Beyond Shannon and Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming [Paperback]

Linda Rosenkrantz (Author), Pamela Redmond Satran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1992

Say you want to give your baby and Irish name-either because you of Irish descent or because
you simply like the sound of Sinead or Finnega. But where do you find an Irish name? Sprinkled
throughout most naming dictionaries are names that seem to be Irish, but it's difficult to tell: A name
that one book calls Irish might be called Scottish in another, or simply Celtic. And it's even
harder to find Irish names beyond the usual Kevin and Kathleen and Kelly.

Instead of a handful of Irish names within a universal name book, this book offers a universe of
Irish names from which to choose. Using the same innovative structure that made its parent,
Beyond Jennifer & Jason, the reigning authority on baby names-and written with just as much
flair and wit-Beyond Shannon & Sean provides the most comprehensive guide to Irish names
ever published in America:

From Annie to Aine, from Seamus to James-the most popular names in Ireland today, and why
there are no Irish girls named Erin or Colleen.

From Murphy Brown to the hills of Donegal-melodious place names and family names, and why
no one (not even an O'Kane) ever uses Gofraidh.

From Finn MacCool to Sinead O'Connor-names inspired by Irish legends and literature, and
real people who have made their names famous.

Plus a much-needed guide book to obscure Celtic pronunciations, and more...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beyond Jennifer & Jason is the Spy magazine of name-the-baby books: smart, sassy, well-
informed, and not afraid to name names." --Scripps Howard News Service

"If you want some inspiration in naming your baby (or if you just want to spend some amusing
moments), pick up Beyond Jennifer & Jason." --Family Circle

About the Author

Linda Rosenkrantz is the author of the novel Talk and coauthor of Gone Hollywood and
SoHo. The former editor of Auction magazine, she now writes a nationally syndicated column
on collectibles. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Pamela Redmond Satran, former fashion features editor of Glamour, writes a syndicated
column aimed at working parents. Her freelance articles have appeared in numerous publications,
including Self, Elle, Working Mother, and The Washington Post. She lives with her husband,
daughter, and son in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (January 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312069057
• ISBN-13: 978-0312069056
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,960,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been making my living as a writer since I was 19, when I sold my first story to the Janesville (Wisconsin) Gazette. I've been a waitress, a fashion editor at Glamour, a magazine journalist, a name book writer, and a novelist. My husband, Richard Satran, is an editor at Reuters, and we have three children, our daughter Rory and sons Joe and Owen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Long on Lists, Short on Help, March 9, 2001

By 

"fleajuice" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Shannon and Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming (Paperback)

"Beyond Shannon and Sean" offers parents lists of Irish names not alphabetically but by category: Irish family names, saints' names, even names from James Joyce books. The names are all CAPITALIZED in long list, which is distracting.

As other folks have indicated, there is little clue in pronunciation. Okay, so AOIDHGHEAN is an Irish saint's name. But male or female? The saint of what? And how in the world does one pronounce it? Not very helpful for the expecting parents looking for a name.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There was not enough assistance in pronunciation and meaning, June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Shannon and Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming (Paperback)

My wife and I enjoyed the book but found it to be extremely deficient in providing pronunciation and also in defining the meaning of each name. The book also seemed a bit disjointed. It did not follow well from one section to the next, with the same name often appearing in multiple sections.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fair, depending on your purpose, September 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Shannon and Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming (Paperback)

This text offers a selection of Irish names, but does so in an eclectic and whimsical method, rather than in a clearly organized manner. Some sections have fictitious names, listed just for humour. On the other hand, some context is offerred in order for the reader to learn of Irish cultural context of names. Some sections include Irish Saints' Names, Irish Place Names, etc.

The largest drawback, in my opinion, is the deficiency in pronunciation assistance. Although the authors do provide some pronunciations, they do so only sporadically, and even then, often their provided glosses either confuse or contradict other sources. With truly Gaelic names and a readership unfamiliar with these names, more careful glossing is a strong need.