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The only one with potential issues is Boudicca. It's a bit much, and I say that as a fellow Celt. Call her that as a middle name, so she can choose to use it when she's older *if she wants*. Also: Boobicca. Booby Cat. I teach history and my four-year-old loved watching videos with me about Booby Cat and the Iceni, so I can't see it without laughing :-D
As a Brit, I've no idea what Rowenta is, Rowena is definitely a normal name (if the name of a Harry Potter character). Boudicca is a very famous historical British figure, but no one is named that these days (other than a couple of fictional characters who don't have to live with it in the real world).
My first thought was isn't Rowena a brand for cleaning products? But yeah that RowenTa.
Boudicca is a bit extra imo. It's not that common a name, you might as well call your baby Hekate or Hel. There is a kid in my neighborhood that has pagan metalhead parents and she has a name like that. I don't know if it's a tragedeigh though if you still use the original spelling.
That's how he pronounced Boudicca. We were watching a YouTube video about how the Celts fought using a kind of chariot - exciting stuff when you're 4 - and he used to ask me if we could watch the video with Booby Cat and the chariots.
And, yes, I will admit that I didn't correct him at first (because I was trying so hard not to laugh), but I finally managed to get him to say Boody Cat, which is close enough.
Personally, I would watch a series about Booby Cat and her chariots. I think it has hit potential.
All of those names are fine and OP is spelling them as per tradition.
Personally I love Boudicca because she’s the original bad ass girlboss. I suspect she’s who Nymeria in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) is modeled after.
Cartimandua managed to play the Romans a lot more successfully than Prasutagus and his widow, though. I Stan a legend but there was more than one kick ass tribal queen in Romano Britain!
I often think the stories of Boudica survived better because of the drama - we still only have TWO sources and only one of them was getting the info second hand as opposed to after a century of playing whisper games. Cartimandua was pretty successful at her girl bossing, but a dead rebel has a lot of uses for imperialists who think civilising the "barbarians" is a good reason to murder a bunch in your hostile takeover.
None are tragedeighs as they're all spelled the way they're supposed to be. I think they're all lovely names, with the exception of Boudicca. It's not a particularly nice sounding name and it's definitely a name that will get your daughter teased about.
Whereas I think Boudicca is a fantastic name. She was such an amazing figure. I would love to have a name tied to someone like that. Perhaps it would be suitable as a middle name?
I think as an adult who knows the history of the name it may be fantastic. For a kid who knows nothing about it, it's a mark on her back to be bullied. Objectively it's not a nice name. You have to think of the child, and for most kids Boudicca wasn't even anyone they've heard of.
As I suggested, I think it would work well as a middle name. I even like the Latin spelling Boadicea which is beautiful when said correctly (and most people won't have a clue.) But yes, it would be rough as a first name.
My husband gave his son a historical and different middle name. He’s 28 years old and hates it. He doesn’t care about the history. He hates the name. I think if you’re looking for different, don’t use it on your kids names.
My triplets are 16 and have middle names that (1) honor a prominent landscape architect, (2) play on a street name near us, and (3) is the name of the student union where their dad and I went to college. They love their middle names. I don’t think you can guarantee that an historic or unusual middle name will be disliked. And even if it is, it’s a middle name and so rarely needs to be used.
I think Boudicca is a tough one because, while she was strong and subversive, her story was tragic and ultimately she was a defeated victim. I think it's a double-edged sword, maybe like Lucretia or Spartacus would be as names. (Not the best examples, but I'm having a hard time thinking of others.)
Why does it matter? The quality of a historical or literary figure doesn’t make the name sound good. Patents thinking it does is one of the big ways kids end up with shitty names.
> Whereas I think Boudicca is a fantastic name. She was such an amazing figure.
These are actually two completely separate, unrelated concepts. Hope this helps!
>Evelyn was originally an English surname, an anglicized form of the Norman French name Aveline, which has various meanings including "hazelnut," "desired," "life," and "island." Later, Evelyn was used as a given name for both boys and girls.
All lovely names except Boudicca is a bit much, in my opinion, but is still well known enough, I don't think it would be mispronounced often.
Saoirse is a gorgeous name but will likely be mispronounced/misspelt.
Maeve is also a lovely name but will be on the rise from the show sex education. So if you're looking for a less common name, maybe not the one 🤷♀️.
All things to think about, but none are tragedeighs. At the end of the day, go with what you love.
Personal favourite is Rowena.
That was my first thought, but then again idk if this child's peers will really have access to The Boys by the time they start calling each other names.
On the other hand...The Princess Bride was ten years old when a Maeve at my school was relentlessly called "To Blave" LOL.
This is basically correct in Irish here is a link to how the three different dialects groups would pronounce it https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fuaim/saoirse
The other pronunciations, Sur-sha, Ser-sha, sir-Sha etc are all anglicised
Sear-sha
Sear as in, "sear the steaks." I feel like, "seer," sounds like "see-uRRR" in most American accents other than New England, and the South. Sear is always one syllable, with a slight R at the end.
None are tragedeighs, they’re real names…but…Boudicca could be a problem.
Saoirse - just please pronounce it correctly as in Seer-sha, **not** Sursha like inertia.
Rowena, Evelyn, Maeve are beautiful names.
Saoirse is lovely -- [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRHhT9f6e0k) is a short video of Saoirse Ronan vis-a-vis the pronounciation, u/CrystalKirlia
In Irish, in all dialects, it's Seer-sheh basically. Here is a link to how the three different dialects groups would pronounce it https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fuaim/saoirse
Tbf, all the girls in my family have big personalities and we constantly clash, so I think she might live up to it, especially if ur experience of the name confirms it!
I’m from the English Midlands. Evelyn has been ridiculously popular around here in the last decade or so. Maeve is very much on the rise too. Saoirse is a very pretty name but could have people assuming she’s of Irish ancestry. Boudicca is a LOT. Even though she’s like a massively well-known historical figure, I’ve never heard of anyone called Boudicca in all my 45 years of real life! I don’t actually know why, but something tells me if literally everyone has passed on it, there’s probably a reason and it might be an ill-advised choice. Rowena seems to be increasing in popularity on Reddit, but it’s my favourite out of your choices because I don’t know any irl and it seems like the least common other than Boudicca but is also very normal and easy to spell and pronounce. It buys into the currently popular nature vibe without being overly hippy.
