The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Ailish!

Comments and insights on the name Ailish: | Edit

I'm Ailish and I like it most of the time. The only problem is pronounciation. I'm Irish and live in Ireland, but occasionaly you'll meet people who've never heard of the name, can't pronounce it at all, or when they do its AL - LISH or ALISHA which can be a bit annoying. This spelling is gaining popularity but it is mainly spelled with an E. There were two other people with my name in my school with over 900 girls, so it was never really unheard of. Most people I know do know one or two others with the name, so it's unique without being completely rare.

Personal experiences with the name Ailish: | Edit

Generally, people respond postively to my name and tell me if they like it. Living in Northern Ireland, however, it does "mark" you out as belonging to one section of the community. People from "the other side" are much less likely to have heard of it and will occasionaly make negative comments about it being "different" and "Irish". There are also likely not to bother attempting to pronounce it, either out of ignorance or laziness. However, many of other friends of mine with other Irish names encounter similar problems, so it is not really a worry.

Nicknames for Ailish: | Edit

Aily or Ailie. My sister calls me Ail as in "Real Ale"

Meanings and history of the name Ailish: | Edit

Linked to the ancient Hebrew name Elisheva, it came to Ireland through the Normans (French invaders) in the 12th century. It was very popular back then, spelled ALIZ, all over the Western Europe. I like the way it is an ancient Irish version of one of the world's oldest female names. As the Irish version of Elizabeth, it is also counted as a religious name.

Famous real-life people named Ailish: | Edit

* Not exactly real life, but there is a character called Princess Ailish on a Japenese Xbox game. Unfortunetly she was not based on me lol

Ailish in song, story & screen: | Edit

There was a popular Irish author called Eilis Dillion. She wrote mainly books for children based in rural 1940s Ireland.