I was born right after Bloody Sunday and got the most distinctively Irish name in my family in generations. They were all Mary, Michael, Ann, etc. If you find the name personally meaningful, it's not for others to judge. |
“Sha”?
I didn’t know how to pronounce it until a PP explained how. As a kid with a name that’s very hard to pronounce, think about whether your child is going to appreciate this or not. |
If people did that, DCUM would rush to tell them they spelled it wrong. |
Jesus you are a pedant. |
Mohammad is a prophet, but thank you. And hey OP, go ahead and name your child whatever you want! -daughter of a living, breathing Irish person with an Irish passport and everything. Don't lecture me about my own culture. |
1. Yes. You should know about the cultural significance of a name before you name the baby. Google is your friend. 2. I'm not sure OP understands Irish culture. Perhaps I'm wrong. But just because you are ethnically from a group doesn't mean it's your culture. Drinking green beer once a year doesn't mean you understand Irish culture. 3. To the bolded: my kids have names equivalent to Patrick and John. I think the name Dembe is a beautiful and it means Peace but that doesn't mean I should use it. |
So if OP is Irish but not quite Irish enough to name her kids Irish names, what ethic names should she use? |
"It's pronounced "sear (like searing meat) sha"."
Well...that's NOT how the actress Saoirse Ronan pronounces it. She says her name is SUR-sha. Sort of rhymes with inertia. https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=saoirse+ronan+pronounces+her+name&type=E210US105G91207#id=1&vid=d169927925b41b4b058731881153c22d&action=click |
Irish American names that don't have overtly political overtones. There are many. |
Agree to disagree. It's a total Plastic Paddy move. |
I know the actress but have never known how to pronounce her name.
It's a short name that kind of sounds like a nickname when pronounced (according to how people on this thread have said it's pronounced) so I'm not sure why it needs a nickname at all? But anyway, go ahead and name your child what you want. Just don't feel frustrated when people don't know how to pronounce or spell it. Nothing wrong with that. Might lead to fatigue, but lots of people have names no one can pronounce or spell. --Irish American from a family where everyone is named after a saint |
Ireland owes much to the Irish American population forged by their ancestors. Its where the majority of the funding for the independence movement came from. America still provides work to young Irish seeking more opportunities as the Celtic tiger is no more. Yet always so quick to throw out plastic paddy insult to Americans feeling g a connection to their roots. Try reading about the Irish American experience in this country. Irish in Boston Irish in America. the experience of the Irish in America was not an easy one early on and naturally subcultures and identification with roots occurs, which travels down generations. I am an Irish American and close with my family in Ireland. The Irish I know do not care whatsoever to gatekeep Irish names and are mortified by Irish who mock Americans who want to connect with ancestral culture. |
It's where a lot of funding for Irish Terrorism came from too! Double-edged sword for sure. |
When you don’t want to call someone by their given name, DCUM suggests:
LARLA |
FWIW, OP, it was the 20th most popular name for girls born in Ireland last year. |