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Irish baby names getting more difficult to pronounce by the day

Difficult to pronounce Gaelic names showing up more and more

KERRY O’SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, May 25, 2012, 7:28 AM

Updated Friday, May 25, 2012, 11:01 AM

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Irish baby names

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How to confuse an American? Give him or her one of those popular new Irish names that run several vowels together; Caoimhe, Eoin, Aoife, and ask them to pronounce it.

Yes, it is very difficult and yes it is becoming more common it seems. (For the record they are pronounced Kweeva, Owen and Efah and no I don’t know how the other one is pronounced)

If you really want a tongue twister try Sycerika McMahon a young Irish woman who has just qualified for the London Olympics in swimming.

A name is the first and probably the most important gift that parents can ever bestow upon their newborns. For many Irish around the world, choosing a name for their child that reflects Irish connections is an important duty.

Today, however, there appears to be a new trend emerging within the baby-naming practice, especially by those who are searching for Irish names. There is no doubt a fair share of names - Patrick, Colleen, Liam, Erin, for instance - that are all both commonly known and commonly known to be Irish.
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A growing trend is to utilize a last name - Reilly, McKenna, Shea, Carey - as a first name to pay homage to a branch of the family. Readily known to be Irish and paying a respect to sects of a family, these names work double duty.

Similar to using a surname, perhaps parents will choose a family’s home or favorite location in Ireland. Kerry, Clare, Tara, Shannon, are all locales around Ireland that are both commonly used and known to be Irish names.

Then, there are names that are more difficult to pronounce upon first sight, but are known to be Irish. Deirdre, Ciara, Siobhan, Padraig, Seamus, can all be tongue-twisters for those not familiar with the pronunciations. Still, these names are known to be typically Irish.

And then there are those who choose to place the burden of “How do you pronounce that?” on their children forever by retaining the traditional Irish spelling . Eoin, Aoife, Ruairi, Caoimhe, Oisin, Niamh are all popular Irish names that provide an awkward array of vowels for most people unfamiliar with traditional Irish pronunciations, or at the very least, the names themselves.

What’s your opinion on Irish names? Should they stick to being easy to pronounce and recognizable, or get creative with traditional Irish spellings and pronunciations? What are your favorite Irish names?

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87 Comments

15 - 87 | See all comments

EamonnDublin | Mar 25, 2013, 10:16 AM EDT

What exactly is the author of this piece trying to say? Is he/she seriously attempting to make a point that everybody in the world should give their children names whose spellings are easily identifiable to English speaking, English reading third parties? Should all of the Nigerians, Vietnamese, Russians, Middele Easterns, etc., start calling their children "Tom", "Dick" or "Harry"? What a pathetic article and argument. Is the author simply following the "Irish Central" "Paddy Bashing" wagon? By the way, my own two Irish granddaughters are named Caoilinn and Aisling. These names were preferred over Tom and Dick. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

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irishcoffeekid | Oct 07, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT

its funny how half the dimwits regularly posting on here are so busy arguing with each other they dont focus on the article the discussion is supposed to be about - ye all look like pathetic morons with yer bickering - grow up!! as for the article, i love the less common irish names - i've got a cousin caoimhe and i just love it when friends here are trying to get their heads around how to pronounce it - they love learning and i love explaining :)

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WoundedKnee | Oct 07, 2012, 10:57 AM EDT

It's great that all the Lithuanian, Pakistani and Polish names now common in Ireland are so easy to pronounce.

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Bocktherobber | Oct 06, 2012, 07:26 PM EDT

All these O'Connells and O'Briens calling their kids supposedly Irish names are still happy to keep that ridiculous apostrophe in their surnames.

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1MADCELT | Oct 06, 2012, 01:57 PM EDT

HEY NOW! I was named Eamon by my Irish Immigrant Father back in the 60's, when I was growing up back in Brooklyn everyone from the teacher to the baker screwed up the pronunciation of my name. it got so bad that I Hated my name, but that was when I was young. Now I wouldn't trade it for the world. who cares if the name is hard to pronounce, DEAL WITH IT! you claim to be Sentient Beings, so use that big brain and LEARN!!!!!!

