Fianaid
I cam across Fianaid in the Welsh baby names for a girl. Any ideas on it's orgin, meaning and pronunciation? It seems like it might be a welsh surname.
Replies
It means “little deer” in Irish/Gaelic. It is sometimes confused with Fianna which is associated with the Irish warrior clan “Fionn and the Fianna” who strives to run, hunt and jump etc. like deer. It is pronounced fee-ah-nah, but I personally pronounce it Fay-nah which is basically the same pronunciation sped up with a less southern Irish lilt.
Although Googling the name Fianaid brings up several 'druid' references 'fianaid' looks more Gaelic than Welsh. It seems to be an adjective used to describe the Irish folk tales of the Fianna, a band of warrior heroes of Irish legend.