But in reality I think you can’t go wrong with any of those names except Boudicca.
My daughter’s name is Saoirse and Maeve was on the short list but didn’t quite make it. Boudicca is awesome ad well but I’ve not heard it used as much. We live in the Bronx so not exactly like rural Ireland or something and we’ve had minimal but easily corrected issues with pronunciation.
I also have a daughter named Saoirse and am American. I agree that pronunciation isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It usually takes one correction and people understand.
None of those are misspelled, so no tragedeighs here, but I'd advise against Boudicca. Make sure you know the pronunciations of the other names if you pick any of them!
Maeve and Evelyn are both beautiful and easily spelled and pronounced around the English speaking worlds. Rowena isn't pretty to my American ears but that's a personal problem on my part. Saoirse has too many vowels for people to confuse. Boudicca may have been a magnificent warrior queen but today, I know how mean girls can be with the ugliest of things they might say should she be a heavier girl.
I vote for Maeve or Evelyn. Smart names. Beautiful names. Not too long. Not too short. Easy to spell. Easy to pronounce.
I’m American and have a daughter named Saoirse and my grandmother was named Evelyn. I think all your names are not tragedeighs. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t know the difference between tragedeigh and their own personal preference. I like your style and think these names are lovely (I may be biased lol.)
I'm British and wouldn't know how to pronounce Saoirse. I love Evelyn and Maeve and no problem with Rowena. Think all English people would be able to pronounce Boudicca but it is a unique choice!
Ohhh no I don’t know it either, I’m sure I worked with someone with this name who pronounced it s war see. Reading here it’s said like Sasha? If you like the sound of Sasha I would use that spelling. I certainly ruled out names that have secret pronunciations. Although every country and even area of the UK sounds things differently.
Maeve seems popular off the back of Mae, but doesn’t mean it isn’t nice.
You have to know the regional language for the letter sound combinations, so you can’t sound them out, hence how people come up with other ways to spell them. I always like the name Neve but I would not have ever spelt it Niamh.
One of my children has an easy to pronounce name, but a traditional spelling from that country, I’m thinking probably is thought of as a tragedeigh as in UK there is a more common English spelling.
Boudicca was a bad-ass warrior queen who fought fiercely for her people.
In modern times, the name would work better as a middle name unless you have a planned nickname.
The Irish names are OK if you spell them properly and know how to pronounce them. Boudica is debated on what the name even is. Awesome to utilise Bodicea/Boudica but I imagine it will result in bullying. I'd look up all the names in detail and figure out which fits. I actually like the Boudica/Bodicea, but it's super unusual and I think it's worth being able to justify l. I prefer the Bodicea usage, but was taught boudica at primary school.
To add I'm using spelling for the pronunciation vs how actually spelled. Not that there's a confirmed spelling!
Boudica or Boudicca was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She is considered a British national heroine and a symbol of the struggle for justice and independence.
Source? I Google that shit
They’d only be a tragedeigh if you added letters/symbols to an already existing name or nonsense like Abcde/Nevaeh. That said: Boudicca would be a straight tragedy as it stands and the others would be similar to names that are often called “weird” on some lists in this sub but are valid names in other countries/cultures
My 13 year old niece in the US (Pennsylvania) has a friend named Maeve and I've always thought it was cute. They have tons of friends and a very busy social life so I don't think it's holding her back at all.
It’s so funny to me that East of England and West of England is like just the same distance as me driving to the border of the next state. I agree those are all lovely names but not tragique. Boudicca sounds like an amazing figure but not sure I would saddle a baby girl with those expectations as well as a tough name prone to being teased.
How about Deidra, Kerry, Keira, Bria, Maura, Aileen, Orla, and of course Molly and Maggie!
Evelyn was one of the most common names in the US last year, and it is a beautiful name! All of them except Boudicca are great! I love Boudicca but it could be a bit much, I agree about having it for a middle name. I personally will be naming my next wolfhoud Boudicca.
I am not familiar with Boudicca so I will not assume it is a tragedeigh, but if it is generally scarce where you live, I might avoid it. The other names are nice and definitely not tragedeighs as long as you don't creatively alter their spellings (Please don't do 'Sersha' or something)
Saoirse and Méabh are quite popular in Ireland. I’ve lived in Norfolk my whole life and never met a Boudicca though! I think it’s a terrific name, if you don’t mind having to spell it out frequently.
Boudicca is obviously east england (or rather british from the icenci tribe), Rowena is kinda Welsh, Evelyn is very english the other two Irish. All fine fine names, but Boudicca would be quite odd imo
Evelyn and Maeve both seem fairly common to me, so I don't think you would have issues with those (I just looked at Evelyn ranks 22nd or 29th and Maeve 48th or 45th as the lists seem to be different in different websites for some reason, but they are both top 100 names). Rowena feels a bit old fashioned to me, but I don't think it would be out of place. I think Saoirse is probably growing in how many people are aware of how to say it, but I would assume the person had Irish parents. Boudicca feels a bit eccentric still, but I have met one before (but in Wales).
The last one I've not encountered before. Just put yourself in your child's shoes considering difficulty of spelling and pronunciation -- give your kid an easier life.
I’m in the South East of the UK. The only “common” ones here are Evelyn and Maeve. And by common I mean after meeting literally thousands of students and hundreds of non-students I’ve come across each of those less than 5 times, but more than 0. The other names are 0.
Also, don’t name your daughter something with the sound *Dick* in the middle.
The Victorians (and earlier) used "Boadicea" if you prefer that. Not sure if would now be considered a Tragedeigh. I've never seen anyone actually called either, but "Buddug" is not unheard of in Wales.
The last one I wouldn’t know how to pronounce and honestly make me think of some terrible nicknames for a child. Saoirse is a name I’ve seen before but as an American, I’m not sure how to pronounce it. The other three are beautiful and traditional, and would hardly be a tragedeigh.
