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Guide to Irish name pronunciation

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I think Saoirse is a beautiful name... any Saoirses in the house? :sexface:
Reply 21
Avatar for Teofilo
Teofilo
13
Original post by StarsAreFixed
Béibhinn (F) bay-vin. English version is Eleanor


Without wanting to sound like a pedant (pee-dant...), is Beibhinn not usually without the fada? My sister is called Beibhinn (without a fada) and it's pronounced Be-vin.

Not sure if it is more common with or without a fada.

And for selfish reasons, can I add:

Peadar - Pad-ar. :cool:
Reply 22
Avatar for tpxvs
tpxvs
15
Original post by ms607
had a little game with myself by saying what I thought it was pronounced as before reading the phonetic version - got most of them right but I was completely off on some :colonhash:


I also did this! lol.
Reply 23
Avatar for tpxvs
tpxvs
15
Original post by StarsAreFixed

Finn (M) fin


thanks for this little gem, really helped me out :tongue:


haha, good post though :smile:
Reply 24
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Dusty12
13
Original post by tpxvs
thanks for this little gem, really helped me out :tongue:

ahaha! :tongue:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by lk2011
Never seen Ciara with a fada in my life- ia makes the ee sound already e.g. in the Irish word siar (back), pronounced "sheer". Adding a fada to Ciara would be a mistake if standard Irish rules of spelling were followed.


In the town my family is from everyone spells it Cíara. Not trying to start a huge debate and at least they got the pronunciation right. The Irish language tends to change depending on the region you go to and has never been standardised until recently, so maybe in the dialect in my region its Cíara and in other regions its Ciara.
Reply 26
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Arekkusu
16
If ever there was an advertisement for the IPA this is it.... your pronunciation "translations" could literally mean anything

I think Irish names are pretty.

I would have said Caitlin = Kathleen, the "English Caitlin" you've put is obviously just stealing the Irish name and giving it a spelling pronunciation.
(edited 11 years ago)
Really useful work OP. Irish names are really beautiful.
Original post by Nightstar-27
I believe you to be wrong. My name is Cíara and I'm Irish. Grammatically í in Irish sounds like ee in English.


oh yes I with a fada (on my phone now..) makes an ee sound, what I mean is ia does by itself..eg. Ag iarraidh, an tiarthar, no fada. I know loads of ciaras, no fadas. This is a personal preference I think, just technically no fada needed.
Reply 29
Avatar for IlexBlue
IlexBlue
2
Caoilfhionn (F) Keel-in. Anglicised as...Keelin.

God damn it, Ireland. :colonhash:

You have to feel a little sorry for any teachers with these names in the register... the pronunciation is so far off anything you could possibly guess. I do love Irish names though, they're so unique and pretty. I knew a Sorcha; I was confused for ages as to why people called her "Sor-ih-kah" when her file said "Sorcha", even though she had a thick Irish accent. I was a clever one. :colondollar: Same with a Niamh I met online years ago, I was sounding it aloud and came to the conclusion her name was "Neeamhuh." :facepalm:
Original post by Teofilo
Without wanting to sound like a pedant (pee-dant...), is Beibhinn not usually without the fada? My sister is called Beibhinn (without a fada) and it's pronounced Be-vin.

Not sure if it is more common with or without a fada.

And for selfish reasons, can I add:

Peadar - Pad-ar. :cool:


Hmm forgot about that one. Depends on pronunciation...where I come from it's always bay-vin not beh-vin so the é makes sense. Might it be a Northern thing..? Maybe stemming from Donegal Irish.
Original post by The Doggfather
How do you pronounce Inniucodh?‎



What is that? Inniu is familiar as it means today. Inn-nyoo (more pronounced than new basically) coe.
Reply 32
Avatar for dizzy09
dizzy09
My ex's surname was of Irish descent. Every bloody member of the family pronounced it differently... :s-smilie:
Original post by tpxvs
thanks for this little gem, really helped me out :tongue:


haha, good post though :smile:


Haha yes, thought I should stick something in, at least to distinguish it from the much harder Fionn...
Reply 34
Avatar for Fusion
Fusion
20
Isn't Sean Jack in Irish...?
Original post by StarsAreFixed
This seems to be a big problem judging by the other thread here. So here are the various spelling incarnations if there are a few, gender, phonetic pronunciation, the name in English if applicable and meaning if known. Most of these are too old to have English equivalents. Yes, I have too much time on my hands.

