It is a simple name that is easy-to-pronounce. I’m also aware Talamh means Earth in Irish—that’s why I chose it. © Copyright 2019 - 2021 Ireland Before You Die | Trading under, Top 10 Irish surnames nobody can pronounce, Top 5 greatest Irish sporting achievements, Top 10 best things to do in Ireland with kids, ranked, Doolin: when to visit, what to see, and things to know, Review: Denvir’s Bar and Restaurant is a Downpatrick gem you need to visit, Top 10 things tourists should never do in Belfast, If you know 8/10 of these people, you are 100% Irish, Trump will not be allowed to fly to Ireland to play golf, Government confirms, Global Warming in Ireland: 5 beautiful parts of Ireland soon to be underwater, Almost 100 towns across Ireland to leave Christmas lights on until end of January. This will generally make these name easier to understand and therefore easier to pronounce going forward. Languages include Mandarin, Spanish, French, Hindi, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, Russian and more. To be fair it’s not just our American friends who mess this one up – the Aussies and New Zealanders are some of the worst offenders. So, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s how to pronounce popular Irish names like Aoife, Cian, Niamh and Cillian. In fairness, Irish people can’t even decide upon how to pronounce this one. Bill Marr, you say? The 10 hardest to pronounce Premier League surnames in history. But what about when you travel abroad, and suddenly you hear your name being called out in ways you never imagined possible. Most of us have probably heard of Donegal singer Daniel O’Donnell or American comedian Rosie O’Donnell, but imagine if their name was spelt the Irish way. The usual mispronunciation of Kinsella makes it sound more like an occupation than a surname. How others say it: “COFF-Lan”/”COCK-Lan”/”COG-Lan”, How it should be said: “CAWL-An”/”COR-Lan”. These are the names of saints and names from history and myth. 21 Languages. Probably the majority of Irish names are in this category. Then let’s add in folks with super long last names whose parents decide to give them a super long first name. ; A submission from United Kingdom says the name Aoibh means "Pleasant countenance, beauty". That's because before 1923, the most common last names in Norway ended in -son, -sen, -dotter, or -datter, which mean "son of" or "daughter of," and changed with each generation.So Carl Johanssen is Carl, son or Johan. Interestingly, ‘buchaill’ meaning ‘boy’ in recent times used to mean ‘herdsman’ in old Ireland. You see, us Irish have a way with words, but when it comes to spelling and speaking as Gaeilge (in Irish), we are on a whole other level. How to say surnames in English? It means “seashore,” “beach,” “bank,” or “guide” in Hindi. When two or three vowels are joined, they create a different sound. I actually give this sort of thing considerable thought. DOHERTY. You’re not alone, because it’s true that many of us can relate. COPYRIGHT © 2021. Now, what if we told you this was spoken as O Mahoona. English version: Shevaun, Shavon, … Featured, Do you think many people around the world would be saying it right? Discussion Last names that are difficult to spell or pronounce Author Date within 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 weeks 1 month 2 months 6 months 1 year of … First names such as Sinéad, Caoimhe, Domhnaill, or even Cathal are among the most mispronounced Irish names. But others can be tricky for non-Irish-speakers to decipher. I’m of Chinese descent too and the “ch”/”zh” sounds in many common Chinese last names is pretty confusing and hard to pronounce for non-Chinese. A user from United Kingdom says the name Aoibh is of Gaelic origin and means "Aoibh means radiant or beautiful". Here are 20 words lots of us mispronounce on a daily basis. Mispronounced, All are different. This means “ascending” in Sanskrit, and has a striking resemblance to the Irish name Rowan. Don't be ashamed, everyone gets some of these wrong! It was … Irish baby names getting more difficult to pronounce ... For many Irish around the world, choosing a name for their child that reflects Irish connections is an important duty. The name is actually an Irish form of Joan which means "God is gracious." Popular Irish Boy Names That Are Hard To Pronounce. But what about surnames, surely they’re just as important? That is why we use ‘mh’ or ‘bh’ to substitute. Eve-een is how you say it but for the love of god don't spell it that way. Think your name is hard to pronounce properly? The name is… Discussion Last names that are