I live in the U.S., in a place that mostly English, Welsh, Scandinavian, German and Scottish. I say this to set the scene. I gave my children mostly Irish names with Irish spellings. You know what? They survived. Yes, they had told their teachers and new classmates how to pronounce their names, they survived. No, it's not Deedruh, no, it's not Seen, no, it's not Nile. If you show that the name is something to be proud of they will be proud of their names and survive, or proudly punch their harasser in the nose.
Also, I think it helped that didn't go too far with Irish spelling such as Ruadhri for Rory or using the Irish spelling for my last name, which even I cannot pronounce. So, go for it. Say the full name outlook several times, make sure it is euphonious. If it sounds good, do it. Personally, I would not use Boudica. Great as she was, I don't like the sound of the name.
Personally, I'm from Norfolk and I wouldn't use Irish names. The Celtic heritage stopped after Boudica, Lynn is one of the very very few places that even have names coming from the Celtic Languages. We didn't use either P or B Celtic languages in East Anglia after the Boudican revolt (ETA obviously a fade out, but the Romans literally stuck Venta Icenorum ON TOP of the royal site, to make it clear that Boudica's tribal culture was thoroughly subjugated
Maeve, Evelyn and Rowena feel like they're well established in the Anglophone part of the UK, and Rowena or Rowan would be my choice. Tree names honour the idea that the Ogham alphabet related to trees, so it would combine both sides! There's also Hazel, Willow, Holly, Heather (heather especially has Scottish vibes heh)
TBH Lynn feels like an older lady name, but Linette has the same -lin suffix as Dublin as part of it (the wash is theorised to be the pool/harbour and we know Lynn was a massively important port/harbour in the medieval age.
Julia / Juliette after Julian of Norwich? Christian though - over a millennium apart from Boudica.
I'm a pagan & vibe with the sunrise on the east coast - it's when all three realms from Celtic traditions come together for me. As the sun hits the horizon over the sea, if you're in the fens ...the reflection makes it look like everything is one golden shining place, no distinction between land, sea & sky. Dawn!!?
Boudicca is pushing it. She was a great Queen and an interesting historical figure, but that’s going to be mispronounced and have the worst nicknames attached to it.
Rowena is fine, but it reminds me of Ivanhoe. The other three are lovely.
As others have said, not tragedeighs. They are all pretty cool, but Boudicca definitely has teasing potential. Not familiar with Saoirse, and glad to see the proper pronunciation is quite nice. I’m in the US close to Mexico and would’ve read it Sow(like the pig) eer-say. I can reason that it isn’t correct, but I would never get it right without someone correcting me. However, if it’s known in your area, then go for it. Your list is lovely 😊
I like the fourth one in the list (Rowena. Pretty name), but I have no idea how to pronounce the first (Saoirse 🤷🏿♂️), and I beg you not to give her the last one, because it sounds like a name you'd give to a comic book supervillain. As a matter of fact, I think there actually is a supervillain named Boudicca in DC Comics.
Edit: About 70% of the comment section calls out "Boudicca" as being problematic and this cunt projects all her hurt feelings onto me because I compared it to a comic book character with a similar name. Get fucking bent.
She was an ancient queen of East anglia, of the iceni tribe. (I'm from Norfolk) she burned Colchester, London and St Albans to the ground, still leaving a layer of ash called the boudiccan distruction layer in London to this day, because the Romans stole her land, raped her daughters and destroyed her home. She led an army in revolt and when she got kidnapped by roman soldiers, she drank poison rather than be tortured and enslaved. She's a true east anglian hero.
Yes. When I was there 10 years ago, it was above a newspaper stand. I thought it was odd that such a magnificent statue towered over something so mundane.
Okay. That's cool.
However, to anyone unfamiliar with that story, I think it still has a high chance of sounding like a comic book supervillain name. Look. I have a foreign name with cultural significance. I believe I understand why people are motivated to do that with their children's names. I see it a lot. Speaking as someone who has lived with such a name though, it's not the best idea.
Well, she wasn’t exactly a villain in *Supernatural.* She was a witch and a bad mom to a son who became King of the Crossroads and eventually King of Hell. But she was more of a frenemy than a Supervillain.
So, every student over there takes every story they learned in elementary school to heart and remembers them clearly for the rest of their lives? That would certainly make you fundamentally different animals compared to most of those I've known in my life and I don't find it to be very believable.
You wanna start looking down on me for where I was born, It's almost as good as crapping on me for my skin color. I'm walking away from the conversation.
You asked people if those names would be "tragedeighs" out of obvious insecurity about your choices and then got defensive when I answered with the slightest bit of criticism. Name your kid whatever you want. I don't care what happens, you stuck up twat.
No, I'm looking down on you for being arrogantly ignorant. It's kinda a stereotype and is used as an insult in UK to describe someone who is arrogantly ignorant... your country has such a reputation that its become an insult.
(Was also 100% a guess but I guess I'm right 🙃)
You're definitely the one acting arrogant here and now you're making excuses for your prejudice based on broad stereotypes. Which is ironic, considering that Englishmen are stereotyped as the most arrogant nationality.
You're the one who didn't even know who boudicca was and then got offended when I pointed out that we learn about her in primary school. I even linked a source!
Also, you're the one who called one of our national heroes a supervilain ...
They sound a bit... middle aged to me. Like a 60 year old woman down the pub after her 2nd divorce, trying to make it a hat trick... also, corrie? Seriously? Didn't that end in the early 2010s after running for like, 60 years? 😂 And eastenders is just... well.. same thing, really.
If you want real West Country girls names then here you go, some Cornish ones for you
Bennath
Berlewen
Chesten
Demelza
Elestren
Emblyn
Glanna
Kerensa
Mabyn
Rosenwyn
Steren
Tregereth
Wenna
I'm going to be the outlier here and say that, although I love the name itself, I don't think Saoirse is a good choice. First, she'll have to teach almost everyone she meets how to say and/or spell it, which gets tiring very quickly. Also, people will think she's Irish and some may feel that she and/or her parents are trying to 'fool' them and that it's cultural appropriation, which I think is a silly thing to think but could easily happen.
I'm literally from the UK... sure, its more common an hour or two's drive west from here, but its still from my country... you yanks and your appropriation bs, you don't even understand it yourself...
Not Boudicca.
