The most unusual Irish name you ever came across

Gwynplaine · 24-03-2015 01:19AM

I hate Irish names. It seems to be rampant amongst the female staff of the sports department in RTE. Unpronounceable and unspellable.
The worst culprit is 'Caoimhe'. How anyone could call their child that is a mystery to me.

Spanish Eyes · 24-03-2015 01:24AM

Murtagh for a first name.

I know a few Tadhgs from the Cork area, but each of their "real names" as on birth cert is Timothy.

What's with all the Jeremiahs in Cork too while I'm at it!

Fionn. That's nice.

The Strawman Argument · 24-03-2015 02:12AM

I know a woman who wanted to call her daughter Sky (maybe Skye?). At some point she decided that it'd be nice to have an Irish name too so she grabbed a dictionary and called her Spéir instead, which sounds like more like a brand of mints than a person.

24-03-2015 02:17AM

Sanjuro wrote: »

How exactly does one pronounce 202060622?

Dó-Níl-Dó-Níl-Sé-Nil-Sé-Dó-Dó????

Suaimhneach · 24-03-2015 04:09AM

Aongeus?

AngryHippie · 24-03-2015 04:57AM

saorbhreathach

josealdo · 24-03-2015 08:50AM

PARlance wrote: »

Yip, a lad in the year above me way back in secondary school was called Anus.

Didn't get as much stick (stick I said) as you may expect. Boy named Sue scenario.

I know a guy called anus but is it spelt anus like your butthole ?

murpho999 · 24-03-2015 09:42AM

Gwynplaine wrote: »

I hate Irish names. It seems to be rampant amongst the female staff of the sports department in RTE. Unpronounceable and unspellable.
The worst culprit is 'Caoimhe'. How anyone could call their child that is a mystery to me.

I can both spell Caoimhe and pronounce it.

Pronunciation is quite easy once you know 'mh' in Irish is a 'V' sound.

I don't speak Irish but I do like a lot of Irish names, they sound nice and it's something of our original culture that makes our country a bit different.

_Kaiser_ · 24-03-2015 10:25AM

Gwynplaine wrote: »

I hate Irish names. It seems to be rampant amongst the female staff of the sports department in RTE. Unpronounceable and unspellable.
The worst culprit is 'Caoimhe'. How anyone could call their child that is a mystery to me.

+1 .. generally picked by parents who have "notions" in my experience, but hidden behind the whole "culture/heritage" thing. Same way as sending them to Gaeltact schools became the "in" thing during the Good Times cause it makes them somehow "better"

You see the same attitude among some of the Irish language types.. "our heritage/culture", if you don't value it you're a "West Brit" and other such nonsense.

24-03-2015 10:53AM

ruthloss wrote: »

I was at a Christening recently and the baby girl's name was Siuan.,
I have never heard that name before.

(sounds like Shoe on)

Usually spelled Siún. Siún Nic Gearailt is a reasonably well-known example (RTE news/ Nuacht newsreader)

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I know a few Tadhgs from the Cork area, but each of their "real names" as on birth cert is Timothy.

That's quite an annoying mistranslation for the Tadhg community. Tadhg and Timothy are neighbours, they are not relatives.

They are no more interchangeable than Sadhbh and Shaniqua.

24-03-2015 11:35AM

Toirealach... its not that unusual I suppose its the Irish version of Terence, if my oldest daughter had been a male we were going use the name Turlough which is a mishmash of both Irish and English. We had a reason for choosing it though.

BlitzKrieg · 24-03-2015 11:58AM

Oddity I've seen is the name Connla

In the republic its a rare boys name, who's origins is that "Connla was the b*stard son of Cuchulainn"

which is fine, unless you feel the need to read into what your parents might be saying about your conception.

nice name

unless you go to the North where it seems to be oddly a girls name.

24-03-2015 12:25PM

I think local name should be celebrated as part of our culture, names can be very local for example Senan as a name is assonated with a certain area or as someone else said the name Jeremiah in cork. In parts of Wicklow and Dublin Laurence, Kevin, Hugh use to be very popular. I think that's a great celebration of or culture.

scdublin · 25-03-2015 04:34PM

Uainin - pronounced oo-neen. Think it means little rabbit or little lamb in Irish.
Eanair - pronounced an-are, which means January in Irish.

Not too common as I know only one person with each name and have never heard the names mentioned otherwise.

uch · 25-03-2015 05:38PM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

+1 .. generally picked by parents who have "notions" in my experience, but hidden behind the whole "culture/heritage" thing. Same way as sending them to Gaeltact schools became the "in" thing during the Good Times cause it makes them somehow "better"

You see the same attitude among some of the Irish language types.. "our heritage/culture", if you don't value it you're a "West Brit" and other such nonsense.

Briotanach thiar

juniord · 25-03-2015 05:47PM

redempta ,

Badly Drunk Boy · 25-03-2015 05:54PM

I've a cousin called Ólan, and went to school with lads called Ultan and Nessan. My 4 siblings have fairly common Irish names so I'm the only Jew in the family (I've an Old Testament name).

syklops · 25-03-2015 06:29PM

Julio.

He was from Gort.

Truckermal · 25-03-2015 06:40PM

My own name is Maoilseachlainn which is irish for Malachy. .

yorlum11 · 25-03-2015 07:11PM

Dardania wrote:

Ulick. it's either unusual, or just downright pervetedly funny

Ulich McGee!

Mallagio · 25-03-2015 07:33PM

Risteárd Cooper

bb1234567 · 25-03-2015 08:05PM

Caoilain and fionnbar would be right up there

Bench Press · 25-03-2015 08:18PM

Fiachra, what a weird name

Thespoofer · 25-03-2015 08:19PM

Enda

blackbird 49 · 25-03-2015 08:22PM

iamwhoiam wrote: »

It does my head in to see the lovely ancient name of Cian written with a K .There is no k in the language of its origin .

I have to agree with you on this, My son name is Cian, hate it spelt with a K ,

Babyblessed · 14-07-2015 08:05PM

Ah the joys of working in the UK and writing random Irish names in charts and watching people trying to pronounce them; great craic.

14-07-2015 08:41PM

Truckermal wrote: »

My own name is Maoilseachlainn which is irish for Malachy. .

I suspect Malachy is English for Maoilseachlainn/Máelseachnaill, just as Kevin is English for Caoimhín, and so forth.

14-07-2015 08:48PM

mariaalice wrote: »

Toirealach... its not that unusual I suppose its the Irish version of Terence

Likewise, Tárlach (Toirdhealbhach) is a very old name that has absolutely no connection with Terence other than Terence is, along with Turlough, the most common anglicisation given to people with that name. The Irish name was there first so Terence is the English for Tárlach.

Wang King · 14-07-2015 08:58PM

Was checking into the Clarion in Dublin and there was a Polish receptionist at the desk, telling the American tourists she was fluent in 4 languages and the mutts nuts.
My turn came and I stepped up and gave her my name complete with middle name, as Gaelige, 25 letters of aural torture for the poor woman

Stheno · 14-07-2015 09:01PM

Odran us one I came across recently and manchan

The most unusual Irish name you ever came across

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