Celtic Names
“Celtic” covers a family of languages rather than a single country: Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx on one branch, Welsh, Breton and Cornish on the other. Names from all of them share a love of nature, heroism and the old myths, and many (Aidan, Brianna, Kieran, Rhiannon) have traveled far beyond their homelands. Others keep spellings that puzzle English speakers, so we’ve added pronunciations where they help.
Here are 100+ Celtic names with meanings, grouped by language. For longer gender-specific lists, see Celtic girl names and Celtic boy names, or go deeper into a single tradition with Irish names, Scottish names and Welsh names.
Celtic Names: browse all lists
Irish Gaelic names
Ireland has the richest store of Celtic names in daily use. See our Irish girl names and Irish boy names for many more.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning (gender) |
|---|---|---|
| Aoife | EE-fa | Beauty, radiance (girl) |
| Niamh | NEEV | Bright, radiant (girl) |
| Saoirse | SEER-sha | Freedom (girl) |
| Clodagh | KLOH-da | From the River Clodiagh (girl) |
| Ciara | KEER-a | Dark-haired (girl) |
| Róisín | roh-SHEEN | Little rose (girl) |
| Gráinne | GRAWN-ya | Possibly “grain” or “love” (girl) |
| Sinéad | shin-AID | Irish form of Jane, “God is gracious” (girl) |
| Oisín | uh-SHEEN | Little deer (boy) |
| Cian | KEE-an | Ancient, enduring (boy) |
| Tadhg | TYGE | Poet, philosopher (boy) |
| Ruairí | ROR-ee | Red king (boy) |
| Cathal | KA-hal | Strong in battle (boy) |
| Ronan | ROH-nan | Little seal (boy) |
| Declan | DEK-lan | Full of goodness; name of an early Irish saint (boy) |
| Eoin | OH-in | Irish form of John (boy) |
| Kieran | KEER-an | Little dark one (boy) |
| Aidan | AY-dan | Little fire (boy) |
| Fiadh | FEE-a | Wild; deer (girl) |
| Éabha | AY-va | Irish form of Eve, “life” (girl) |
Scottish Gaelic names
Scottish names mix Gaelic, Norse and Scots influences. More in Scottish girl names and Scottish boy names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning (gender) |
|---|---|---|
| Isla | EYE-la | From the island of Islay (girl) |
| Eilidh | AY-lee | Gaelic form of Helen, “light” (girl) |
| Mhairi | VAH-ree | Gaelic form of Mary (girl) |
| Morag | MOR-ak | Great, or “great sun” (girl) |
| Catriona | ka-TREE-na | Gaelic form of Catherine, “pure” (girl) |
| Ailsa | AIL-sa | From the island Ailsa Craig (girl) |
| Iona | eye-OH-na | From the holy island of Iona (girl) |
| Kenna | KEN-a | Handsome, born of fire (girl) |
| Callum | KAL-um | Dove (from Columba) (boy) |
| Lachlan | LAHK-lan | From the land of lochs (Norway) (boy) |
| Ewan | YOO-an | Born of the yew (boy) |
| Alasdair | AL-as-ter | Gaelic form of Alexander, “defender” (boy) |
| Ruaridh | ROO-a-ree | Red king (boy) |
| Fraser | FRAY-zer | Clan name, possibly “strawberry” (boy) |
| Hamish | HAY-mish | Gaelic form of James (boy) |
| Angus | ANG-gus | One strength, one choice (boy) |
| Skye | SKY | From the Isle of Skye (girl) |
Welsh names
Welsh names are often words from the language itself: star, snow, love, dawn. Our Welsh girl names and Welsh boy names lists have many more.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning (gender) |
|---|---|---|
| Seren | SEH-ren | Star (girl) |
| Cerys | KEH-ris | Love (girl) |
| Eira | AY-ra | Snow (girl) |
| Ffion | FEE-on | Foxglove, or rose (girl) |
| Carys | KA-ris | Love (girl) |
| Gwen | GWEN | White, fair, blessed (girl) |
| Angharad | an-HA-rad | Much loved (girl) |
| Nia | NEE-a | Welsh form of Niamh, “bright” (girl) |
| Dylan | DUL-an | Great tide; a sea god in the Mabinogion (boy) |
| Rhys | REES | Ardor, enthusiasm (boy) |
| Emrys | EM-ris | Immortal (Merlin’s Welsh name) (boy) |
| Gethin | GETH-in | Dark, swarthy (boy) |
| Ieuan | YAY-an | Welsh form of John (boy) |
| Idris | ID-ris | Ardent lord (boy) |
| Owain | OH-wine | Well-born, or “young warrior” (boy) |
| Tomos | TOM-os | Welsh form of Thomas, “twin” (boy) |
| Macsen | MAK-sen | Welsh form of Maximus, “greatest” (boy) |
Breton, Cornish and Manx names
The smaller Celtic languages of Brittany (France), Cornwall and the Isle of Man have their own distinctive names.
