Boy's name
Caomhán
“KAY-vawn”
'gentle' or 'comely' — a diminutive of caomh
Why it is said that way
ao is ay here rather than ee, mh is v, and the fada makes the a long: KAY-vawn.
- bh, mh → v — or w in the middle of a word
- ao → ee, or ay in Munster
- á é í ó ú (the fada) → a long vowel — and never optional
The story behind the name
Borne by no fewer than fifteen Irish saints, which tells you how well the early church thought of gentleness. Sometimes Latinised as Pulcherius, by translation.
Surnames built on this name
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z