# Gaelic: Fainchea (name)



## Wilma_Sweden

I came across this name in the Irish phone book as a first name, and I believe it's a female name, also assuming that it's Gaelic/Irish. Can someone please tell me what it means and how to pronounce it?

I've been searching all kinds of name sites and found no information on origin, pronunciation or corresponding English equivalent names.

As per usual, it's impossible for a non-Irish speaker to even begin to guess how it's pronounced... 

/Wilma


----------



## Banbha

Hello

I have never heard of this name but its pretty nice. It is irish because it looks really like an irish word so I would pronounce it as maybe 'fwin-ka' if you were pronouncing it using an english pronounciation. I know that might not help much because I dont know the meaning and I could not find it on Google.
Anyway, hope I helped somewhat, slán


----------



## Wilma_Sweden

Thank you very much for responding, Banbha. Since I posted the question, I have found one single source saying that it's probably a mis-spelling of Fainche (or possibly Fáinche), and other sources list the meaning as 'free'.

Would the above change your suggested pronunciation, and would you able to confirm or deny whether that meaning is correct?

/Wilma


----------



## Banbha

Hej!!

Well they sound a bit more irish without the final a all right! But I still never heard of it. Fainche would have the same pronounciation but with the second word (sorry i cant use accents on this computer!) the accent over the a gives it stress and lenghthens the sound and it would sound more like ,Foin-ka (like the english word for coin but with an F) It could mean freedom in old irish when these names first emerged. I do know today we have Saoirse as a girls name, meaning freedom (pronounced Seer-sha) Im not in Ireland for the summer but when I return if i see a book on celtic names i will look for it and i will let you know, hopefully there will be something! 

Hej da


----------



## Wilma_Sweden

Thanks for your quick response. I hope you do find something, eventually. In the meantime, have a good trip, wherever you are. I'm off to Scotland on Saturday for a week to study the essential parts of Scottish culture such as the Edinburgh Tattoo, a whisky destillery (_Sláinte!)_, Loch Ness and of course I'll try haggis, too! Maybe I should look out for some literature on _Gàidhlig_ names, for what it's worth... ;-)

_Slán

_/Wilma


----------



## bb3ca201

I can see it being an Irish/Gaelic name (although I've never seen it before).  Then again, it's Irish, not Scottish Gaelic


----------

