 Irish Names)
Around 4.5 million Irish immigrants entered America between 1820 and 1930, and with them came an influx of lasting Irish culture. Case in point: In 2023, the Irish name Liam became the most popular baby boy name in the U.S. Other Irish names including Connor, Claire, Riley, Nora, Logan, and Rowan also have risen through the ranks.
But some Irish names aren’t as easy for Americans to pronounce. This is perhaps most notable in the case of Irish American actress Saoirse Ronan. The Oscar-nominated star playfully jokes about her name (pronounced “SUR-sha,” which rhymes with “inertia”) in interviews, and acknowledges that Americans have trouble saying it correctly. While traditional Irish names can be tricky to sound out, they show no signs of waning in popularity — so let’s take a closer look at the correct pronunciation for some that might be difficult for those outside of Ireland to pronounce.
Pronunciation: EE-fuh
Aoife is one of the most popular baby girl names in Ireland today, but in a recent British poll, it ranked among the hardest words to pronounce (along with Saoirse and Kyiv). It’s perhaps so tricky because in the Irish language, vowels have different sounds than in English. The common vowel pairing “ao” actually sounds like the “ee” in “tree.” Combine that with a silent “i” and an accentuated “uh” sound at the end, and Aoife is a conundrum for those outside of Ireland.
Pronunciation: Ka-TREE-nah
The Irish name Caitríona is pronounced the same way as the name Katrina. Notice the accent mark above the “i”— this changes the vowel sound in Irish. The mark above means it’s called a “slender vowel,” and the “í” is pronounced as a long “e” sound, as in “tree.”
Pronunciation: KEE-vah or KWEE-vah
This is a traditional Irish girl’s name that comes from the same root as the boy’s name Kevin. It follows the rule of pronouncing “ao” as a long “e” (as in “tree”). The consonant pair “mh” is sometimes pronounced as “v” in Irish, which adds to the complexity of this name.
Pronunciation: KIL-ee-an
Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy is likely the cause of this name’s recent popularity. Before his fame, the other spelling of the name, Killian, was more popular in the United States. In Cillian, the “c” is pronounced with a hard “c” (or “k”) sound, rather than an “s” sound.
Pronunciation: OH-in
Eoghan is a traditional Gaelic name that features a lot of silent letters. It is pronounced like the English name Owen, and can also be spelled as Eoin.
Pronunciation: FIN
Often in Irish, “io” is pronounced as “ih” (as in “mist”). This holds true for the name Fionn (sometimes spelled Finn). There is no “e” or “o” sound traditionally in the name, but many American speakers might incorrectly say, “FEE-on.”
Pronunciation: MAY-ve
This alternate spelling of the English name Maeve is popular in Ireland. It follows the Irish rule that “bh” can be pronounced with a “v” sound.
Pronunciation: RUE-ree or RUR-ree
At first glance to an American, this might look like one of the hardest Irish names to pronounce, but it’s actually one of the simplest. It’s pronounced “RUR-ee,” very similar to the name Rory. The name features many silent vowels and consonants, resulting in a simple, two-syllable word.
Pronunciation: SUR-sha or SEER-sha
There is some debate about the pronunciation of one of today’s most popular traditional Irish names. The Hollywood actress Saoirse Ronan pronounces her name “SUR-sha,” but it can also be pronounced with a different vowel sound at the front, “SEER-sha.” The “sha” sound at the end correlates to the common rule of using a “sh” sound for “se” or “si” in Irish names, as seen in the name Sean, pronounced “Shawn.”
Pronunciation: shi-NAYD
Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor introduced this name to American pop culture in the ’80s, and although it’s not as popular as some other Irish names today, it’s still recognizable. Just as in Sean (and the second “s” of Saoirse), the “s” in Sinéad is pronounced with a “sh” sound. The letter “é” is a slender vowel in Irish that is pronounced as “ay” (as in “hay”).
Pronunciation: SHE-luh
This Irish girl’s name is pronounced like the name Sheila. It uses the common Irish “sh” sound for “s,” and the long “ee” sound for “í.” The “e” at the end takes on the common short “eh” sound, for a surprisingly familiar name for English speakers, despite its Irish spelling.
Pronunciation: shiv-AWN
HBO’s hit series Succession did well to popularize the name of one of its lead characters, Siobhan “Shiv” Roy. Thanks to her nickname, many viewers learned how to pronounce that surprising first syllable of the name. We know that in Irish names, a “bh” results in a “v” sound, and here that’s coupled with another rule: “io” can be pronounced as “ih.” This results in “Shiv-AWN” — not “See-oh-BAWN,” as one might try to sound out in American English.
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