ,I like Maolra .But he introduces himself as Mweeeeeeeelrrrrrraa and makes me laugh every time he says it

24-06-2011 11:46PM

went to school with a girl called 'fainne', cue many many jokes at school.........

couple of hippys in my hometown called their son 'ainm'!!!!
ainm is ainm dom!

byhookorbycrook · 24-06-2011 11:47PM

Síobhra is my preferred spelling. Love Sibéal too. Fachtna is of course a great Cork one.

milehip1 · 24-06-2011 11:47PM

ballsymchugh wrote: »

you really find some of those names unusual??
aleish = eilis
micil = micheal
aideen = anglicanisation of eadaoin
nollaig = noelle
feilim = philip

while they wouldn't be popular irish names, i wouldn't class them as unusual. except for kerrigan. that's a feckin surname!!

feilim is irish for felix

byhookorbycrook · 25-06-2011 12:11AM

Pilib = Phillip

LordSutch · 25-06-2011 12:17AM

abelard wrote: »

I knew both a Maedhbh and a Medb, not a particularly unusual name but the spellings (particularly the latter) were challenging to a lot of people.

Challenging is putting it mildly, I only discovered that Medbh was actually 'Maeve' in the last couple of years, and I'm in my forties! and as for Maedhbh . . . I wouldnt have got that in in a million years, don't get me wrong I don't dislike Irish names, but some of the spellings are just so oblique, even for many Irish people like myself

Marcia Lustley · 25-06-2011 12:42AM

Baba

i know a few baba's
its short for barbara, like kate is for katherine.

Caraville · 25-06-2011 12:56AM

I know a lot of people give out about Irish names- the spelling, pronunciation, even thinking they're a bit try-hard or something. But I'd still rather them to a lot of the ones on the parenting forum that people are mentioning. I suppose at the end of the day, it's only a name and who gives a toss what someone decides to call their child- but some of them are just horrible.

Personally, I hate flower names (Lily, Rose, Daisy, etc). I work with teenagers and every second girl is either called Sarah, Lauren, Megan, Lucy, Alice, Rachel, or Katy/Katie.

I like the sound of the name Síofra but I don't like the meaning behind it. I think Saoirse is a bit cheesy (and only a step away from calling your child "Grá" or "Meas" or some such) so I wouldn't call my child that either. I'd say Lasairfhíona and Vourneen (coming from "Mo mhúirnín" meaning "my sweetheart/my darling") and Laoibhseach are probably the most unusual Irish names I've personally come across though.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 25-06-2011 01:33AM

Ferdia for a boy, nice name..

smurfy89 · 25-06-2011 02:11AM

Maolíosa.
Muirne.

Never hear of either of these names. Only know of one of each!

face1990 · 25-06-2011 03:32AM

RainbowRose81 wrote: »

Sabia is a unusual name and i am surprised its not used more often because it is a beautiful name. Pronounced 'Say- bia'
it's suppose to have originated from ulster from the word 'Sive' it's suppose to mean 'sweet' and 'goodness'

Sounds too much like labia

Daegerty · 25-06-2011 03:34AM

Prinoodleberry (no not really)

charlemont · 25-06-2011 03:36AM

"The Fightin' Sheehans" of Mallow.

BlaasForRafa · 25-06-2011 04:34AM

ElleEm wrote: »

I once heard of a Tiarnoch- not a pretty name.
And also heard of a girl called Blais (pronounced Blaze). Irish for flavour or taste, I think. It sounds cool but the meaning is fairly silly.

Blaze is a brilliant name, last name should be thunderbolt or something like that.

I know a Labhaoise....which normally gets changed to Labhouse lol.

iamwhoiam · 25-06-2011 11:18AM

Babyblessed wrote: »

I went to 2ndry school in the UK and had a Grainne in our class..... should have heard the teachers, they struggled enough with Siobhán!

Aoife is another one they struggle with,..... the usual comment 'you used every vowel except u'.............