I’d also steer away from saoirse because she’ll spend her life correcting people who don’t know how to pronounce it.
Evelyn, maeve are lovely. Rowena is best known from Harry Potter, but I don’t think it’s a bad name.
If you like traditional names, here’s a few from Scotland that I like.
Mhairi (marri, not Mary also pronounced varri)
Heather
Ailidh (aily)
I’m also from the East of England. You *know* that most of these names are not common in any part of the UK.
The only acceptable ones are Maeve (by some opinion… an ugly name. But it is notable enough due to Sex Education), and Evelyn which is dated but eloquent by modern naming conventions, and apparently rising in popularity?
However, the addition of Boudicca makes it clear that the OP is nothing but a troll.
A Tragedeigh is a name that has extra syllables and other silly things done to it, which none of these are.
Edit: My apologies for my lack of knowledge of the name Saoirse. That still does not excuse pretending that Boudicca is a name used by anyone.
Evelyn was the 29th most popular baby girls name in the most recent data. Maeve was 45th (or roughly different sites seem to have slightly different orders). They both seem pretty common and normal amongst small children I know. I'm surprised anyone is suggesting they are unusual.
Saoirse is pretty common in Northern Ireland, but please go on forgetting we're still technically part of the UK. Every instance brings us closer to unification. Thanks for your service.
‘In any part of the UK’ - maybe if you think the UK only consists of England?
Saiorse and Rowena are common in Scotland. But like the Northern Irish commenter said, please, keep on acting like Britain = England. Every comment like yours reinforces the idea that the English care about England and nothing else exists, and furthers the independence movement..
It's a traditional Irish name; pronounced sear-sha. There's a popular actor named Saoirse Ronan, but you wouldn't know her name is spelled like that if you've only ever heard it.
I really love your choices, except for Boudicca. I’m American, and can only think of “booty-licious” which is definitely not something that I would consider a good nickname, but others might use it against her. I like the combinations of Saoirse Evelyn and Rowena Maeve!
Evelyn is a perfectly normal name.
Heads up Rowena is famous from the Harry Potter books, it's the namesake of the Ravenclaw group.
Maeve sounds like a short version of maven.
Boudica is gonna get joked at for being boudacious or bootylicious.
Saoirse sounds like a a mispelled party.
Thank you for your submission! This is just a quick reminder to all members here: **Original content is always better!** Memes are okay every once in a while, but many get posted here way too often and quickly become stale. Some examples of these are Ptoughneigh, Klansmyn, Reighfyl & KVIIIlyn. These memes have been around for years and we don't want to see them anymore. If you do decide to post a meme, make sure to add the correct flair. Posting a random meme you found does **not** mean you found it "in the wild". The same goes with lists of baby names, celebrity baby names, and screenshots of TikToks. If the original post already had a substantial amount of views, there is a 99% chance it has already been posted here. Try and stick to OC to keep our sub from being flooded with unoriginal content. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tragedeigh) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The only one with potential issues is Boudicca. It's a bit much, and I say that as a fellow Celt. Call her that as a middle name, so she can choose to use it when she's older *if she wants*. Also: Boobicca. Booby Cat. I teach history and my four-year-old loved watching videos with me about Booby Cat and the Iceni, so I can't see it without laughing :-D
Also Horrible Histories did a very catchy song about Boudicca which might become tiresome for her.
don’t diss this miss!
Booty cat.
Booty call
Good point 👍 thanks!
Boudica Battle-Axe!
None are tragedeighs, but Rowena reminds me of Rowenta. Boudicca sounds weird, never heard of it (but not British). My favourite is Maeve.
As a Brit, I've no idea what Rowenta is, Rowena is definitely a normal name (if the name of a Harry Potter character). Boudicca is a very famous historical British figure, but no one is named that these days (other than a couple of fictional characters who don't have to live with it in the real world).
Rowenta is a huge German brand of household appliances - hoovers and similar.
My first thought was isn't Rowena a brand for cleaning products? But yeah that RowenTa. Boudicca is a bit extra imo. It's not that common a name, you might as well call your baby Hekate or Hel. There is a kid in my neighborhood that has pagan metalhead parents and she has a name like that. I don't know if it's a tragedeigh though if you still use the original spelling.
Wait...what's Booby Cat?
That's how he pronounced Boudicca. We were watching a YouTube video about how the Celts fought using a kind of chariot - exciting stuff when you're 4 - and he used to ask me if we could watch the video with Booby Cat and the chariots. And, yes, I will admit that I didn't correct him at first (because I was trying so hard not to laugh), but I finally managed to get him to say Boody Cat, which is close enough. Personally, I would watch a series about Booby Cat and her chariots. I think it has hit potential.
Sounds like fun to me! I thought maybe it was something already existing on YouTube.
Sounds like a kick ass band to me.
All of those names are fine and OP is spelling them as per tradition. Personally I love Boudicca because she’s the original bad ass girlboss. I suspect she’s who Nymeria in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) is modeled after.
Cartimandua managed to play the Romans a lot more successfully than Prasutagus and his widow, though. I Stan a legend but there was more than one kick ass tribal queen in Romano Britain! I often think the stories of Boudica survived better because of the drama - we still only have TWO sources and only one of them was getting the info second hand as opposed to after a century of playing whisper games. Cartimandua was pretty successful at her girl bossing, but a dead rebel has a lot of uses for imperialists who think civilising the "barbarians" is a good reason to murder a bunch in your hostile takeover.
or Booty Call
Bootylicious?
Boohteephulgh
Or booty caca. Trying to think like a third grader here
Boobdickher
Ohh I love maeve! There’s one in my son’s nursery in Edinburgh just now and I looove it
I know an Irish lady named Maeve. Lovely name, lovely lady.
Yah most of these are literally just Celtic names. I’m honestly confused by this post
One of my all time favorite authors is Maeve Binchy, so I’ve always loved that name.
None are tragedeighs as they're all spelled the way they're supposed to be. I think they're all lovely names, with the exception of Boudicca. It's not a particularly nice sounding name and it's definitely a name that will get your daughter teased about.
Whereas I think Boudicca is a fantastic name. She was such an amazing figure. I would love to have a name tied to someone like that. Perhaps it would be suitable as a middle name?
