Discover the secrets of the Celts


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The Origin of Irish Baby Names

Take a glance at a bookstore's babyclassic Irish names did not originate in
names shelf, and you'll see that IrishIreland, but are Irish versions of names
baby names are a very popular category.from other cultures. The name Sean, for
But for many prospective parents, Irishexample, is the Irish version of the
names can be very confusing. Manyname John. Then there are Irish names
different races have settled in Irelandthat have been given English
over the centuries. Celts, Vikings,'translations,' which really have
Normans, and English have all gone intonothing to do with the original name.
the melting pot.The name Aoife, for example, means
It was once believed that the first wave'radiant,' yet it is often translated as
of Celtic settlers were a fair-haired'Eve,' or 'Eva.'
race, while later settlers were of aAround 1923, a priest named Patrick
darker complexion. However, recentWoulfe wrote a book called 'Irish Names
evidence seems to contradict that idea.For Children', which gave parents the
It is now believed that very ancientresources to research and choose an
settlers to Ireland came across the seaIrish name. The book helped spark a
from Gaul (modern France) and Spain, andrenewal of interest in names from
were probably a dark-haired people.Ireland, and that interest has expanded
The periodic arrival of newcomers to theand continued to the present day.
Emerald Isle, each with slightlyToday, parents looking for an Irish name
different appearances, has led to amight start by thinking about whether
tradition where Irish names describethey want a Gaelic name or an Anglicized
physical characteristics. Whole groupsname. For example, Bairre is Gaelic,
of names revolve around such personalwhile the English version is Barry. The
attributes. The name Ciara means 'black'famous Irish name Kevin comes from the
or 'dark,' while 'Finn' means 'fair.'Gaelic Caoimhin.
The name Breac means 'freckled.'Invariably, the English version will
The Irish people were very fond ofsound less authentically 'Irish,' but it
creating names that reflected the worldwill be easier to pronounce and to
around them, especially the naturalspell. That's an important consideration
world. Names such as Anbhile (pronouncedfor a child. Some Irish names, such as
an-vile), meaning 'great tree,' areSiobhan, (pronounced Shev-orn) work very
common. Celtic sun-worship gave rise towell in the original Gaelic, and have
a whole set of names based on sunlightbecome popular in that form.
and radiance. The girl's name Grian, forNext, prospective parents will want to
example, means 'sun' or 'sun goddess.'consult some name lists, and to learn
Other themes such as wildlife, warfare,about the origin and meanings of names
and of course, magic and fairies, gavethey like. There are plenty of good
rise to beautiful and evocative names.resources available, especially websites
An unfortunate consequence of theand books. In the end, parents' personal
periodic invasions of Ireland is thatchoice is the best guide. For those who
many Irish and Gaelic names have beenare looking for a name that evokes the
transformed over the centuries, and, incharm and mystery of the Emerald Isle,
some cases, the original meaning is lostthe possibilities are almost endless.
to us. Some names that are considered



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