Baby names!

filmifan · 12-05-2013 5:34pm

I know this has been posted about earlier, but I need to clarify it a bit further.

I've had three different opinions on how to punctuate the name Caitlin - and they pronounce her name as 'Kate-lynn,' even though they are Irish and are living here in Ireland.

One person told me there is a fada over the a. Another person told me there is a fada over the a as well as over the second i, and another person told me that to pronounce it as 'Kate-lynn,' even here in Ireland, the most popular and the more modern way to spell it and punctuate it these days is to leave out the fadas completely.

Help! I'm to design a special personalised gift for my friend's baby (they know it's going to be a girl, and they've already decided on the name Caitlin, to be pronounced as 'Kate-Lynn'), and so I need to know the spelling, but I can't ask the parents, as it's meant to be a surprise.

Would it be 'safe' to just go ahead and not use any fadas at all, to simplify things? Thanks in advance.

beertons · 12-05-2013 5:49pm

Don't use them. Be easier to add them in if they want it changed, rather than trying to erase them.

Moonbeam · 12-05-2013 5:49pm

I would guess they will spell it Caitlin but not 100% sure. You might have to ask them.

filmifan · 12-05-2013 6:02pm

Thanks, Beertons and Moonbeam. I wish I could ask them, but again, as it's a surprise gift (it's a wall hanging/personalised plaque with the name painted onto the plaque), I can't ask them directly.

Also, it's probably the safest way to go to not have any fadas on it, as you've said Beertons. Even though it'd be already painted, it'd be easier to add on the fadas than to erase them.

Such a dilemma! Any other opinions on this? I think I'm going to go with no fadas, and just hope and cross the fingers that they'll like the gift.

filmifan · 12-05-2013 6:09pm

It's kind of like the new/modern way of punctuating Irish names like Sean and Siobhan and even Sinead. I've seen these names - here in Ireland - more WITHOUT the fadas than with them.

Has anyone else come across that? I know that the actor Sean Bean as well as Sean Connery both spell/punctuate their names without the fada...although I realise that they're from England and Scotland, respectively, rather than Ireland. Still, we know that it's Sean, regardless of the fact that there's no fada.

And I know too that, as many ways as there are in America to spell Caitlin, they all pronounce it as Kate-Lynn, regardless of spelling, and I don't think I've ever seen it punctuated (by American/Irish-American parents, I mean) with fadas.

Again...help!

XxMCRxBabyxX · 13-05-2013 12:00am

If it's being pronounced as Kate-Lynn I'd spell it Caitlin. It would be different with fadas. I'd pronounce it as Cat-Leen if there was a fada on the i and extend the a if there was also a fada on the a.

filmifan · 13-05-2013 10:23am

Thanks, xxMCRxBabyxxX.

I've come to a decision (finally!) - I'm going to make life easier for myself and paint the name Caitlin without any fadas.

As there are so many different opinions on it, and also different regional dialects and punctuation to accompany those dialects, I think it'd be best to just keep it simple.

If worse came to worst, and the parents don't like it when they get the plaque, Beertons, I can go with Beertons' suggestion and (relatively) easily add the fadas on. I'm sure the baby won't mind.

Go raibh maith agat for all your help and suggestions. As for me, I'm going to sign off now and get stuck in to painting this gift.

Fri.Day · 13-05-2013 8:08pm

Im really stuck for a boy name so gonna find out the sex to help deciding...
What do ye think about
Pearse
Harrison
Dominic (my fav so far)
Emerson

Thanks

filmifan · 13-05-2013 8:16pm

I like Pearse the best out of those four, but I'd be spelling it the Irish way, as Pierce (think Pierce Brosnan).
But they're all good.

MurdyWurdy · 13-05-2013 8:24pm

Fri.Day wrote: »

Im really stuck for a boy name so gonna find out the sex to help deciding...
What do ye think about
Pearse
Harrison
Dominic (my fav so far)
Emerson

Thanks

I think Emerson is awful but if you like it, that's all that matters! Everyone likes different names so you'll get some people who love Emerson.It's up to you

I know not everyone will like the name I've picked but that's ok with me!