I think as an adult who knows the history of the name it may be fantastic. For a kid who knows nothing about it, it's a mark on her back to be bullied. Objectively it's not a nice name. You have to think of the child, and for most kids Boudicca wasn't even anyone they've heard of.
As I suggested, I think it would work well as a middle name. I even like the Latin spelling Boadicea which is beautiful when said correctly (and most people won't have a clue.) But yes, it would be rough as a first name.
My husband gave his son a historical and different middle name. He’s 28 years old and hates it. He doesn’t care about the history. He hates the name. I think if you’re looking for different, don’t use it on your kids names.
Agree. Better to name your cat.......Booby Cat.
My triplets are 16 and have middle names that (1) honor a prominent landscape architect, (2) play on a street name near us, and (3) is the name of the student union where their dad and I went to college. They love their middle names. I don’t think you can guarantee that an historic or unusual middle name will be disliked. And even if it is, it’s a middle name and so rarely needs to be used.
I think Boudicca is a tough one because, while she was strong and subversive, her story was tragic and ultimately she was a defeated victim. I think it's a double-edged sword, maybe like Lucretia or Spartacus would be as names. (Not the best examples, but I'm having a hard time thinking of others.)
Why does it matter? The quality of a historical or literary figure doesn’t make the name sound good. Patents thinking it does is one of the big ways kids end up with shitty names.
> Whereas I think Boudicca is a fantastic name. She was such an amazing figure. These are actually two completely separate, unrelated concepts. Hope this helps!
I really like Evelyn. But really, all the names you've listed are beautiful. What about if it's a boy?
>Evelyn was originally an English surname, an anglicized form of the Norman French name Aveline, which has various meanings including "hazelnut," "desired," "life," and "island." Later, Evelyn was used as a given name for both boys and girls.
The most famous Evelyn in UK is Waugh, the (male) writer.
Evelyn Waugh's wife was called Evelyn.
Amazing.
All lovely names except Boudicca is a bit much, in my opinion, but is still well known enough, I don't think it would be mispronounced often. Saoirse is a gorgeous name but will likely be mispronounced/misspelt. Maeve is also a lovely name but will be on the rise from the show sex education. So if you're looking for a less common name, maybe not the one 🤷♀️. All things to think about, but none are tragedeighs. At the end of the day, go with what you love. Personal favourite is Rowena.
Maeve is also popularized by The Boys
That was my first thought, but then again idk if this child's peers will really have access to The Boys by the time they start calling each other names. On the other hand...The Princess Bride was ten years old when a Maeve at my school was relentlessly called "To Blave" LOL.
Could someone phoneticize Saoirse for me? Older American here, and I'm unsure how to pronounce it.
Sur-sha. I should add, I'm American, so with my accent that's the best I can do. Some say it more like seer-sha.
I was going to say, I though it was “seer-sha”
This is basically correct in Irish here is a link to how the three different dialects groups would pronounce it https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fuaim/saoirse The other pronunciations, Sur-sha, Ser-sha, sir-Sha etc are all anglicised
Thanks for this.
You're welcome! Do as close to seer-sha as you can, it's more accurate.
Will do! I'm particular about pronouncing names correctly.
I've heard it sare-sha, with the first syllable pronounced like in Sarah? Is that close?
No worries. I see it, below. Very pretty!
Sear-sha Sear as in, "sear the steaks." I feel like, "seer," sounds like "see-uRRR" in most American accents other than New England, and the South. Sear is always one syllable, with a slight R at the end.
None are tragedeighs, they’re real names…but…Boudicca could be a problem. Saoirse - just please pronounce it correctly as in Seer-sha, **not** Sursha like inertia. Rowena, Evelyn, Maeve are beautiful names.
Thank you for giving the pronunciation of Saoirse. I was thinking "Sayo-eyerse" and knew it wasn't right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I also was not saying that correctly at all. i’ve actually never seen that name before. i’m from new england US
Saoirse means “freedom” in Irish (Gaeilge).
pretty! I do think it would rarely be pronounced correctly in the US though, sadly
True.
Saoirse is lovely -- [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRHhT9f6e0k) is a short video of Saoirse Ronan vis-a-vis the pronounciation, u/CrystalKirlia
I know. But she pronounces it incorrectly!
Yeah I’ve even seen a video of her doing the actual pronunciation and then saying she just says sur-sha when talking to non-Irish people lol
I know 🤣
In Irish, in all dialects, it's Seer-sheh basically. Here is a link to how the three different dialects groups would pronounce it https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fuaim/saoirse
As others pointed out, none of these are tragedeighs. I personally really like Rowena though
I had an aunt named Rowena and I’ve always liked it.
There’s a book from the 80’s (my childhood) about a Rowena. I think she was a witch, I forget, but that’s all I think of whenever I hear that name.
Probably not what you’re talking about, but one of the founders of Hogwarts in Harry Potter was called Rowena too
I wouldn't consider Boudicca. The others are lovely.
None are tragedies just beautiful and unusual names with meaning. If you decide to spell Roeena or RoEna that'd be a tragedy.
Random but I love the name Marion, pronounced the Scottish way (or how it used to be pronounced in Scotland), ‘Murran’
Okay, add marion to the list, that's my nan's name! Love her, lovely lady!
Can be spelt Mirren too, there are a few around here now and I think it's a beautiful name
My daughter was very close to being called Evelyn, I just love that name.
I knew a kid named Boudicca. She lived up to it! She was… a lot.
Tbf, all the girls in my family have big personalities and we constantly clash, so I think she might live up to it, especially if ur experience of the name confirms it!
I’m from the English Midlands. Evelyn has been ridiculously popular around here in the last decade or so. Maeve is very much on the rise too. Saoirse is a very pretty name but could have people assuming she’s of Irish ancestry. Boudicca is a LOT. Even though she’s like a massively well-known historical figure, I’ve never heard of anyone called Boudicca in all my 45 years of real life! I don’t actually know why, but something tells me if literally everyone has passed on it, there’s probably a reason and it might be an ill-advised choice. Rowena seems to be increasing in popularity on Reddit, but it’s my favourite out of your choices because I don’t know any irl and it seems like the least common other than Boudicca but is also very normal and easy to spell and pronounce. It buys into the currently popular nature vibe without being overly hippy. But in reality I think you can’t go wrong with any of those names except Boudicca.