Caoimhe (F) Kwee-vah. (Kee-vah in UK..??) Anglicised as Keeva
Siobhán (F) Shuv-awn .Have seen this as Chivonne! English version is Joan
Niamh (F) Neev. Have seen it as Neev and Neeve anglicised
Aoife (F) Ee-fah
Gráinne (F) Grawn-yah
Caoilfhionn (F) Keel-in. Anglicised as...Keelin
Sinéad (F) Shin-ade. English version is Jean
Mairéad (F) Murr-ade. English version is Margaret
Ciara (F) Keer-ah. Anglicised as Keira.
Bronagh/Bróna (F) Bro-nah. Sorrowful one
Síun (F) Shoon
Saoirse (F) Seer-sha. Freedom
Sorcha (F) Soar-uh-kah
Sadbh/Sadhbh/Saive (F) Rhymes with I've
Radha (F) rye-ah
Máire (F) moy-rah. English version is Mary
Caitríona (F) Cah-treen-ah. English version is Catherine. Pure
Cáit (F) Cawt-chh. English version is Kate. Pure
Cáitlín (F) Cawt-chh-leen. English version is Caitlin. Pure
Maeve (F) Rhymes with wave.
Róisín (F) Roe-sheen. English version is Rosaleen. Little rose
Aoibheann (F) ee-veen.
Aoibhe (F) ee-vah.
Aisling (F) ash-ling. Anglicised as Ashling. Prophetic dream
Muireann (F) Mwir-in. Of the sea
Béibhinn (F) bay-vin. English version is Eleanor
Ailbhe (F) al-vah Anglicised as Alva
Deirdre (F) Deer-drah
Cara/Caragh (F) car-ah. Friend
Áine (F) awn-yah. English version is Anne
Síle (F) sheel-ah. Sheila/Shelagh
Iseult (F) ee-zult. Isolde
Blathnaid (F) bloh-nid (does not rhyme with blow, it's almost an 'aw' sound) Flower
Ailish (F) a (long a sound)-lish.
Eilis/Eilish (F) eye-lish
Eithne (F) eth-nah
Alanna/Alannah (F) alann-ah Dear one, darling
Síofra (F) shee-uf-rah
Réaltín (F) ray-ul-teen. Little star
Nóinín (F) no-neen. Daisy
Emer/Eimear (F) ee-murr
Chlodagh (F) cloe-dah
Orlaith/Orlagh/Orla (F) ore-lah
Naoise (M or F) nee-shah
Tegan (M or F) tee-gun


Séan (M) shawn. Anglicised as Shaun and Shawn. English version is John
Séamus (M) shay-muss. English version is James
Ciarán (M) keer-awn. Anglicised as Kieran
Dónal (M) doe-null
Finn (M) fin
Fionn (M) Fyunn
Caoimhín (M) kwee-veen
Cian (M) kee-un
Eoin/Eoghan (M) ow-en. Anglicised as Owen
Daragh/Daire (M) dar-ah
Oisín (M) ush-een
Niall (M) nile. English version is Neil
Cathal (M) caw-hull
Diarmuid (M) deer-mid
Tadgh (M) tye-ug, one syllable
Fergal/Ferghal (M) furr-gull
Cillian (M) kill-ee-un
Rian (M) ree-un
Odhrán (M) owe-rawn
Ruadhán (M) roo-awn
Padraic (M) poy-ric
Padraig (M) paw-drig


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Irish-language_given_names
Reply 36
Avatar for tpxvs
tpxvs
15
Original post by StarsAreFixed
Haha yes, thought I should stick something in, at least to distinguish it from the much harder Fionn...


haha :smile: i've met a couple Fionns before and they pronounce it fee-on, though i think its welsh rather than irish! iv also met a Radha, who pronounces it like 'rather' but emphasis on the 'thh'.

Also, how do you pronounce fada?
Original post by Fusion
Isn't Sean Jack in Irish...?


Jack is a derivative of John, so yes.
Original post by marcusfox



I didn't take it from there, I took it from memory. That link is more exhaustive of course but shows no pronunciation that I can see and uses a lot of names that are unheard of.
Original post by StarsAreFixed
I didn't take it from there, I took it from memory. That link is more exhaustive of course but shows no pronunciation that I can see and uses a lot of names that are unheard of.


Yes, I know. This is additional to your contribution.

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