Hello! I have a question for you as an Irish Ambassador. What human names would be most acceptable for an Ireland character (female). A few that are old but popular today, maybe? And nice! (I've used Fionna a couple of times before, but idk if it's adequate) :'D thanks in advance <3
Ooooooh I love these kinds of questions!! ^^ I’m really big on researching names, their meanings, and their origins, so you’ve come to the right place!
To briefly comment on the name you were using before, the correct spelling of it would be Fiona. It’s not a bad choice at all, it is pretty popular in Ireland! However the origins of the name are pretty muddy. ;w; The form “Fiona” is actually Scottish, it was invented by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in the 18th century. The name means “white, fair”. There is the Irish name “Fíona” which apparently derives its meaning from “vine” and is completely unrelated to “Fiona”?? The origins of this name are pretty strange and it certainly doesn’t help all the mess James Macpherson left behind, so… Fiona is a good name if you don’t question the name’s origins. ^^;
Other Irish names I could propose that are both old and are still pretty popular today:
Áine - means “radiance, brilliance”. It’s also a name that is carried by the Irish goddess of summer and wealth.
Aisling - means “dream, vision” or “visionary dream”. Hmm this one falls into a strange category because the word itself is pretty old but it only recently made the transition into being given as a name to girls in the 20th century? However the name has been used to refer to Ireland in an Irish poem, so I think it can be used. ^^
Aoife - means “beauty” or “radiance”. The name was carried by a woman warrior character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
Brighid - (other forms include Brigid or Bríd) means "exalted one”. Oh this name, I certainly recommend it! It’s a name that was carried by a pre-Christian goddess and also by a pretty badass Irish saint! You may recognize the English form of this name, which is “Bridget”. This name was popular enough to go beyond Ireland and evolve into other forms of the name.
Caitlín - possibly means “pure”. This name isn’t native to Ireland, it evolved from the Old French name “Kateline” which came from the English name “Catherine” which ultimately descended from the Ancient Greek name “Aikaterine”.
Catríona - this name is like Caitlín, except this one is thought to have directly evolved from “Catherine”.
Deirdre - Ooooh this is another name that I strongly recommend. The meaning of the name is unfortunately not known, but it is a very old name that was carried by arguably the most famous heroine of Irish mythology. Her story is pretty tragic but I suppose it’s her resolute personality that has left a noticeable impact. The name is associated with sorrow and sacrifice, even the character was known by her epithet “Deirdre of the Sorrows”.
Fionnuala - means “fair-shouldered” but could be interpreted to mean “fair headed”. Although this name was very popular in medieval Ireland, I’m not entirely sure of its status today. (present yes, but popular?) I guess I’m just mentioning it because I happen to really like this name. ^^ It can also be shortened to “Nuala”.
Gráinne - meaning is not too certain but it could possibly mean “grain”. This name was also carried by a character from Irish mythology, this time from the Fenian Cycle!
Máire - a popular Irish name that evolved from the name “Mary”. This name could possibly mean either “beloved” or “bitter, rebellious”, depending on its origins.
Máiréad - (other forms include Mairead or Mairéad) is believed to mean “pearl”. This name is the Irish variation of the English name “Margaret”. The name itself is of Persian origin.
Méabh - means “she who intoxicates”. This name was famously carried by the Queen of Connacht, a character from the Ulster Cycle. This character is thought to be possibly an older character meant to be the representation of the kingdom of Connacht. (maybe even Ireland?) However all of this is speculation based on some aspects of the queen character. ;w; The English form of the name “Maeve” seems to be a bit more popular than the native spelling.
Niamh - means “bright”. This is just a very pretty name and I highly recommend it!
Nóra - means “honour”. Most likely derived from the Latin name “Honora”.
Róisín - means “little rose”. This is a cute name and a historical figure named “Róisin Dubh” (black little rose) would later have her name used as a pseudonym for Ireland. (in a time where it was made illegal to utter the native name of Ireland)
Síle - This name is popular but its origins are not well-known. Most sources will claim it was derived from the name “Cecilia” however a few sources claim that it can be translated to “Cecilia” but otherwise it has a native origin. I guess I would trust the sources claiming it came from Cecilia as I haven’t found much evidence of it being native.
Siobhan - means “God is gracious”. Another personal favourite of mine, this name is derived from the Anglo-Norman name “Jehane” or “Jehanne”. It is cognate to the English name “Joan”. Ultimately the name is of Hebrew origin, the most famous name to derive from it being “John”.
Sinéad - means “God forgave/God gratified”. Another name of Hebrew origin, it was introduced to Ireland by the French name “Jeanette” and is related to the English name “Janet”.
Sorcha - means “bright, radiant”. I like that in Irish, we have the word “dorcha” which means “darkness” and the name “Sorcha” stands as the complete opposite of it. (also it’s an example of the d/s dichotomy in Irish, where words that start with a “d” will have a word with the complete opposite meaning start with a “s”.)
Hope this was helpful!! I hope it’ll help you choose a name for your Ireland OC. ^^