I like Dominic the best on your list as well, btw

dublinlady · 13-05-2013 8:55pm

[
Not an Emerson fan here either
I like Harrison tho - and Pearce - but would spell it pierce too!

I don't ask opinion on names purely cos no one likes everything and sometimes the child needs to make the name work - as in what sounds unusual at first becomes normal and lovely as you associate it with the child! So whatever u pick your child will rock it!! That's my motto anyway!!

MurdyWurdy · 13-05-2013 9:10pm

dublinlady wrote: »

I don't ask opinion on names purely cos no one likes everything and sometimes the child needs to make the name work - as in what sounds unusual at first becomes normal and lovely as you associate it with the child! So whatever u pick your child will rock it!! That's my motto anyway!!

I agree - I stopped telling people the names we liked because we got a lot of negative comments. I know people who have had babies recently and I don't like the names they have picked at all but as you say, no one likes everything and the baby grows into the name and rocks it and we all get used to it! Plus the parents really like the name and that's the main thing really.

scrgirl · 13-05-2013 9:51pm

I like Pearse and Dominic, he might be known as Dom, would you like that?
My Lo (5mts) is Miles and a friend of mine only calls him Miley! I find it amusing now, but it might grate eventually!

implausible · 13-05-2013 10:54pm

Fri.Day wrote: »

Im really stuck for a boy name so gonna find out the sex to help deciding...
What do ye think about
Pearse
Harrison
Dominic (my fav so far)
Emerson

Thanks

I like Harrison, but it would depend on your surname too. Be aware that people may shorten them to Harry, Dom etc

filmifan wrote: »

I like Pearse the best out of those four, but I'd be spelling it the Irish way, as Pierce (think Pierce Brosnan)

Pierce isn't an Irish way of spelling it, nor does it look Irish as the name is English. If anything, I would consider Pearse more Irish after Pádraig Pearse. You could go with Piaras either, if you really wanted an Irish surname. It's a great name, very strong.

wolfpawnat · 13-05-2013 11:01pm

I gave my son Pearse as a middle name specifically because of Patrick Pearse. I didn't like Patrick and wanted to make sure he had the name. I love Pearse more than Pierce.

filmifan · 13-05-2013 11:04pm

Sorry, Implausible....my mistake. I just looked it up, and Pierce is actually Greek in origin, meaning 'stone.' You're right about Pearse being more Irish - as in Padraig Pearse. I guess I was just connecting that specific spelling of the name to Pierce Brosnan and Pierce Turner, both born in Ireland. Am I forgiven?

Jane98 · 14-05-2013 8:39pm

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

?Cee?view · 14-05-2013 8:51pm

Jane98 wrote: »

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

Obviously just a personal opinion but I don't like Lauren. It's a bit 1990s American soap or something. I really like Matthew but I'd go for that spelling rather than your variation.

SusieBlue · 14-05-2013 8:53pm

Jane98 wrote: »

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

All are nice but they seem very dated..I know plenty of people with all of these names and I'm in my twenties. When I hear Hannah I think of someone my own age, not a baby! Just my opinion though, you should choose what you love

wolfpawnat · 14-05-2013 9:11pm

Jane98 wrote: »

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

I have Robert chosen for if this baby is a boy. but Matthew was a VERY close second

Jane98 · 14-05-2013 9:13pm

WhiteRoses wrote: »

All are nice but they seem very dated..I know plenty of people with all of these names and I'm in my twenties. When I hear Hannah I think of someone my own age, not a baby! Just my opinion though, you should choose what you love

Thanks for your honesty.

inlikeflynn86 · 14-05-2013 9:41pm

Jane98 wrote: »

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

I love Jessica and Hannah.... Wait i love Hannah, to me its a girly name....

All the old names are coming back.... Recently heard a new born being called Elsie.... Not my cup of tea but i love Maisey

MurdyWurdy · 14-05-2013 10:44pm

I love Matthew but my husband vetoed it immediately. Nothing I could say would talk him around

LordSutch · 14-05-2013 10:51pm

Jane98 wrote: »

My top baby names are:

For a girl:
Jessica - fav
Lauren
Hannah

For a boy:
Robert
Mathew
Gavin

Any thoughts?