This is what I dont get at all , people not making an effort .I have an old Irish name with the usual difficult spelling . I lived in Germany and they would ask how to pronounce it and make a huge effort and mostly get it right . I didnt ask them to spell it , they simply copied how I spoke it . I had a whole family and friends who spoke my Irish name beautifully .

Many in the UK seem to have an issue and will announce
"Oh thats a silly spelling " and make no effort to ask how its spoken . I had a collegue from England who would call every Aoife she came across Ayofee , despite being told over and over it was Aoife . That to me is ignorance . Not all of course and I have friends in UK who can say my name with no problem after listening a few times .
There is not need for struggle if people listen and follow the spoken word ,Its like Russian names or Japenese , I will ask how , say it a few times and there it is .

Oh and a little footnote , when in Germany I met many Turks , I was surprised when they would tell me they were called Aideen or Aileen or Eileen !! I realized they were spelt very differently Aydyn or Eyelyn or whatever but their roots are Celtic too and their is a hint of Celts still in the Turks .

rainbowtrout · 25-06-2011 12:32PM

I went to school with a girl called Gormlaith. It was great fun when we had a student teacher or a visitor to the class and we'd have name tags on and they'd look at the name and not have a clue how to pronounce it. It's Gurm-la in case anyone's wondering.

Quick google: Gormlaith means blue princess and she was Brian Boru's wife. I have heard it translated as Barbara too.

harry21 · 25-06-2011 12:39PM

Truley wrote: »

Uileann, Abhainn, Turlough, Tiernan, Damhnait, Iarflaith (sp?) The last one is becoming very popular, there are at least two babies called Iarflaith in the creche where I work.

Also about 50 billion Saoirses

Have a nephew called Tiernan.

abelard · 25-06-2011 08:52PM

One I forgot to mention - Maolsheachlann.

No idea what that is in English - closest I can guess is Malachy?

iamwhoiam · 25-06-2011 11:04PM

abelard wrote: »

One I forgot to mention - Maolsheachlann.

No idea what that is in English - closest I can guess is Malachy?

There isnt always an English equivilent of ancient Irish names . Look at , Cian , Orla , Niamh , Grainne , Oisin , etc all from folklore and all uniquely Irish .

Rumple Fugly · 25-06-2011 11:14PM

I once knew 2 brothers Ulick and Pat McGee.......

Ally Dick · 25-06-2011 11:19PM

I know a bloke called Ethan Dicks. I am deadly serious

Poutbutton · 26-06-2011 10:24AM

abelard wrote: »

One I forgot to mention - Maolsheachlann.

No idea what that is in English - closest I can guess is Malachy?

Yes it's Malachy. The name is not originally Irish although there was an Irish Saint Malachy. It comes from the Hebrew Malachi it became Malachy by the 12th Century.

Vicxas · 26-06-2011 10:26AM

Blathiin.

How more irish can you get?

galwaybetty · 28-06-2011 10:18AM

I met a Siobhan in the Caribbean once, Im not entirely sure if she spelled it the same way though.

Yesterday I came across the name Hehir...I thought it was unusual, is it Irish?

orourkeda · 28-06-2011 11:33AM

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

Blaze is a brilliant name, last name should be thunderbolt or something like that.

I know a Labhaoise....which normally gets changed to Labhouse lol.

Damn Irish speakers. Louise sounds normal.

Glenster · 28-06-2011 11:50AM

Culchie O'Mucksavage

ash23 · 28-06-2011 12:22PM

I know an Ailbhe who is already planning on changing the spelling of her name to Alva when she's old enough.

I liked the name Orlaith for a girl but when my daughter was born the woman in the ward with me called her baby Ornaith and spent the morning on the phone saying "No, not Orla, OrNaith...O-R-N-A-I-T-H..."
After hearing that 40 times I was turned right off.

I love the name Ruairí for a boy.

Down this way the name Aoghnus is common. Pronounced Anus.
Woeful name to inflict.

The most unusual Irish name you ever came across

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