name - Deirdre

I thought I better turn to some real gaelgoirs for this one... I consider myself only a beagnach gaelgoir. (Probably not at all due to lack of practice in the last 10 years).

My name is Deirdre, my mother's name is also Deirdre and she was born in the 50s. My question is how or where did Déirdre deBúrca find a fada for Deirdre?

Google hasn't returned any real resolve on the issue.

My only idea is that since the name became so anglicised (thank you, Deirdreeee Barlow) that the name had to evolve from the original "Derrrdra" (which my Gaelgoir Grandfather uses) to include a fada to match the new pronounciation as "Deerdra"?

I have an English boyfriend. It's so much easier that he just calls me Dee.

Micilin Muc

According to the principal reference book on names, An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge agus an tAinmneoir, there is no fada in the name, so it should be spelt Deirdre.

It is pronounced by some as Dayr-dre, ie. Déirdre

jamesnp

It's a nonsense fada... added by people desperate to make a name more Irishy looking.

The name "Deirdre" stems from Early Irish "Derdriu". Best know as being the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology - often called Deirdre of the Sorrows in English.

Also spelt: Deirdriu Derdriu Deirdri Deirdre Derdrend Derdre Deirdrinn (various spellings/cases in Old Irish - these would no longer be used, but are nice for contrast)

I believe the name is based on a Old Irish verb meaning something along the lines of "a terrible scream"... and if you know the story of Derdriú, it's this scream/cry which causes years of terrible hardship in Ulster.

-jp

Go raibh mile maith agat, it was my impression that the fada gets pulled out of thin air because "Deirdre" alone doesn't look Irish enough (which is obviously just rubbish anyway, it's an Irish name, not all Irish names must have fadas... Liam, Cian, Colm, list is long isn't it?).

Gael

Yes, I'd noticed that she had a síneadh fada on her name too. It's the only example of it that I've ever seen though.