Nice names all, we love Jessica too (Shakespearean in origin), and the boys names are all good strong names.

Maybe add Daniel and Oliver to the boys list?

.

S28382 · 15-05-2013 11:14pm

Anyone fancy Alex for a girl. We found out last week we were having a girl and we cant seem to settle on any names but i really like Alex where as the Girlfriend isnt so sure. We had (or should i say the GF had:D) picked Logan if we were having a boy and i wasnt so sure of using Logan.......so many names and its still so hard to pick a name.

wolfpawnat · 15-05-2013 11:20pm

S28382 wrote: »

Anyone fancy Alex for a girl. We found out last week we were having a girl and we cant seem to settle on any names but i really like Alex where as the Girlfriend isnt so sure. We had (or should i say the GF had:D) picked Logan if we were having a boy and i wasnt so sure of using Logan.......so many names and its still so hard to pick a name.

If we were allowed name ourselves, I would choose Alex. I love it. My partner would never even consider it

SusieBlue · 15-05-2013 11:25pm

Alex is lovely, I love it. If it were me I'd probably use Alexandra/Alexa or something on the birth cert because just Alex is a bit unisex, you wouldn't know whether Alex Murphy (example) is a boy or girl on paper. Its really nice though, I prefer Alex on a girl to a boy

S28382 · 15-05-2013 11:34pm

WhiteRoses wrote: »

Alex is lovely, I love it. If it were me I'd probably use Alexandra/Alexa or something on the birth cert because just Alex is a bit unisex, you wouldn't know whether Alex Murphy (example) is a boy or girl on paper. Its really nice though, I prefer Alex on a girl to a boy

Yeah i really like Alexandra and then just shorten to Alex ..........hopefully ill get my way, it feels right to call the baby Alex and i think if it feels right then its good to go with it.

Polly701 · 22-05-2013 8:09pm

What do you think of the name Elliot for a boy?

SusieBlue · 22-05-2013 9:10pm

Polly701 wrote: »

What do you think of the name Elliot for a boy?

I love it, I think its fab

implausible · 22-05-2013 9:48pm

Polly701 wrote: »

What do you think of the name Elliot for a boy?

Love it! A friend named her baby Elliot. I think it's very strong - I think of Elliot Ness and the guy from Law & Order.

Going Demented · 25-05-2013 12:23am

We have no boys names. We have loads of girls names but at the moment Nina is at the top. No doubt it will all change....several times

EricBlaine · 13-06-2013 4:43pm

Hello all.

My girlfriend and I are expecting our first child in September.

I really want to give my son an Irish name (something I think my late mother would have liked) and have chose Caolan (without the accent) as my favourite.

Neither I nor my girlfriend speak Gaelic or "Irish English" (I'm half Trindadian, quarter English and quarter Irish. She is half German and half Iranian), but I read somehwere that caolán also means "small intestine".

However, I also know there are plenty of boys/men with this name.

Does the name have any (widely held) negative connotations?

Roselm · 13-06-2013 6:33pm

I think Caolán really means slender and I presume that's the origin of the small intestine meaning:

http://www.behindthename.com/name/caola10n
Contribute Add to List
CAOLÁN
GENDER: Masculine
USAGE: Irish
Meaning & History
From Gaelic caol "slender" combined with the diminutive suffix án.

I doubt it's widely known that caolán can mean small intestine-I had never heard of it or any other negative associations!

traineeacc · 13-06-2013 6:37pm

As fluent irish speaker I never heard that! Its a beautiful name and was on my list for our son

EricBlaine · 13-06-2013 8:35pm

Thanks Roselm and traineeacc for your comments...I'm reassured.

We've been caling the bump Caolan for the last three months so I couldn't have imagined changing it.

Pat McGhee · 13-06-2013 9:15pm

My hubbie and I are thinking of Isabelle/Isabella for our little nugget, we both love the name and Izzy as a nickname. However, I'm afraid my mother's nose will be out of joint if we go with it as I'm adopted and Isobel is my bio mammy's name. My mum has a funny way of looking at things at the best of times, I could see her taking it as a dig at her so I dunno what to do. We can't agree on another name...