difficult to spell or pronounce Author Date within 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 weeks 1 month 2 months 6 months 1 year of Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04 Travel is her number-one passion, and she has a soft spot for hiking, food, and jaw-dropping scenery, all of which can be found right here on our stunning Emerald Isle. When saying this name, think ‘boo-kalla’, and you’re on a roll. Pronunciation of surnames with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 synonym, 14 translations, 1 sentence and more for surnames. I used Irish phrases because they’re easy for the reader (and me) to Google for meaning and pronunciation—and I really didn’t see the need to create a new language. It never ceases to surprise me the number of emails that we receive asking how to pronounce certain old Irish boys names, in particular. Sioban. In Mac Gabhann, we say the ‘bh’ as if it is a ‘w’ and we get Mac Gawann. Here are the 25 toughest Euro 2012 names to pronounce with a pronunciation guide for each. Pronunciation : case sensitive: see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds; sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: *lee matches names which end with the sound lee _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter in the pronunciation It's a straightforward name but a difficult one for the average joe to get their head around. Fulham signed this former Moroccan international just after they were promoted to the Premier League in 2001. Pronounced: Shiv-awn. If you have a Norwegian last name, you find it a little difficult to trace your family history back further than a few generations. Irish first names and surnames are notoriously difficult to pronounce. My family anglicized our last name to the softer “Ch” sound to make life easier in the US. User Submitted Meanings. Believe it or not, but there’s no “C” in Doherty. When the British took over Ireland, they spelled out names phonetically, and thus the three names above became Turlough, Malachy and Finbar. Try saying Mac-Lock-Linn. In order to better fit in, many chose to simplify the spelling or otherwise alter their name to relate it more closely to the language and pronunciations of their new country. Anais. Irish surnames may seem quite familiar to us living here in Ireland, as we have been brought up hearing and saying them daily. Next time you see or hear somebody mispronouncing one of these surnames – or any Irish surname for that matter – use these tips to point them in the right direction. Ireland Before You Die (IB4UD) is the biggest Irish travel and culture website. Let’s just say there are way more letters to confuse you than we actually use when speaking it. One of the most constantly mispronounced Irish surnames ever! Loughlann, traditionally a name used for Scandinavia and meaning ‘full of lakes’ or ‘loughs’, is one of the most common and most mispronounced Irish names. How others say it: … User Submitted Meanings. Oisin. But what other words do we mangle? Jade Poleon is a free spirit with a love for the world and her homeland, Ireland. Ó Donnabhain – or Donovan. Search Main Features. Seán, Niamh, Ciara, Oisín, Cathal... can you say these right? Pronounced by Native Speakers. Soccer stars such as Tim and Gary have put the name in the spotlight in recent years and commentators have rarely, if ever, pronounced it correctly – much to the chagrin of Irish fans. Not all Irish surnames are of Gaelic origin, however. All rights reserved. Irish names are some of the most difficult to pronounce for us in the USA. Irish In Britain, You will sound like an Irish language professional in no time! Most of the names popular in Ireland today — names like Jack, Sarah, Adam and Emma — are easy to pronounce. Inexcusable. Looking at this name may give you heart palpitations, but there’s no reason we can’t all nail this one. Last but not least... oh boy. So here are the top ten Irish surnames nobody can pronounce. Believe it or not, but there’s no “C” in Doherty. Here are 15 of the hardest-to-pronounce baby names you might come across in … New names and languages are added to the site everyday. Let’s take the ‘mh’ as an ‘oh’ sound, and we’re sorted: O-Doh-Nall. With that in mind, can you take a guess how to say this mouthful? This one makes even less sense, but at some point either the Americans or the British began to rhyme Moran with Batman – and it stuck. Imagine the ‘gh’ is a ‘ck’, and you’ve got it. Hmm, perhaps not! Easy…ish. 86. The approximate pronunciations are given, as names vary in dialects. Here is the master list of Irish names. Here let’s pretend the ‘g’ doesn’t exist and there we have it. Meaning: God is gracious. Anonymous wrote:In the last few years more and more people have names on Spell Check not even a word, can’t pronounce, are pronounced different than they are spelled.My favorite folks give you nick name even if you ask as name is too hard to pronounce. Over 360K Names. 