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S.Connolly | Jun 10, 2012, 05:47 PM EDT

I so happy that the names of old and their spelling are making a resurgance! Keep our culture out there and what better way than thru a name! Here in Delray Beach, FL a pub had Gaelic lessons every week. It's great and fun and you feel so much more connected to our Holy Land..Ireland!

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jacersagain | Jun 03, 2012, 05:54 PM EDT

@SheilaSB May 26, yeah, a lot of Irish place names spoken in English today retain the main thrust of their old Irish version – Meath (Mí), Donegal (Dún na nGall), Kerry (Ciarraí), Clare (Clár), Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh), Louth (Lú). But why anyone would want to name their daughter after a County, as the parent of the writer of the article above did, beats me. I think you are somewhat right though about Baptism and Saints’ name – I was told that, secretly, every boy and girl have their last Baptismal name given by the priest as Mary. A school friend of mine had Mary as his official middle name but hated it and always gave his full name in Irish, using Mhuire for Mary. As far as I know, there is no specific requisite that a child being baptised should have a saint’s name, or that of the saint of the birth or baptismal day, though the Church prefers saints’ names as an honour to holy people of the past.

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jacersagain | Jun 03, 2012, 05:50 PM EDT

Thanks to ColmODulacain for that informative post on May 27. I never knew Enniskillen was associated with the name of the Irish goddess Ceithleann.

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WoundedKnee | Jun 02, 2012, 03:02 PM EDT

That's a good point, ancavker. The Irish will go on ad nauseam about far-off countries, such as Tibet or Myanmar. Bono is a case in point. But if an American tries to talk about Ireland, North or South...?

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ancavker | May 30, 2012, 12:24 PM EDT

Actually Ciara you might be surprised to find out how much the English, and the English of Irish descent like hanging out with Americans. We are more laid back than more than a few of the Irish in Ireland, who are always going on about something with America and Americans, I remember it even back in the 80's with Ronald Raayyy Gun!!!, and how sophisticatedly funny, so many Irish thought that was. The Irish were such experts on whatever was going on in the world, and we had to sit and listen to it. Of course the north was off limits, how could Irish-Americans know anything about that when they don't live there. And yet ironically the Irish were fully versed in whatever was going on in El Salvador, Nicaragua or anywhere else in the world. Most Americans including Irish-Americans and the Irish from Britain go to Ireland to visit family and friends and have a good time. I will be there in July for a wedding, and I am sure I will have a good time as always.

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ancavker | May 30, 2012, 12:12 PM EDT

You people need to lighten up. We know that these names have been native to Ireland for hundreds or more years, I think what the writer was saying is that they are becoming more popular again in recent years, and therefore not as familiar to many people.

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bobby | May 29, 2012, 02:32 PM EDT

You can only stay in ireland if you have an irish passport, i would never want to live in the states and i would never want an american passport. No thanks. 2 weeks is enough for me.

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bobby | May 29, 2012, 02:13 PM EDT

89 your a paranoid knobhead. You a proper sado in mummys bedroom. If you do go to Dublin say how you feel about them and the irish, see what will happen to your sad ass. Trailer trash. Have a look at edith the egg lady on youtube, thats what we think of you.

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89west | May 29, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT

ciaradipsy....they won't let me post to your other log-in name (Wobby) those toothless wood chucks came over here from all parts of the UK and their bloodline, as you said, appears to be inbred. The funny part is many of those jackeens in your home place are the spitting image of them. For you, Moore Street would be 5th Ave., what would you know, as you never been to any other place than Ballymun; ignorance is bliss. Note well, I can go to and fro from the old country and stay as long as I want because your laws say so, however, the same can't be said for you, should you overstay your visa, they would throw you in jail. In case no one told you Dublin is not Ireland!

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bobby | May 29, 2012, 05:09 AM EDT

Why would you want to go to a country that you dislike so much 89? Its a bit odd. You dont have to go to moore street to see a toothless woman, you have plenty of them in the states, i passed through Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas some scary looking inbred people. Moore street is like 5th Avenue compared. Reading some of your comments i wouldn't say you would be welcome in Dublin, i would keep your trap shut with your irish views, if you want to stay in one piece.

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