Lisha · 13-06-2013 9:18pm

What if you went with Isabella and invent a favorite aunt/babysitter that your husband insists on naming child after ?
Could you use your mother name as a second name maybe ?

January · 13-06-2013 9:54pm

EricBlaine wrote: »

Thanks Roselm and traineeacc for your comments...I'm reassured.

We've been caling the bump Caolan for the last three months so I couldn't have imagined changing it.

I'd really recommend using the fada on the án... It's what makes the "on" sound in "Qwa-lon"

SusieBlue · 13-06-2013 9:59pm

Is it sad that my partner and I have our future kiddos names picked out already?

We already have a Maisy, future babies would be Amelie or Alice for a girl, and Noah, William or Philip for a boy

Digs · 13-06-2013 10:14pm

WhiteRoses wrote: »

Is it sad that my partner and I have our future kiddos names picked out already?

We already have a Maisy, future babies would be Amelie or Alice for a girl, and Noah, William or Philip for a boy

Haha no! I have a 7 week old daughter and already have the next two named. A boy and a girl in that order by the way

Moonbeam · 14-06-2013 12:06am

EricBlaine wrote: »

Thanks Roselm and traineeacc for your comments...I'm reassured.

We've been caling the bump Caolan for the last three months so I couldn't have imagined changing it.

How do you pronounce it with no fada?

I am still not mad about the name but my youngest is called Caolán:)

Pat McGhee · 14-06-2013 5:57am

Lisha wrote: »

What if you went with Isabella and invent a favorite aunt/babysitter that your husband insists on naming child after ?
Could you use your mother name as a second name maybe ?

Yeah we might do that, we were thinking of saying he got to choose the girl's name as I would have named the baby after my late father if it was a boy.

I wouldn't go with middle names as then we'd have to add his mum's too and that's far too long! Besides, we have something a little more fun in mind... :-)

Das Kitty · 14-06-2013 9:35am

Moonbeam wrote: »

How do you pronounce it with no fada?

I am still not mad about the name but my youngest is called Caolán:)

Kwee-linn

Which is closer to the girl's name Caoilfhionn.

I have a secret name for my bump. I haven't told my OH that I have, but he suspects now. And he suspects it's a terrible name because I haven't told him.

He got to name our son so I'm sneakily thinking it's my turn. Should I wait until he's being born and I'm un-refusably vulnerable to tell him what his new boy's name is? Or should I tell him sooner and let him get used to the idea? Decisions, decisions!

Moonbeam · 14-06-2013 10:19am

Thanks,
I was trying to sound it out as an english word and that is not what I came up with:)
Caoilfhionn and Caolán were the names my husband picked for #2. I love the name but it is a bit long:)

January · 14-06-2013 10:20am

Das Kitty wrote: »

Kwee-linn

Which is closer to the girl's name Caoilfhionn.

I have a secret name for my bump. I haven't told my OH that I have, but he suspects now. And he suspects it's a terrible name because I haven't told him.

He got to name our son so I'm sneakily thinking it's my turn. Should I wait until he's being born and I'm un-refusably vulnerable to tell him what his new boy's name is? Or should I tell him sooner and let him get used to the idea? Decisions, decisions!

You could PM me and tell me the name and I can go from there with advice

Das Kitty · 14-06-2013 10:51am

January wrote: »

You could PM me and tell me the name and I can go from there with advice

I'm keeping it between me and the foetus just now. :P

wolfpawnat · 14-06-2013 11:59am

Moonbeam wrote: »

I am still not mad about the name but my youngest is called Caolán:)

I'm not mad about the name my partner chose for no2 if it is a boy, and he keeps telling me I can change it, but he loves it and I said he could have the names so I'm just going to stick with it, it's not a bad name and completely normal.

January · 14-06-2013 5:44pm

I like it and I think it goes with little mans name too

that's if it's still the same name you told me!

wolfpawnat · 14-06-2013 10:12pm

January wrote: »

I like it and I think it goes with little mans name too that's if it's still the same name you told me!

Yeah it is, it's a nice name, simple and easy, but still. I may also add I have no idea what I would name a boy given a chance, since I couldn't come up for a name for the gerbils I really don't think something as big as a child's name

Baby names!

Comments