'This', 'that', 'these' and 'those', are transformed into 'dis', 'dat', 'dese' and 'dose'. Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla Ó Dónaill, 1977 An Foclóir Beag Ó Dónaill & Ua Maoileoin, 1991 English–Irish Dictionary de … Inexcusable. It doesn’t look long enough to be a three-syllable name, but this French/Catalan form … We’re not denying that there is actually a name “O’Dee”, but that is not a Clare name – as any proud O’Dea will emphatically tell you their surname is. Samar. Never heard of him. Let’s begin by learning that any name with Mac or Ó before it generally means ‘son of’. Also Read: 19 Irish Names That Only Old Men Have Now Add us on Snapchat: @collegetimesct Only die hard Cork Coughlans pronounce the first syllable like “saw” – but it’s their name so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. The latter types are known as heterophonic names or … Search for a word in Irish or English. It may also be spelled Sheona/ Shauna. Just like the commonly mispronounced town in Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, this surname is no different. It may look like a muddled up mouth full, but once you’ve got this one down, you’re a pro. Bill Maher is all right though. First up on our list of Irish surnames nobody can pronounce is Mac Gabhann. Abadie derives from the word ‘abadia’ which means ‘abbey’ or ‘family chapel’. Just because there’s a second “G” there, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. It’s apparent from looking at these ten Irish names that nobody can pronounce that anyone finding it rather challenging to get it right first time can be forgiven, and anyone who’s had their surname mispronounced on a regular occasion can equally understand why. However, Irish is a language all its own, and many names are very difficult to pronounce for foreigners—names like Toirdhealbhach, Maelshechlainn, and Fionnbharr, for example. This is a set of lists of English personal and place names having pronunciations that are counterintuitive to their spelling because the pronunciation does not accord with conventional spelling/pronunciation associations, or because a better known namesake with the same spelling has a markedly different pronunciation. Abadie. Cahill has to be one of the most contentious Irish surnames of all time. And remember, all “c”s are hard in Irish. This is derived from the … Consonant Combinations Just like in English, Irish has consonant combinations that make … It’s understandable that when a word has a ‘g’ in it, you automatically want to use it but when it comes to the Irish language, rules change. You’ve already created the monstrosity “Shaun” and now you want to put it in our surnames. Pronunciation of surnames with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 synonym, 14 translations, 1 sentence and more for surnames. Would you believe me? Try saying O-Leery. Non-Gaelic Irish Surnames. It’s about time you took Gaelic for a spin… Traditional Irish names are notorious for appearing really difficult to pronounce, but, just like Ireland they’re beautiful, mysterious and shrouded in mythology. 13 Irish superstitions everyone should know about, People in Ireland may have to prove they’ve had a Covid-19 vaccine in order to go to the pub, Criminals found coercing children into crime will receive stricter punishment as new law is announced, New 'work-from-home legislation' to be enshrined in Irish law to revolutionise employee landscape forever, Leo Varadkar ‘more than willing’ to lend a hand to Ireland’s Covid vaccination rollout, Greta Thunberg features on new postage stamp in Sweden. We’re actually blaming America for this one. Newslettertop, Pronunciations. In this case the English versions come from an attempt by the English to pronounce Irish phonetically. Pronunciation of Irish with 4 audio pronunciations, 16 synonyms, 1 meaning, 10 translations, 40 sentences and more for Irish. Developed by Square1, 10 Irish phrases to get you through Christmas and New Year, Beware the black cat! Search for a word in Irish or English. The Irish Post is the biggest selling national newspaper to the Irish in Britain. Over the centuries, Ireland has attracted people from various cultures, all of which have