Saoirse but not Irish

[Anonymous]

I love the name Saoirse. I know it's a hassle but it's gorgeous and I keep circling back to it whenever I think of other names. I think it may be the one. But I'm not Irish. Well, I sort of am. Like every other white person in America, I'm a quarter Irish and DH is as well but we're not particularly connected to Irish culture or communities. Is it appropriate to use the name or is that awfully plastic Paddy of me? I think the general consensus on names is you are welcome to use ones from cultures that aren't yours but Saoirse has strong political connotations and is so deeply Irish so I'm not sure if that still applies, though I would love it to. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I like the name a great deal. Just curious what the political connections are though?

[Anonymous]

Use it as a middle name. Otherwise you are dooming your child to nobody pronouncing her name correctly, nobody spelling her name correctly AND everyone asking, "Oh, are you Irish/from Ireland?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the name a great deal. Just curious what the political connections are though?

Saoirse means freedom in Gaelic so it is most popularly used by Irish nationalists. The name is certainly less of a political statement than it was thirty years ago but I would still assume the parents of a Saoirse to super Irish reunification

[Anonymous]

This is pronounced like Circe on Game of Thrones?

Use whatever name you like, though you’re definitely going to get comments and questions about being Irish every time you introduce you child. If you’re the type to be embarrassed or annoyed, I would consider using it as a middle name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is pronounced like Circe on Game of Thrones?

Use whatever name you like, though you’re definitely going to get comments and questions about being Irish every time you introduce you child. If you’re the type to be embarrassed or annoyed, I would consider using it as a middle name.

It's pronounced like the word inertia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use it as a middle name. Otherwise you are dooming your child to nobody pronouncing her name correctly, nobody spelling her name correctly AND everyone asking, "Oh, are you Irish/from Ireland?"

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the name a great deal. Just curious what the political connections are though?

Saoirse means freedom in Gaelic so it is most popularly used by Irish nationalists. The name is certainly less of a political statement than it was thirty years ago but I would still assume the parents of a Saoirse to super Irish reunification

It's also the name of the official newspaper of the Republican Sinn Fein party, which split from Sinn Fein in the '80s because they thought SF was too conciliatory. They continue to support the IRA.

But you won't get those connotations in the US. And it's popular enough in Ireland that it's certainly not the exclusive purview of militant separatists. I think it's fine, OP.

[Anonymous]

As a person with a name that is neither spelled nor said correctly on a daily basis, I beg you not to but that burden on your kid.

[Anonymous]

Just don't. I'm Irish and wouldn't do such an awful thing to my child. Remember no one here or abroad can pronounce that name or spell it.

[Anonymous]

It's pronounced seer-sha.

It's a pretty name OP. I know a teen Saoirse and she's happy with her name.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the middle name approach. I used to live in Ireland and love the names Aoife and Grainne. But unless I’m living there, I can’t subject my daughter to a life of spelling and pronouncing her name.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t. Aside from the political connotations, I know many people here with “complicated” Irish names and they’ve found it to be a pain in the you know what.

[Anonymous]

Nobody is going to love figuring out how to say as bd spell that name. Try Xerioaca and see how that feels.

[Anonymous]

Don’t saddle your kid with that problematic name.