Girl's name
Siobhán
“shi-VAWN”
IPA: /ˈʃʊwaːn̪ˠ/
the Irish form of Joan (Norman-French Jehanne)
Why it is said that way
S before an i is sh, bh is v, and the fada on á makes it a long aw. shi-VAWN.
- bh, mh → v — or w in the middle of a word
- s before e or i → sh
- á é í ó ú (the fada) → a long vowel — and never optional
The story behind the name
Another Norman import gone thoroughly native — and a lesson in how Irish spelling works: the bh sounds like a v, so the name written 'Siobhán' is said 'shi-VAWN'. The great Abbey actress Siobhán McKenna carried it to Broadway.
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