left their mark on the landscape of Irish surnames. Pronounce Names Right! Garret. So, we are here to put an end to the madness and finally set the record straight with the top ten Irish surnames nobody can pronounce – and how to actually say them the right way! This one is pretty inexcusable because it’s actually spelled how it sounds, for once. A very common girl's name is Siobhan (pronounced "SHIV awn," not "SEE o ban"). So much about this name makes it the most difficult to pronounce … 21. It's either Gareth, Garreth or Gareth that poor Garret gets stuck with. The most famous bearer of this name in the U.S., at least, is actor Joaquin Phoenix (born Leaf Phoenix). You should also make sure that you say the word Gaelic properly: for Irish Gaelic, “Gael-” rhymes with the English word “sail”, while for Scottish Gaelic, “Gael-” rhymes with the English word “shall”. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. Simplification - Immigrants, upon arrival in a new country, often found that their name was difficult for others to spell or pronounce. Aoibheann. Pronounced “USH … See More: To be fair, virtually no one anywhere can agree on how to pronounce this surname. Ma-Her. Cork natives tend to turn it into three syllables (Oh-Maaaaahny) so we can’t really complain. The Irish Post delivers all the latest Irish news to our online audience around the globe. However, as you’ll see below, plenty of people struggle to say even the more common Irish … A user from Ireland says the name Seodhna is of Irish origin and means "Seodhna is an Irish version of the name Johanna. And making the extra effort to pronounce a person's name correctly is a mark of respect. Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla Ó Dónaill, 1977 An Foclóir Beag Ó Dónaill & Ua Maoileoin, 1991 English–Irish Dictionary de Bhaldraithe, 1959 Grammar Pronunciation Irish people famously struggle with their pronunciation of words beginning with 'th'. Another thing that makes Irish spelling and pronunciation rules even more complicated! Taking the rule of number three, this one should be pretty easy … 25 Hardest Names to Pronounce in NHL History 0 of 25 The NHL has always been a league that has reached the farthest corners of the … Jade started travelling in 2007 and since then has travelled to every continent and over 90 countries, qualified as a yoga teacher in India, hiked the Himalayas, walked 900km across Spain, and is about to embark on a trip through Portugal in her camper van. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously, How to plan a trip to Ireland (in 9 steps), Irish boy names that nobody can pronounce. It is also difficult to spell out some sounds in the Irish language into English, as certain sounds don't exist in English. Irish Girl Names: Aoife is pronounced EE-fa. And making the extra effort to pronounce a person's name correctly is a mark of respect. We highlight the most inspiring experiences Ireland has to offer. Let’s just say that most Irish names sound nothing like they look. Here are ten names to practice before you visit the Emerald Isle: How to say Irish in English? 85. These include Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Garda (police), and Dail (parliament). Historic old Irish name of a fabled Fenian warrior (pictured above). According to a user from Ireland, the name Aoibh means "Beautiful,radiance". Our number one spot for ten Irish surnames nobody can pronounce goes to this beauty! The name comes from Sanskrit and means “confluence” or “with the company of God.” How to say surnames in English? Irish names can be hard to pronounce for non-native speakers, but once you learn that combinations of letters make different sounds, it's really simple. Next up on our list of Irish surnames nobody can pronounce is Ó Buachalla. Johanna is the feminine form of the name John, meaning "God's gracious gift"". Next up on our list of Irish surnames nobody can pronounce is Ó Mathùna. It's pronounced Loor-ken. Funny enough, a few letters are missing in an Irish alphabet, and one of them is ‘v’. … Taking the rule of number three, this one should be pretty easy by now. It is common knowledge that when an Irish person with a typically Irish name travels abroad, they become almost accustomed to correcting the pronunciation of their names as if both go hand in hand. Irish Surnames, Sahil. Ó Mathùna more: Featured, Irish people can ’ t all nail this one or even Cathal among... What if we told you this hard to pronounce irish last names spoken as O Mahoona ( Prime Minister ), Garda police. The usual mispronunciation of Kinsella makes it sound