| Name | Meaning | Language (gender) |
|---|---|---|
| Maiwenn | Possibly “white, fair” with “Mai” | Breton (girl) |
| Nolwenn | Holy, white; after a Breton saint | Breton (girl) |
| Gwenaëlle | Blessed and generous | Breton (girl) |
| Enora | Honor | Breton (girl) |
| Yann | Breton form of John | Breton (boy) |
| Erwan | Breton form of Yves, “yew” | Breton (boy) |
| Loïc | Breton form of Louis, “famous warrior” | Breton (boy) |
| Tudual | People + worth; a Breton founding saint | Breton (boy) |
| Tamsin | Twin (Cornish form of Thomasina) | Cornish (girl) |
| Morwenna | Maiden | Cornish (girl) |
| Jago | Cornish form of James | Cornish (boy) |
| Piran | Patron saint of Cornwall and tin-miners | Cornish (boy) |
| Kerensa | Love, affection | Cornish (girl) |
| Breesha | Manx form of Bridget, “exalted one” | Manx (girl) |
| Illiam | Manx form of William | Manx (boy) |
Names from Celtic mythology
Gods, heroes and queens from the Irish and Welsh myth cycles and the Arthurian legends. For magical names, try druid names and goddess names.
| Name | Who they were | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Brigid | Irish goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft | Girl |
| Rhiannon | Welsh queen of the Otherworld, linked to horses | Girl |
| Deirdre | Tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle | Girl |
| Étaín | Beautiful woman of the fairy mounds, reborn many times | Girl |
| Maeve | Warrior queen of Connacht (Medb, “she who intoxicates”) | Girl |
| Branwen | Daughter of Llŷr in the Mabinogion | Girl |
| Olwen | “White footprint”; flowers sprang where she walked | Girl |
| Guinevere | Arthur’s queen (Welsh Gwenhwyfar, “white phantom”) | Girl |
| Isolde | Heroine of Tristan and Isolde | Girl |
| Scáthach | Warrior woman of Skye who trained Cú Chulainn | Girl |
| Fionn | Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna; “fair” | Boy |
| Cú Chulainn | Hound of Culann; Ulster’s greatest hero | Boy |
| Lugh | Many-skilled god of light and craft | Boy |
| Bran | Raven; Bran the Blessed, giant king of Britain | Boy |
| Merlin | Arthur’s wizard (Welsh Myrddin, “sea fortress”) | Boy |
| Tristan | Knight of the Round Table | Boy |
| Arthur | Legendary king; possibly from Celtic “bear” | Boy |
| Conall | Conall Cernach, Ulster warrior; “strong wolf” | Boy |
| Dagda | “The good god,” father-figure of the Irish gods | Boy |
Celtic nature names
Tree and landscape names with Gaelic or Brythonic roots, many of them unisex. For more tree and plant names, see nature names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rowan | Little red one; the rowan tree | Irish Gaelic |
| Glenn | Valley | Scottish Gaelic |
| Bryn | Hill | Welsh |
| Morgan | Sea-born, or sea circle | Welsh |
| Brenna | Little raven, or hill | Irish |
| Keelan | Slender, fair | Irish |
| Darragh | Oak tree | Irish Gaelic |
| Quinn | Counsel, wisdom (from Ó Cuinn) | Irish |
| Caelan | Slender | Irish |
| Innis | Island | Scottish Gaelic |
| Lorne | From Lorne in Argyll | Scottish |
| Derwen | Oak tree | Welsh |
| Afon | River | Welsh |
How to choose a Celtic name
- Decide how much spelling you’re willing to explain. Niamh and Tadhg are beautiful but will need spelling out in the US; Neve or Teague are anglicized alternatives.
- Check which Celtic language a name comes from if heritage matters; Seren is Welsh, Eilidh Scottish, Saoirse Irish.
- Mythological names carry stories. Deirdre means sorrow in legend, while Brigid and Lugh are bright, heroic choices.
- Many Celtic names work for both genders, especially nature names like Rowan, Morgan and Bryn.
- For a subtle nod, use a Celtic name in the middle spot: Grace Aoife or James Oisín.
Frequently asked questions
What does Celtic mean in names?
It refers to names from the Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx (Goidelic), and Welsh, Breton and Cornish (Brythonic).
What are the most popular Celtic names?
Isla, Aidan, Finn, Callum, Ronan, Ciara, Rowan and Dylan are among the most widely used Celtic names in the US and UK today, and Irish names like Saoirse and Fiadh have risen fast.
What Celtic name means warrior?
Cathal means “strong in battle,” and Conall is often read as “strong wolf.” Owain may mean “young warrior.”
What are some unisex Celtic names?
Rowan, Morgan, Bryn, Glenn, Quinn and Riley are used for both boys and girls.
How do you pronounce Saoirse and Niamh?
Saoirse is SEER-sha and Niamh is NEEV.