Article on top names in Ireland for 2006

[ckevans]

Here is a link to a newspaper article about the top names in Ireland for 2006:



http://www.independent.ie/national-news/se...ma-1050331.html (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/sean-and-sarah-tops-in-baby-names-league----ahead-of-jack-and-emma-1050331.html)



Interesting to see that both Aoibheann and Aoibhinn (which I assume must be alternative spellings of the same name) entered the top 100 for girls in Ireland in 2006. Anyone from Ireland know why this name is suddenly popular there -- and how do you pronounce it? :)

[KtB_DoReMi]

From Baby Names of Ireland (http://www.babynamesofireland.com/pages/girl-names-a-c.html):

Aoibheann
pronunciation: "eve + een"
describtion: aoibhinn "pleasant, beautiful sheen, of radiant beauty." Often interpreted as "little Eve." One Aoibheann was the mother of St. Enda of Aran who died c. 530 AD.

So that makes it look like Aoibheann is from Aoibhinn :shrug: That is interesting that both would make it into the top 100!

[LaLaLalena]

Thats really cool :) I love Irish names!

[lunastar]

Aha, so I was close! We were just discussing this name (with the "Aiobheann" spelling) at work the other day, because a new book came in by an author named Aoibheann Sweeney. I guessed it was pronounced like "Evan." Good to know the real way. :)

Thanks for the link! It's an interesting list.

[smile :]]

i love irish names, but have never heard of Aiobheann before. It's gorgeous, I wish it wouldn't be ridiculous to use it in America.

[ckevans]

' date='Aug 15 2007, 06:13 PM' post='6662034'] i love irish names, but have never heard of Aiobheann before. It's gorgeous, I wish it wouldn't be ridiculous to use it in America. [/b]



It would be a bit much to use a spelling like Aiobheann in the USA, but I don't think it would be ridiculous at all to name an American girl Eveen or Eeveen. :)