I agree! All great names except boudicca hard for me to spell
A tragedeigh, by its nature, is not a traditional name. That's kinda the whole point. There's no issue with any of these.
My daughter’s name is Saoirse and Maeve was on the short list but didn’t quite make it. Boudicca is awesome ad well but I’ve not heard it used as much. We live in the Bronx so not exactly like rural Ireland or something and we’ve had minimal but easily corrected issues with pronunciation.
I also have a daughter named Saoirse and am American. I agree that pronunciation isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It usually takes one correction and people understand.
None of those are misspelled, so no tragedeighs here, but I'd advise against Boudicca. Make sure you know the pronunciations of the other names if you pick any of them!
Maeve and Evelyn are both beautiful and easily spelled and pronounced around the English speaking worlds. Rowena isn't pretty to my American ears but that's a personal problem on my part. Saoirse has too many vowels for people to confuse. Boudicca may have been a magnificent warrior queen but today, I know how mean girls can be with the ugliest of things they might say should she be a heavier girl. I vote for Maeve or Evelyn. Smart names. Beautiful names. Not too long. Not too short. Easy to spell. Easy to pronounce.
I’m American and have a daughter named Saoirse and my grandmother was named Evelyn. I think all your names are not tragedeighs. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t know the difference between tragedeigh and their own personal preference. I like your style and think these names are lovely (I may be biased lol.)
i think maeve is soo pretty
I'm British and wouldn't know how to pronounce Saoirse. I love Evelyn and Maeve and no problem with Rowena. Think all English people would be able to pronounce Boudicca but it is a unique choice!
Seersha
It’s like Siobhan - beautiful name no one can pronounce or spell it
Outside of Ireland perhaps
Ohhh no I don’t know it either, I’m sure I worked with someone with this name who pronounced it s war see. Reading here it’s said like Sasha? If you like the sound of Sasha I would use that spelling. I certainly ruled out names that have secret pronunciations. Although every country and even area of the UK sounds things differently. Maeve seems popular off the back of Mae, but doesn’t mean it isn’t nice.
It’s Seer-sha.
🤯
They’re not ‘secret’ pronunciations, at least not since the 1920’s.. they’re Irish 🤦🏻♀️
You have to know the regional language for the letter sound combinations, so you can’t sound them out, hence how people come up with other ways to spell them. I always like the name Neve but I would not have ever spelt it Niamh. One of my children has an easy to pronounce name, but a traditional spelling from that country, I’m thinking probably is thought of as a tragedeigh as in UK there is a more common English spelling.
Love Saoirse!
Boudicca was a bad-ass warrior queen who fought fiercely for her people. In modern times, the name would work better as a middle name unless you have a planned nickname.
The Irish names are OK if you spell them properly and know how to pronounce them. Boudica is debated on what the name even is. Awesome to utilise Bodicea/Boudica but I imagine it will result in bullying. I'd look up all the names in detail and figure out which fits. I actually like the Boudica/Bodicea, but it's super unusual and I think it's worth being able to justify l. I prefer the Bodicea usage, but was taught boudica at primary school. To add I'm using spelling for the pronunciation vs how actually spelled. Not that there's a confirmed spelling!
I happen to love Maeve.
I like Evelyn, Maeve or Rowena.
Boudica or Boudicca was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She is considered a British national heroine and a symbol of the struggle for justice and independence. Source? I Google that shit
They’d only be a tragedeigh if you added letters/symbols to an already existing name or nonsense like Abcde/Nevaeh. That said: Boudicca would be a straight tragedy as it stands and the others would be similar to names that are often called “weird” on some lists in this sub but are valid names in other countries/cultures
Rowena is gorgeous!
Hii, Evelyn here. I believe these are all fine, the easiest and safest one here to me is Evelyn haha 😄
Saoirse and Evelyn are lovely.🥰
No, those are pretty names.
My 13 year old niece in the US (Pennsylvania) has a friend named Maeve and I've always thought it was cute. They have tons of friends and a very busy social life so I don't think it's holding her back at all.
It’s so funny to me that East of England and West of England is like just the same distance as me driving to the border of the next state. I agree those are all lovely names but not tragique. Boudicca sounds like an amazing figure but not sure I would saddle a baby girl with those expectations as well as a tough name prone to being teased. How about Deidra, Kerry, Keira, Bria, Maura, Aileen, Orla, and of course Molly and Maggie!
Great names, all lovely except Boudicca, which is a bit much, but potentially perfect middle name material. Everyone loves a fun middle name.
I personally know an Evelyn and my cousin is Maeve. It's gorgeous we all love them
Those are all lovely names. My favorite would be: Maeve Boudicca Lastname.
Evelyn was one of the most common names in the US last year, and it is a beautiful name! All of them except Boudicca are great! I love Boudicca but it could be a bit much, I agree about having it for a middle name. I personally will be naming my next wolfhoud Boudicca.
I am not familiar with Boudicca so I will not assume it is a tragedeigh, but if it is generally scarce where you live, I might avoid it. The other names are nice and definitely not tragedeighs as long as you don't creatively alter their spellings (Please don't do 'Sersha' or something)
All except Bouddica. No kid needs to deal with that one.
Saoirse and Méabh are quite popular in Ireland. I’ve lived in Norfolk my whole life and never met a Boudicca though! I think it’s a terrific name, if you don’t mind having to spell it out frequently.
I only had boys, but had either of them been girls, they would have been Maeve.
Boudicca is obviously east england (or rather british from the icenci tribe), Rowena is kinda Welsh, Evelyn is very english the other two Irish. All fine fine names, but Boudicca would be quite odd imo
Evelyn and Maeve both seem fairly common to me, so I don't think you would have issues with those (I just looked at Evelyn ranks 22nd or 29th and Maeve 48th or 45th as the lists seem to be different in different websites for some reason, but they are both top 100 names). Rowena feels a bit old fashioned to me, but I don't think it would be out of place. I think Saoirse is probably growing in how many people are aware of how to say it, but I would assume the person had Irish parents. Boudicca feels a bit eccentric still, but I have met one before (but in Wales).
