By
eHow Relationships & Family Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Baby Names
- Genealogy Books
- Internet Access
- Computers
- Genealogy Software
Step1
Go for a name that symbolizes strength. Try Aron, Quinlan or Melvin for a boy, or Renny for a small but strong boy. Bernadette, Bridget or Treasa are good choices for girls. Kacey means brave and can be used for either a girl or a boy.
Step2
Select a name that means grace or graceful. These include Grace, Hannah and Sinead (pronounced Shinade) for girls, and Sean (pronounced Shawn) for boys.
Step3
Opt for a name that symbolizes intelligence and knowledge, such as Dara or Ida for a girl, or Conn, Conan or Quinn for a boy.
Step4
Decide on a noble name, such as Nolan or Ailin, for a boy. The American version of Ailin is Alan. Try Ailis (pronounced Aylish) for a girl, or the American version, Adelaide.
Step5
Choose a name that means "gift from God," such as Eoin (pronounced Owen) for a boy, or Shauna or Siobhan (pronounced Shivon) for a girl.
Step6
Give your child a name synonymous with wisdom: Earnan (pronounced Air-nawn - Ernest in America) for a boy, or Bec or Becca for a girl.
Step7
Try a spiritual name, such as Fainne (pronounced Faw-in-nye), which means halo, for a girl. Also consider Aingeal (pronounced Ang-ell), which means angel, and Ado, which means blessed. For a boy, choose Nevan or Nevin, which mean saint or holy one.
Step8
Select a name that means beautiful, such as Caronwyn or Eavan for a girl, or Kevin or Keeley for a boy.
Comments
boltonsgirl said
on 7/8/2007 I love the name Caronwyn, even though it isn't Irish! And I love the name Erin too.
Anonymous said
on 7/7/2006 I don't think anybody in Ireland is going to mind, considering the fact that the vast majority of people with Irish names in Ireland have the anglicized version. This includes the vast majority of people in the Gaeltachts.
Shawn is an anglicization of Sean which is a gaelicization of John.
Anonymous said
on 6/30/2006 For example; the name Sean. Sean is the Irish spelling, as opposed to Shawn which would be the Anglicized (English) spelling. Now, I understand where my Irish friends are coming from, in terms of keeping a name spelled in the original (not "proper", necessarily, just original...like, to use the name Shawn is not a misspelling of an Irish name, just another way to spell it), however there is nothing wrong with Anglicizing a name. Anglicized names in the U.S. are very normal, and common, and there is simply nothing wrong with them. If people in Ireland mind this, well...the fault is theirs, I'm afraid.
I would also add that I don't think Irish people should make other people feel bad about having named their children an Anglicized Irish name whether the children are in the U.S. or in Ireland. If children with Anglicized names should be concerned about "setting foot in [Ireland]", that does not speak well of the Irish people or Irish society.
Anonymous said
on 3/29/2006 Many of the names in "How to give your baby and Irish name" are incorrect or not Irish.
Dara or Daire or Daragh is a name for a boy, not a girl. Tara is a girls name, perhaps this is what the author was thinking of.
Many of the other names, such as Bec or Becca, Renny, Melvin, Grace, Hannah and Caronwyn are simply not Irish. Quinlan and Nolan are used as surnames, not first names, in Ireland.
Anonymous said
on 2/22/2006 Other spellings for the name Ailis are Eilish and Ailish, both of them pronounced the same. Aoibhinn (pronounced a-veen) and Derubhla (dervla) are other Irish girl names. Kieran is a very popular Irish name for boys.