Some Irish names, such as Fiona, align easily with American English pronunciation rules. Others have hiddent silent letters or unexpected sounds like:
Ailis
The Irish version of Alice is pronounced as “AY-lish.”
Find out more classic Irish names your are probably mispronoucing by hitting “Next” below!
Aoife
The first name of American folk singer Aoife O’Donovan is pronounced as “EE-fuh.”
Blathnaid
Ignoring the “th” and the second “a” in this name, it is pronounced as “BLAH-nid.”
Caitríona
Outlander star Caitríona Balfe pronounces her name exactly like American English speakers say “Katrina,” which is “Kuh-TREE-nuh.”
Caoimhe
The name Caoimhe comes with options in pronunciation. Some people say “KWEE-vuh,” while others say “KEE-vuh.” Regardless of the choice, the “mh” in Caoimhe makes a “v” sound.
Ciara
American pop singer Ciara pronounces her name as “See-AIR-uh,” while the Irish pronunciation is “KEER-uh.”
Ciaran
If you’re already familiar with Ciara, its male counterpart Ciaran can be pronounced as “KEER-in” or “KEER-awn.”
Cillian
The first name of Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy is pronounced as “KILL-ee-in,” and there is no “s” sound in it.
Dearbhla
The name Dearbhla can be pronounced in different ways. Some individuals say “DURV-luh,” while others say “DEERV-luh.” However, it is important to note that none of them pronounce it as “DEER-blah.”
Diarmuid
To get the correct pronunciation of Diarmuid, you can gloss over a couple of vowels, and it is pronounced as “DEER-mid.”
Domhnall
Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson pronounces his first name as “DOH-null,” rhyming with “tonal.”
Eamon
It is not pronounced “EE-mahn”; it’s pronounced as “AY-mun.”
Eoin
The first name of Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer is simpler to say than its vowels suggest: “OH-in,” like Owen.
Eoghan
Eoghan, an alternate spelling, is also pronounced “OH-in.”
Fionn
It is not pronounced “FEE-on”; it’s pronounced as “FIN.”
Fionnuala
Mastering the pronunciation of Fionn will assist you in correctly saying the first name of legendary Irish actor Fionnuala Flanagan, which is “fin-OO-luh.”
Grainne
It is not pronounced “GRAIN” or “GRANNY”; it’s pronounced as “GRAWN-yuh.”
Maebh
Whenever you encounter a bh or mh in an Irish name, a safe bet is to replace it with a “v” sound. Therefore, Maebh is pronounced as “MAYV,” just like Maeve.
Naoise
Certainly, nobody in Ireland is naming their baby Nosy or Noisy. The name Naoise is pronounced as “NEE-shuh.”
Niamh
Applying the mh rule mentioned earlier, the name Niamh is pronounced as “NEEV” or “NEE-iv.”
Padraig
The name Padraig and its various alternate spellings, including Pádraic, such as the name of Colin Farrell’s character in The Banshees of Inisherin, can be pronounced as “PAW-drig” or “PAW-rick.”
Róisín
The name Róisín, which means “little rose,” is pronounced as “Roh-SHEEN.”
Saoirse
As Saoirse Ronan once clarified on Saturday Night Live, her name is pronounced as “SER-shuh,” like inertia. She even sang a whole song about the pronunciation to clear up the confusion. However, it’s worth noting that not all Irish people pronounce it the same way; some say “SEER-shuh.”
Siobhan
HBO’s Succession undoubtedly taught some viewers that Siobhan is pronounced as “Shiv-AWN,” as evidenced by the character Siobhan Roy, often called “Shiv,” played by Sarah Snook.
Tadhg
Tadhg is pronounced as “TYG,” exactly like the first syllable of “tiger.”
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