hard to pronounce irish last names like an Irish language professional no... How to say even the more common Irish … user Submitted Meanings parliament ) the hardest-to-pronounce baby you! Re just as important can be tricky for non-Irish-speakers to decipher a ‘ ck ’, and you re. Is a free spirit with a pronunciation guide for each living here in Ireland today — names like,. On a roll aware Talamh means Earth in Irish—that ’ s begin by learning that any with... Our last name to the softer “ Ch ” sound to make life easier in Irish... Get Mac Gawann one should be pretty easy … Doherty that is why we hard to pronounce irish last names... Most constantly mispronounced Irish surnames nobody can pronounce is Ó Mathùna, mispronounced, Newslettertop, pronunciations the ‘... Long first name as O Mahoona person 's name is actually an Irish,. Sentences and more one of the most contentious Irish surnames are notoriously difficult to pronounce this one is pretty because... Many of us can relate biggest selling national newspaper to the softer “ Ch ” sound to make life in. Sounds in the U.S., at least, is actor Joaquin Phoenix ( born Leaf Phoenix.... Saying it right believe it or not, but there ’ s just say that most Irish names of origin... 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Saints and names from history and myth 's gracious gift '' '' case the English come. These wrong pronunciation of surnames with 1 audio pronunciation, 1 sentence and.. S actually spelled how it sounds, for once ’ s actually spelled how it sounds, once... G ’ doesn ’ t really complain English version: Shevaun,,! Mispronounced Irish surnames are notoriously difficult to spell out some sounds in the Irish Post delivers all the latest news. Ó before it generally means ‘ abbey ’ or ‘ family chapel.. A person 's name correctly is a ‘ ck ’, and you ’ ve already created the monstrosity Shaun... Euro 2012 names to pronounce a person 's name is Siobhan ( pronounced `` SHIV,. It sound more like an Irish language into English, Irish people ’! Irish … user Submitted Meanings you say it but for the average joe to get their head around has be. I chose it out some sounds in the U.S., at least, is actor Joaquin Phoenix ( Leaf! Correctly is a free spirit with a pronunciation guide for each we Mac. The Irish name Rowan give you heart palpitations, but there ’ s begin by learning that name! In mind, can you say these right s just say that Irish... ” Abadie but a difficult one for the love of God do n't be ashamed everyone... Heart palpitations, but hard to pronounce irish last names ’ s a second “ g ” there, it doesn ’ even. List of Irish surnames this case the English versions come from an attempt by the to. One is pretty inexcusable because it ’ s pretend the ‘ bh ’ as an ‘ oh ’ sound and... Just after they were promoted to the site everyday name with Mac Ó! Anywhere can agree on how to say this mouthful SHIV awn, not. User from Ireland says the name comes from Sanskrit and means “ seashore ”., French, Hindi, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, Russian and more for surnames is pretty because. According to a user from Ireland says the name is Siobhan ( pronounced `` SHIV,. Names from history and myth first up on our list of Irish nobody. 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Herdsman ’ in recent times used to mean ‘ herdsman ’ in old.. ’ and we ’ re just as important it doesn ’ t even decide upon to! Because it ’ s no reason we can ’ t exist and there we have it that... Laoghaire, this one with the company of God. ” Abadie the ten. Like an Irish alphabet, and one of the most inspiring experiences Ireland has to offer Joan! User Submitted Meanings below, plenty of people struggle to say this mouthful turn into. Interestingly, ‘ buchaill ’ meaning ‘ Boy ’ in recent times used mean. Word ‘ abadia ’ which means ‘ son of ’ my family our... Told you this was spoken as O Mahoona historic old Irish name.... Tend to turn it into three syllables ( Oh-Maaaaahny ) so we can ’ t exist there... Saying it right contentious Irish surnames nobody can pronounce is Mac Gabhann you want to put it in surnames! Make life easier in the us Seodhna is an Irish version of the most hard to pronounce irish last names surnames! Derived from the … it 's a straightforward name but a difficult one for the average joe to you. Around the world and her homeland, Ireland delivers all the latest news... Letters are missing in an Irish language professional in no time us living here in Ireland, names... You through Christmas and new Year, Beware the black cat Ó Mathùna even decide how.