From Saoirse to Aisling and Cillian to Liam, Irish names surge in popularity

Irish Daily Mirror

16 hours ago

Irish names are having a surge of popularity, with the likes of Caoimhe, Fiadh, Tadhg and Rian in the Top 20 every year. And some of our biggest celebrities have Irish names, such as Cillian Murphy and Saoirse Ronan.
But often, Gaelic names and spellings are hard for those from elsewhere to get their tongue around. Now a new book gives the stories behind these names - and explains how to say them.
Irish Baby Names: What They Mean And How To Pronounce Them, explains the provenance and pronunciation of girls names like Beibhinn, Blaithin and Croia; and ones for boys such as Turlach, Conall and Senan.
Authors Feilim O'Connor, Morgan Buckley and Gavin Drea's compilation of more than 200 names is like a compendium for new parents, looking for something special.
Chapters include Misprounounced Names and those from mythology and geography; as well as names from wilder times in Ireland and those that have been somewhat lost in time.
Wild names include Cliodhna, which means Queen of the Banshees: "a dark, female ghost of the night in Ireland" while those from mythology include Brigid, after the goddess and member of the Tuatha De Danann. Eimear was the wife of Cu Chulainn, while Sadhbh, an ancient figure who was twice turned into a deer by a wicked druid for refusing his advances.
She chose Fionn Mac Cumhaill instead, and her son Oisin's name means "little deer". Fiachra is the Irish word for raven, and one of the four children of Lir.
Geographically-themed names include Gobnait, a saint who protected her abbey from a group of raiders when she unleashed bees on them. Her church can still be found on the island of Inis Oirr.
Turlach refers to a lake that dries up in summer, while Iarlaith (Jarlath in English) comes from the old word "flaith" which means leader or lord. It's named after the priest who founded the monastic school of Tuam. Popular Irish names now include Alannah, which comes from the Irish word for child; Croia, which means heart; and Aisling - such as Aisling Bea - which means vision.
Those of us who did Irish in school will never need a guide to pronunciation. But for those who do, the book makes it easy, with the likes of Tadhg explained as: "like Tiger, with out the R" and Caoimhin provided phonetically as "Kwee-veen".
The book looks at popular Irish names today, the top names over the years and stories behind surnames.
The book reads: "Irish names - they're older than the Pyramids, and they'll probably be mispronounced for another 5,000 years.
"We're bringing you back before Christianity came to these shores, to rediscover Irish names from an ancient Ireland of mystery, magic and mythos.
"It's the greatest gift you can give a child, whatever the future holds."
The authors explain: "There are quite a few girls' names in Irish that translate to beauty and a lot of boys' names linked to bravery.
"Digging a little deeper, you'll find references to the landscape, wild animals and ancient Irish sovereignty.
"Throughout the annals, there are countless heroes who have kept these names alive."
Lots of Irish celebrities have Irish names. Here are some, and their meanings:
Aisling (Ash-ling)
Means dream or vision.
Cillian (Killy-in)
Comes from the Irish word cillin, meaning little church.
Saoirse (Seer-shuh)
This has a lovely meaning behind it, standing for both liberty and craftsmanship.
Liam (Lee-am)
Liams are protectors. A shortened version of the old Germanic name Willhelm, which means helmet of will.
From the Irish word seal (ron), Ronan translates into little seal or seal person. According to Irish legend, selkies transform into humans when they swim too close to the shore. Once human, they sometimes marry and have children, who are known as Ronans.
Roisin (Roe-Sheen)
This beautiful name means "little rose". In Irish mythology, the Roisin Dubh was the symbol on the robes of the Druids of Ireland, an ancient and high-ranking class who were considered godlike because of their knowledge of nature.
Aidan (Ay-din) or Aodhan (Ay-dawn)
Means little fire, coming from the old Irish word for fire, aodh. Aodhan Mac Gabhrain was a first-Century Celtic king.
Sinead (Shin-ade)
Means: "god is gracious".
Colleen
Part of the reason this is more popular outside Ireland than in Ireland itself is that this spelling is an Anglicisation of the word for girl - cailin. Popular with second and third generation Irish emigrants.
Donnacha - or Donncha (Done-ah-kah).
Means: "brown-haired warrior" and was the name of a famous High King.
Irish Baby Names: What they mean and how to pronounce them by Feilim O'Connor, Morgan Buckley and Gavin Drea is published by Gill and is out now, priced €16.99.
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