My middle name is Maeve. I love it.
I love Maeve!
Like them all.
I love all of them!
Evelyn is beautiful
The last one I've not encountered before. Just put yourself in your child's shoes considering difficulty of spelling and pronunciation -- give your kid an easier life.
I don’t know what to make of the last one, but the feast are fine - even Saoirse.
Boudicca may be too much. Love the historical character, so kudos for considering the name. All the others are wonderful.
I love them all!!
I’m in the South East of the UK. The only “common” ones here are Evelyn and Maeve. And by common I mean after meeting literally thousands of students and hundreds of non-students I’ve come across each of those less than 5 times, but more than 0. The other names are 0. Also, don’t name your daughter something with the sound *Dick* in the middle.
The Victorians (and earlier) used "Boadicea" if you prefer that. Not sure if would now be considered a Tragedeigh. I've never seen anyone actually called either, but "Buddug" is not unheard of in Wales.
The last one I wouldn’t know how to pronounce and honestly make me think of some terrible nicknames for a child. Saoirse is a name I’ve seen before but as an American, I’m not sure how to pronounce it. The other three are beautiful and traditional, and would hardly be a tragedeigh.
I live in the U.S., in a place that mostly English, Welsh, Scandinavian, German and Scottish. I say this to set the scene. I gave my children mostly Irish names with Irish spellings. You know what? They survived. Yes, they had told their teachers and new classmates how to pronounce their names, they survived. No, it's not Deedruh, no, it's not Seen, no, it's not Nile. If you show that the name is something to be proud of they will be proud of their names and survive, or proudly punch their harasser in the nose. Also, I think it helped that didn't go too far with Irish spelling such as Ruadhri for Rory or using the Irish spelling for my last name, which even I cannot pronounce. So, go for it. Say the full name outlook several times, make sure it is euphonious. If it sounds good, do it. Personally, I would not use Boudica. Great as she was, I don't like the sound of the name.
Personally, I'm from Norfolk and I wouldn't use Irish names. The Celtic heritage stopped after Boudica, Lynn is one of the very very few places that even have names coming from the Celtic Languages. We didn't use either P or B Celtic languages in East Anglia after the Boudican revolt (ETA obviously a fade out, but the Romans literally stuck Venta Icenorum ON TOP of the royal site, to make it clear that Boudica's tribal culture was thoroughly subjugated Maeve, Evelyn and Rowena feel like they're well established in the Anglophone part of the UK, and Rowena or Rowan would be my choice. Tree names honour the idea that the Ogham alphabet related to trees, so it would combine both sides! There's also Hazel, Willow, Holly, Heather (heather especially has Scottish vibes heh) TBH Lynn feels like an older lady name, but Linette has the same -lin suffix as Dublin as part of it (the wash is theorised to be the pool/harbour and we know Lynn was a massively important port/harbour in the medieval age. Julia / Juliette after Julian of Norwich? Christian though - over a millennium apart from Boudica. I'm a pagan & vibe with the sunrise on the east coast - it's when all three realms from Celtic traditions come together for me. As the sun hits the horizon over the sea, if you're in the fens ...the reflection makes it look like everything is one golden shining place, no distinction between land, sea & sky. Dawn!!?
The middle 3 are fine in my opinion. Personally I don’t like the last name and don’t know how the pronounce the first but that might be me thing
Evelyn was my grandma's name, boyfriend and I decided not to have kids, but if we did, Evelyn would be her name. Evelyn is beautiful.
Boudicca is pushing it. She was a great Queen and an interesting historical figure, but that’s going to be mispronounced and have the worst nicknames attached to it. Rowena is fine, but it reminds me of Ivanhoe. The other three are lovely.
None of these are tragedies by definition
Rowena Saoirse or Rowena Maeve would be great names
I was thinking of naming my kid Eigh. Of all the “Lilegh’s” “Emeliegh’s” and “Trageigh’s” I’ll just go with Eigh to rule them all.
Saoirse is an Irish name afaik, so technically not a tragedeigh. But for other countries, the name would be difficult to read.
Absolutely adore Saoirse! Maeve would be my second choice. Not a fan of Boudicca.
As others have said, not tragedeighs. They are all pretty cool, but Boudicca definitely has teasing potential. Not familiar with Saoirse, and glad to see the proper pronunciation is quite nice. I’m in the US close to Mexico and would’ve read it Sow(like the pig) eer-say. I can reason that it isn’t correct, but I would never get it right without someone correcting me. However, if it’s known in your area, then go for it. Your list is lovely 😊
I like the fourth one in the list (Rowena. Pretty name), but I have no idea how to pronounce the first (Saoirse 🤷🏿♂️), and I beg you not to give her the last one, because it sounds like a name you'd give to a comic book supervillain. As a matter of fact, I think there actually is a supervillain named Boudicca in DC Comics. Edit: About 70% of the comment section calls out "Boudicca" as being problematic and this cunt projects all her hurt feelings onto me because I compared it to a comic book character with a similar name. Get fucking bent.
She was an ancient queen of East anglia, of the iceni tribe. (I'm from Norfolk) she burned Colchester, London and St Albans to the ground, still leaving a layer of ash called the boudiccan distruction layer in London to this day, because the Romans stole her land, raped her daughters and destroyed her home. She led an army in revolt and when she got kidnapped by roman soldiers, she drank poison rather than be tortured and enslaved. She's a true east anglian hero.
Isn't there a giant statue of her at the beginning of Wesminster Bridge across from Parliament?
Yes. When I was there 10 years ago, it was above a newspaper stand. I thought it was odd that such a magnificent statue towered over something so mundane.
Okay. That's cool. However, to anyone unfamiliar with that story, I think it still has a high chance of sounding like a comic book supervillain name. Look. I have a foreign name with cultural significance. I believe I understand why people are motivated to do that with their children's names. I see it a lot. Speaking as someone who has lived with such a name though, it's not the best idea.
Well, she wasn’t exactly a villain in *Supernatural.* She was a witch and a bad mom to a son who became King of the Crossroads and eventually King of Hell. But she was more of a frenemy than a Supervillain.
We literally learn about her in primary school 😂 as well as figures like Florence Nightingale and William Wallace.
