How would the names "Karen" and "Lee" be "translated" into Irish?

Any books on the subjects that I have, don't give any one for Karen.I don't think it ever really existed in an irish language conText so an irish language version would not be
forthcoming.Likewise with Lee.If you're really determined to gaelicise them, I'd suggest you just spell them phonetically in irish.
This would be:

Lee-Laoi
Karen-Cearan

Good for you for keeping the peace with quotes around "translated". Maith thú.

You should probably use "Laoi" for "Lee", if you want to Gaelicize it. (It would be pronounced much the same as Lee -- just say it with the relatively heavy "l" of "lay".)

I don't know how far back it goes as a first name: I always assumed it originated from the English surname, which was used in Ireland to Anglicize Ó Laoidhigh and one or two similar ones. The only people I know of the surname Lee, use Ó Laoi in Irish.

Some one else may know an equivalent for Karen.

Gabh mo leithscéal, a fhear Laighean.

I know a translation for Karen.

It's Caireann and it has a fairly long, if obscure, pedigree. The mother of Niall Naoighiallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages) was British or at least lived there during the time of the Romans, and her name was Carina. She was captured and brought over to Ireland as a slave, where her name was adapted as Caireann. That's the modern spelling anyway - presumably it was something like Cairenn in Old Irish.

I'd go with Laoi, too, as it also has some pleasant connotations, such as the river and the word for lay or ceremonial song.

Me again! If we're phonetically Gaelicizing them, how would you spell Amanda and Louise? I think I have found a name for Louisa, but I've forgotten it. I'll have to go look that up again.

Thanks

I'd say you'd just spell 'Amanda' as it is.The irish for 'Louisa' is 'Labhaoise'.Is that the one you had in mind?
If Louisa is 'Labhaoise', I'd guess 'Louise' would be 'Labhaois', without the e, but that's a complete guess, so don't depend on it!
Anyone else know for sure?

How would the name "Kathyrn Reynolds" be translated into Irish? Thank you

Catríona Nic Raghnaill (pr. approx. as kuh-TREE-nuh nick RYE-nill) if Reynolds is the name you were born with. If you came by 'Reynolds' through marriage, it would be Catríona Mhic Raghnaill (vick RYE-nill). The latter is the equivalent of Mrs. Reynolds, although that is really short for Catríona Bean Mhic Raghnaill (Catríona, Mac Raghnaill's woman). That's more of a description than a name.

we need translation for grandmother and grandfather

Click on the "Search" link to the left on your screen and enter "grandmother"or "grandfather" in the text box that appears. You'll find more than a few discussions that address your question.

Caoimhín

What is the translation for the name Matthew?

Maitiú is the version I have seen.

What is the Irish spelling (and pronunciation) for Colleen
O. Grady? (no, not O'Grady - although that is the origin of the name - my great grands deleted the "O" - or had it deleted for them - when they emigrated; my parents gave it back to me as a middle "name").

Cailín is the irish word for a girl. It is rarely, if ever, used as a personal name in Ireland. Pronunciation is about the same.

Ó Gradaigh is O'Grady, you would be Cailín Ní Ghradaigh.

Grady would also be "re-irished" as Ó Gradaigh.

So:
Cailín O. Ní Ghradaigh

Aonghus - Go raibh maith agat.

Cailín

What's the Irish translation for Kathleen?

The Irish equivalent of Kathleen is Cáitlín. But for heaven's sake, please don't pronounce it the way most people do. 'Kate-lin' is like fingernails on a chalkboard to anyone who knows Irish. The following is crude enough: KAWTCH-leen or in quasi-IPA: /ka:t'li:n/. In the south of Ireland, Munster, it would be pronounced more like kawt-LEEN, with the 't' very slightly soft.

Could someone give me an Irish translation of "early-riser"? I think the English pronunciation is "guy-ree"

Could someone give me an Irish translation of "early-riser"? I think the English pronunciation is "guy-ree"

Thanks

Micky, "Mochóirí" is the usual word for "early-riser", sometimes said "mochóir". But there are lots of words for types of people in Irish: maybe there is another. With "guy-ree", you are remembering some phrase with "éirí" in it: ag éirí "getting up, rising". D'éirigh mé go moch. "I got up/rose early." (Ní mochóirí atá ionamsa féin ach éan oíche.)

Seosamh - thank you for that. The reason I asked is that my great-uncles great grandfather was called McGyrie. I was told the name came from the Irish for "early-riser", but reading your reply this may have been a nickname rather than a family name. My, admittedly dodgy, pronunciation would give me "Muh Coy-ree", which could have been corrupted to "Muh Guy-ree". But it has been 20 yrs since I studied Irish. Though to be honest I have never come across the name before or since.

20 years of forgetting, I suspect, is not an altogether bad way of simulating centuries of language change. Maybe we're onto something :-)

A hard 'c' sound is the same sound as a hard 'g', just voiced (if you make the 'c' sound but vibrate the vocal cords while doing, it you have a 'g'). 'Mac' becomes 'Mag' in places. So your idea sounds plausible. There are other possibilities too, a vowel, for example.

Unfortunately, MacLysaght (whose books are the old standby for looking up names) does not list 'McGyrie'. Keighry (with or without a 'Mac'), MacGeaghery, Geary are all possible but don't seem to fit. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if it turns out to mean 'early riser', either authentically or by popular tradition. Names mean something originally and Irish ones often involve a personal attribute: 'hungry person', 'crafty' and 'companion' come from just one page in one of MacLysaght's books.

Ádh mór.

'Gyrie' is listed in the index for the book _Families of County Cork_ I can't tell you if the info. in the book (it could be minimal) would be worth the price, but if you are interested the website is http://www.irishroots.com/Cork/html Or maybe you could find it through a library or personal contact.

Thanks to a friend, the book considers O'Gyrie (not 'Mac', note) as a variant of Geary. According to Woulfe, another classic (but older) authority, the name may come from 'gadhar' a dog, a mastiff. They originally came from Sligo. Lords of Coolavin. Branches of the family settled in Munster before the end of the 16th cent.

Seosamh - Thanks for all that. It gives me something to look into.

Rgds

Micky

Seosamh - thought you might like to know the results of my search after your msgs. Speaking to my mother I was able to find the "correct" spelling as "McGierie", hence the "Y" in my spelling! There are currently families back home who started with the "McGierie" spelling but who are now using "McGeary". As to which came first, I have no idea; nor whether either have any real connection, except sounding similar. Thanks for your help.
Rgds
Micky