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I love Naoise - it's been on my name list for forever. It's an old Irish name and is also the name of a figure in Irish mythology - a warrior who ran off with and married Deirdre, an act which eventually led to both of their deaths. I enjoy the sound and look of it, though I probably wouldn't personally use it due to pronunciation issues.

It does sound feminine to me and I know girls who shorten their names to Netia and Nisha. It also looks ugly to my eye

If I heard it and didn't see it (and the people weren't apparently Irish), I would probably at first think the boy's name was actually Nietzsche.

Sounds like a stifled sneeze. Are sneezes unisex? The legend leaves no room for fem Naoises, and it's hard to imagine any parent deciding on a name like Naoise without knowing its origin and therefore gender. But, hey, if Ms James Someone, then why not Ms Naoise Someone?

Makes me think of Saoirse.

I would probably have thought it was Misha on hearing it, but I do like Misha, and Naoise is nice as well.

I think it's cool...doesn't sound particularly feminine to me, because it reminds me of Misha / Mischa,

Interesting and cool!
I know it's not pronounced that way, but to me it looks like "noise".

I like Naoise. Anyone who knows its history won’t think of it as a girl’s name, and the sound is pretty neutral at least when compared to other Irish names.

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It’s a beautiful name but wouldn’t really work outside of Ireland / Scotland simply because people will struggle with the pronunciation.

Hi Glitzy !!!

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The story of Naoise is quite confusing..
I checked it...

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Naoise was the grandson of a King.
This King decided to marry a beautiful girl named Deirdre of years and years younger than he.
But she felt in love with Naoise and together they ran away. The King found them and killed Naoise, wed Deirdre and then as she used to hate him decided to leave her with his warrior. She died of grief or committed suicide.

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What a tragedy!
Naoise is the symbol of true love?

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Is this story well-known and important in Ireland (like Romeo and Juliet) or it is rare that someone knows it?

according to this site, it IS masculine, believe it or not! lol I prefer Laoise, though.