View Message

I have Irish names on my list, though the only reason is not because they are Irish. There are other reasons, like there are with other names on my list (I don't like Svetlana simply because it is Russian or Henri because it is French), I also like the sound and the way it looks, for example.

---

I do dislike some aspects of the Irish naming trend. I don't mind parents choosing names like Patrick and Bridget or Aoife and Ciaran, whether it's to honour their heritage or just because they like it. It's when it's the whole "It's Irish!!! It's sooo kewt!!" naming strategy. It's when all the surnames (particulary on girls), faux-Irish and bastardisations come into force that it bothers me (as it would be with any other origin).

---

Instances like this (fictional ones but you get the gist):

---

'I love the name Makenzy for a girl! It's soo Irish and my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma was from Ireland!"

---

"Finley is soo cute on a girl and it's Irish like me, my great-great-great-great grandad was from Ireland."

---

"I'm going to call my daughters Maeghan and Mckayla because I like Irish names."

---

"Ryleigh is the Irish spelling."

---

"Aisling is Irish, it's said AYZ-ling."

---

"We're calling our son Brayden, it's very popular in Ireland."

---

"We like Kaidlyn, it means 'dainty princess' in Irish (or, even worse Celtic)."

---

And so on.

---

On to the names, I like:
Girls:
Aine
Aoife
Bedelia
Bridget
Brighid
Brigid
Caoimhe
Catriona
Ciara
Eabha
Eithne
Enya
Grainne
Honora
Maeve
Mairead
Meabh
Neasa
Niamh
Orfhlaith
Orla
Roisin
Saoirse

---

Boys:
Alby
Aonghas
Ardal
Bran
Cian
Cianan
Ciaran
Colum
Conall
Daire
Dara
Donal
Eamonn
Eoghan
Eoin
Fearghal
Fearghas
Fergal
Fergus
Finbar
Finlay
Finley
Finnian
Fintan
Fionn
Fionnbharr
Fionnlagh
Fionntan
Naoise
Ninian
Oisin
Oscar
Owen
Patrick
Rory
Ruaidhri
Ruairi
Seamus
Sean
Seoirse
Tiernan
Tierney