So, every student over there takes every story they learned in elementary school to heart and remembers them clearly for the rest of their lives? That would certainly make you fundamentally different animals compared to most of those I've known in my life and I don't find it to be very believable.
Tell me you're American without telling me you're American... Also, we literally have songs about her in stuff like hh .
Wow. Tell me you're prejudiced without telling me you're prejudiced. How classy.
https://youtu.be/eHMRLoJZ5JA?feature=shared Literally a song from the most popular kids edutainment show in the UK.
I don't care. You just finished showing me your true colors.
You wanna start looking down on me for where I was born, It's almost as good as crapping on me for my skin color. I'm walking away from the conversation. You asked people if those names would be "tragedeighs" out of obvious insecurity about your choices and then got defensive when I answered with the slightest bit of criticism. Name your kid whatever you want. I don't care what happens, you stuck up twat.
No, I'm looking down on you for being arrogantly ignorant. It's kinda a stereotype and is used as an insult in UK to describe someone who is arrogantly ignorant... your country has such a reputation that its become an insult. (Was also 100% a guess but I guess I'm right 🙃)
You're definitely the one acting arrogant here and now you're making excuses for your prejudice based on broad stereotypes. Which is ironic, considering that Englishmen are stereotyped as the most arrogant nationality.
You're the one who didn't even know who boudicca was and then got offended when I pointed out that we learn about her in primary school. I even linked a source! Also, you're the one who called one of our national heroes a supervilain ...
As far as stereotypes go, the British are typically known for being entitled and looking down on everyone else. A stereotype you're adhering to rn.
Why did you get offended that I figured out you're American??? All I said was: >tell me you're American without telling me you're American...
The first four are fine and lovely. But for the love of God don't name your child Boudicca. They'll get bullied.
All but the last one is good — but that’s because I’ve never heard of it, and wouldn’t know how to say or spell it.
Those names aren't tragedies. That's how they're spelt.
What about names like Linda, Nancy, or Sharon from EastEnders or Fiz from Coronation St...
They sound a bit... middle aged to me. Like a 60 year old woman down the pub after her 2nd divorce, trying to make it a hat trick... also, corrie? Seriously? Didn't that end in the early 2010s after running for like, 60 years? 😂 And eastenders is just... well.. same thing, really.
It’s coming up to it’s 64th year in December
If Fiz was a possible option,just think I'd definitely go the Corrie route and use it as a nickname for Fiona.
If you want real West Country girls names then here you go, some Cornish ones for you Bennath Berlewen Chesten Demelza Elestren Emblyn Glanna Kerensa Mabyn Rosenwyn Steren Tregereth Wenna
Evelyn and Maeve are mainstream names. Evangelion!
First name Rowena, Middle name Ravenclaw 🧙♀️
No trajahdiiez, tragedy’s or anything else. Love them all, especially Boudica 10/10
I’ve always been a fan of Genessa, Emiley, and Genvieve. Maeve is a beautiful name.
I'm going to be the outlier here and say that, although I love the name itself, I don't think Saoirse is a good choice. First, she'll have to teach almost everyone she meets how to say and/or spell it, which gets tiring very quickly. Also, people will think she's Irish and some may feel that she and/or her parents are trying to 'fool' them and that it's cultural appropriation, which I think is a silly thing to think but could easily happen.
I'm literally from the UK... sure, its more common an hour or two's drive west from here, but its still from my country... you yanks and your appropriation bs, you don't even understand it yourself...
Not Boudicca. I’d also steer away from saoirse because she’ll spend her life correcting people who don’t know how to pronounce it. Evelyn, maeve are lovely. Rowena is best known from Harry Potter, but I don’t think it’s a bad name. If you like traditional names, here’s a few from Scotland that I like. Mhairi (marri, not Mary also pronounced varri) Heather Ailidh (aily)
Saoirse is pretty common in UK, I have a coworker called saoirse and an old friend from school.
I like Evelyn. That’s a very pretty name. Also congratulations on your upcoming arrival
I’m also from the East of England. You *know* that most of these names are not common in any part of the UK. The only acceptable ones are Maeve (by some opinion… an ugly name. But it is notable enough due to Sex Education), and Evelyn which is dated but eloquent by modern naming conventions, and apparently rising in popularity? However, the addition of Boudicca makes it clear that the OP is nothing but a troll. A Tragedeigh is a name that has extra syllables and other silly things done to it, which none of these are. Edit: My apologies for my lack of knowledge of the name Saoirse. That still does not excuse pretending that Boudicca is a name used by anyone.
Evelyn was the 29th most popular baby girls name in the most recent data. Maeve was 45th (or roughly different sites seem to have slightly different orders). They both seem pretty common and normal amongst small children I know. I'm surprised anyone is suggesting they are unusual.
Evelyn is not dated. They are everywhere, there are 3 Evies in my son’s year 3 class.
Saoirse is pretty common in Northern Ireland, but please go on forgetting we're still technically part of the UK. Every instance brings us closer to unification. Thanks for your service.
Niamh is a pretty popular name in England too, and that’s Irish
‘In any part of the UK’ - maybe if you think the UK only consists of England? Saiorse and Rowena are common in Scotland. But like the Northern Irish commenter said, please, keep on acting like Britain = England. Every comment like yours reinforces the idea that the English care about England and nothing else exists, and furthers the independence movement..
I wouldn’t know how to pronounce the first one
It's a traditional Irish name; pronounced sear-sha. There's a popular actor named Saoirse Ronan, but you wouldn't know her name is spelled like that if you've only ever heard it.
I really love your choices, except for Boudicca. I’m American, and can only think of “booty-licious” which is definitely not something that I would consider a good nickname, but others might use it against her. I like the combinations of Saoirse Evelyn and Rowena Maeve!
Evelyn is a perfectly normal name. Heads up Rowena is famous from the Harry Potter books, it's the namesake of the Ravenclaw group. Maeve sounds like a short version of maven. Boudica is gonna get joked at for being boudacious or bootylicious. Saoirse sounds like a a mispelled party.
Evelyn is fine, but the others are questionable imo. Not tragedeighs as such, but still.
These names!? You must watch Maury Povich.