Hello all,

My friends and I are attempting to "Irishize" our surnames in honour of St. Patrick's Day and while we've successfully converted "Choi" to "Seoigh," I'm having trouble coming up with something that sounds close to the name "Vayo" (pronounced like County "Mayo"). Any suggestions? =)

Thanks for your time!
Jessica

Initial v sounds don't occur in Irish without a reason, but there is a surname (Mac) Máighiú anglicized as "Mayo" or "Mayhew".

If your friend is also female, she can add Nic (single female) or Mhic (married female) and in place of Mac (male) and Máighiú will change to Mháighiú, i.e., Nic Mháighiú or Mhic Mháighiú. The mh is somewhere between a w and a v sound, depending on the dialect.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Foirfe, go raibh maith agat! Is there any difference between Nic and Ní?

Ní is the feminine form of Ó, Nic is the feminine form of Mac.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne