Irish Names
Irish names are famous for looking nothing like they sound. Siobhán is shiv-AWN, Caoimhe is KEE-va and Tadhg rhymes with “tiger” without the r — the result of Gaelic spelling rules that predate English by centuries. Behind the spelling are meanings rooted in nature, saints and a mythology full of warriors, queens and shape-shifters.
Here you’ll find 70+ Irish names with pronunciations and meanings, from Gaelic originals to the anglicized forms loved by Irish-American families. Dive deeper with our full lists of Irish girl names, Irish boy names and Irish last names, or explore the wider Celtic names family.
Irish Names: browse all lists
Irish girl names with pronunciation
Gaelic girls’ names are topping charts in Ireland and turning up more in the US. For 100+ more, see our Irish girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aoife | EE-fa | “Beauty, radiance” |
| Saoirse | SEER-sha | “Freedom” |
| Niamh | NEEV | “Bright, radiant” |
| Siobhán | shiv-AWN | Irish form of Joan, “God is gracious” |
| Caoimhe | KEE-va | “Gentle, beautiful” |
| Róisín | roe-SHEEN | “Little rose” |
| Clodagh | KLOH-da | After the River Clodagh |
| Orla | OR-la | “Golden princess” |
| Ciara | KEER-a | “Dark-haired” |
| Gráinne | GRAWN-ya | Possibly “grain” or “love” |
| Aisling | ASH-ling | “Dream, vision” |
| Éabha | AY-va | Irish form of Eve, “life” |
| Sadhbh | SIVE (rhymes with “five”) | “Sweet, good” |
| Méabh | MAYV | “Intoxicating, she who makes drunk” |
Irish boy names with pronunciation
Short, strong and often tied to legend. Our Irish boy names page has many more.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Oisín | osh-EEN | “Little deer” |
| Cian | KEE-an | “Ancient, enduring” |
| Tadhg | TYGE | “Poet, philosopher” |
| Darragh | DA-ra | “Oak tree” |
| Cillian | KIL-ee-an | Possibly “church” or “strife” |
| Ruairí | ROR-ee | “Red king” |
| Pádraig | PAW-drig | Irish form of Patrick, “nobleman” |
| Seán | SHAWN | Irish form of John, “God is gracious” |
| Diarmuid | DEER-mid | Possibly “without envy” |
| Eoin | OH-in | Another Irish form of John |
| Conor | KON-er | “Lover of hounds” |
| Fionn | FYUN | “Fair, white” |
| Ronan | ROH-nan | “Little seal” |
| Cathal | KA-hal | “Strong in battle” |
Irish names trending in Ireland today
These names have climbed Ireland’s official baby-name rankings recently. Fiadh in particular went from rare to a top girls’ name in about a decade.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Fiadh | FEE-a | “Wild; deer” |
| Sorcha | SOR-ka | “Bright, radiant” |
| Bláthnaid | BLAW-nid | “Little flower” |
| Grian | GREE-an | “Sun” |
| Ailbhe | AL-va | Possibly “white” |
| Rían | REE-an | “Little king” |
| Senan | SEN-an | “Little old one, wise” |
| Odhrán | OR-awn | “Little pale-green one” |
Names from Irish mythology
The sagas of the Ulster Cycle and the Fenian Cycle are a treasure chest of names. Compare them with the gods in our Norse god names or the heroes on our Viking names page.
| Name | Who they were | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Deirdre | Tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle | Possibly “sorrowful” |
| Emer | Wife of the hero Cú Chulainn | Meaning uncertain |
| Étaín | Beautiful fairy-queen of legend | Possibly “jealousy” or “shining” |
| Brigid | Goddess of fire and poetry; also a saint | “Exalted one” |
| Fergus | Legendary king of Ulster | “Man of vigor” |
| Lugh | God of light and skill | Possibly “light” |
| Aengus | God of love and youth | “One strength” |
| Oscar | Warrior son of Oisín | “Deer lover” |
| Nuala | Short for Fionnuala, of the Children of Lir | “Fair shoulder” |
| Setanta | Boyhood name of Cú Chulainn | Meaning uncertain |
Irish-American favorites
Anglicized Irish names have been American staples for generations. Several, like Liam and Nora, remain among the most popular baby names in the US (SSA data).
| Name | Meaning | Irish original |
|---|---|---|
| Liam | “Resolute protector” | Short for Uilliam (William) |
| Aidan | “Little fire” | Aodhán |
| Declan | Possibly “man of prayer” | Deaglán |
| Brendan | “Prince” | Bréanainn, the navigator saint |
| Kieran | “Little dark one” | Ciarán |
| Kevin | “Handsome, gentle birth” | Caoimhín |
| Nora | “Honor” | Nóra, from Honora |
| Erin | “Ireland” | Éirinn |
| Kathleen | Irish form of Katherine, “pure” | Caitlín |
| Molly | Pet form of Mary | Máire |
| Maureen | “Little Mary” | Máirín |
| Shannon | After the River Shannon | Sionainn |
Common Irish surnames
The prefixes Ó (“grandson, descendant”) and Mac (“son of”) are the heart of Irish surnames. See 100+ more on our Irish last names page.
| Surname | Meaning | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Murphy | “Sea warrior” | Most common surname in Ireland |
| Kelly | Possibly “bright-headed” or “strife” | Nationwide |
| O’Sullivan | “Descendant of the dark-eyed one” | Cork and Kerry |
| Walsh | “Welshman” | Norman-era arrivals |
| Smith | Translation of Mac Gabhann, “son of the smith” | Nationwide |
| O’Brien | “Descendant of Brian” (Brian Boru) | Clare, Munster |
| Byrne | “Raven” | Wicklow |
| Ryan | Possibly “little king” | Tipperary, Limerick |
| O’Connor | “Descendant of the lover of hounds” | Connacht, Kerry |
| O’Neill | “Descendant of Niall” | Ulster |
| Doyle | “Dark stranger” (a Viking) | Wexford, Wicklow |
| McCarthy | “Son of the loving one” | Cork |
| Gallagher | “Foreign helper” | Donegal |
| Kennedy | “Helmeted head” | Tipperary, Clare |
| Fitzgerald | “Son of Gerald” | Norman; Kildare and Kerry |
Tips for choosing an Irish name
- Learn the key sounds. In Irish, “bh” and “mh” usually sound like V (Caoimhe = KEE-va), “s” before e or i sounds like SH (Seán, Saoirse), and “dh” is often silent.
- Decide between Gaelic and anglicized spelling. Aodhán or Aidan, Caoimhín or Kevin — the Gaelic form honors heritage, the anglicized one saves a lifetime of spelling it out.
- Keep the fada. The accent in Róisín or Seán changes the vowel sound; drop it and the name can change meaning (Seán vs “sean,” which means “old”).
- Look at the whole Celtic world. Scotland and Wales share many roots with Ireland — try our Scottish names and Welsh names.
- Mind the myth. Some legendary figures had tragic ends (Deirdre, the Children of Lir); read the story before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Irish name?
Recent Irish rankings from the Central Statistics Office have been led by names like Jack, Noah and James for boys and Emily, Grace and Fiadh for girls, with Gaelic names such as Tadhg, Oisín and Cian also in the top 20.
How do you pronounce Saoirse?
Saoirse is pronounced SEER-sha. It means “freedom” and became widely known through the actress Saoirse Ronan.
What does “Mac” and “O’” mean in Irish surnames?
Mac means “son of” and Ó (written O’ in English) means “grandson” or “descendant of.” So MacCarthy is “son of Carthach” and O’Neill “descendant of Niall.”
Is Liam an Irish name?
Yes. Liam is the Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish version of William, meaning “resolute protector.” It has been one of the most popular boys’ names in the US for years.
What is the Irish name for Ireland?
Ireland is Éire in Irish. The English name Erin comes from Éirinn, a grammatical form of the same word.