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Best Irish Names for Baby Boys and Girls

Irish newborn baby
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Do you perhaps have a little Irish in you and want to connect your baby to their roots? Or perhaps you like the way a particular Irish name sounds, and pairs perfectly with your surname? Whatever the reason for wanting to give your baby an Irish name, one thing you can be sure of is it’ll have a rich history and a powerful meaning behind it!
So, let’s take a look at 60 of the best Irish baby names for girls and boys.

Top 10 Irish Baby Boy Names

Cian

Pronounced either ‘Keen’ or ‘Kee-un’, it means ‘ancient’. A figure in Irish mythology, Cian could transform himself into a pig.

Cillian

Pronounced ‘Kill-ian’, it means ‘little church’.

Darragh

Used predominantly as a boys name but can be gender-neutral, Darragh (pronounced Da-ra) means ‘oak’.

Eamon

Pronounced ‘Ey-mun’, it means ‘wealthy protector’.

Fiachra

Pronounced ‘Fee-uh-cra’, it means ‘raven’ or ‘hunter king’.

Finn

Meaning ‘fair’ or ‘white’. It invokes a call back to Finn McCool, the mythical giant said to live in Northern Ireland.

Iarla

Pronounced ‘Earl-a’, it unsurprisingly means ‘earl’.

Niall

Pronounced ‘Nile’, like the famous river in Egypt. Niall means ‘champion’ or ‘passion’.

Ruairi

Can be pronounced ‘Roo-ar-ee’ or ‘Rory’, and has multiple alternate spellings. Ruairi means ‘great king’.

Rowan

Also a Scottish name, Rowan is a nature-centric name, and can also be gender-neutral. It means ‘red haired’.

Top 10 Irish Baby Girl Names

Aisling

Pronounced ‘Ash-lin’, it means ‘imagination’.

Brianna

Means ‘noble’ or ‘high’.

Fionnuala

Pronounced ‘fin-oola’, it means ‘fair shoulder’.

Imogen

In Gaelic, Imogen means ‘maiden’ and in Latin origin, it means ‘innocent’.

Kayleigh

An alternate spelling is also ‘Kayley’. Which means ‘slim’ or ‘beautiful figure’.

Kiara

Pronounced ‘Kee-ar-uh’ (unlike the similar ‘Ciara’ which is pronounced ‘Keer-a’) it means ‘light’ or ‘clear’.

Maeve

Means ‘the intoxicating one’ or ‘the one who rules’.

Nessa

In Greek, Nessa means ‘pure’ or ‘holy’, but can also mean ‘rough’ or ‘not gentle’.

Roisin

Pronounced ‘Ro-sheen’, it means ‘rose’.

Shannon

Meaning ‘old river’ or ‘mystical river’, Shannon is the Anglicised version of ‘Sionainn’.

10 Unusual Irish Baby Boy Names

Aengus

The Irish alternative to ‘Angus’.

Ailill

Means ‘elf’ in Old Irish.

Caelan

Pronounced ‘Kay-len’, it means ‘victorious’

Conlan

Conlan means ‘hero’.

Eion

An alternative to ‘John’ and pronounced ‘Ee-on’.

Lorcan

Lorcan means ‘fierce’.

Mannix

Mannix means ‘little monk’.

Oisin

Oisin is pronounced ‘O-sheen’ and means ‘small deer’.

Phelan

Phelan means ‘like a wolf’.

Tor

Tor is the Irish version of ‘Thor’, aka the God of Thunder

10 Unusual Irish Baby Girl Names:

Aibreann

Aribreann means ‘April’ in Irish.

Calla

A name of Greek origin meaning ‘beauty’.

Cliodhna

Pronounced ‘Klee-na’ or ‘Klee-oh-na’ and means ‘shapely’.

Elva

Elva means ‘bright’ or ‘noble’

Ita

Ita is pronounced ‘Ee-ta’, it means ‘thirst’.

Iseult

Iseult is pronounced ‘Is-ult’ and means ‘iron ruler’.

Mab

Mab is an Irish name which means ‘joy’ or ‘funny’.

Oona

Oona is a name of Gaelic origin that means ‘lamb’.

Sorcha

Sorcha is pronounced ‘Sor-ka’, it means ‘bright’.

Tierney

Tierney is an Irish name that means ‘lord’.

Popular Irish Baby Names By Year

Despite the above names steeped in Irish history and meaning, the most popular names used in Ireland are actually rather different. For the past ten years, ‘Jack’ and ‘Emily’ have by far been the most popular names given to babies in Ireland. Two other Irish baby names have overtaken them on just one occasion: ‘James’ and ‘Grace’.

2021: Jack and Emily

2020: Jack and Grace

2019: Jack and Emily

2018: Jack and Emily

2017: Jack and Emily

2016: James and Emily

2015: Jack and Emily

2014: Jack and Emily

2013: Jack and Emily

2012: Jack and Emily

2011: Jack and Emily

See what we mean? This means there are more Jacks and Emilys in Ireland than kids with any other name! So, if you’re looking for inspiration for a unique baby name, why not consider some of the other more uncommon and unusual names in our list? Or if not, Jack and Emily are still solid names!

Meaning of Popular Irish Baby Names

They may be commonly used, but the most popular boys and girls names in Ireland still have meaning behind them:

Irish Baby Boy Names:

Jack – Means ‘God is gracious’.

James – Means ‘supplanter’.

Noah – Means ‘rest’.

Daniel – Means ‘God is my judge’.

Conor – Means ‘lover of hounds’.

Irish Baby Girl Names:

Grace – Means ‘God’s grace’.

Fiadh – Means ‘deer’.

Emily – Means ‘rival’.

Sophie – Means ‘wisdom’.

Ava – Means ‘guarantee’.

What To Consider When Choosing An Irish Name…

If choosing an Irish name is important to you, there are a few points to consider. For example, if the history and meaning is something you want to consider when picking a baby name out, then we’ve got a list below of Irish origin baby names you could use!

Many believe if you give your baby a name associated with strength they’ll grow up to be strong…so maybe that’s something to consider! Or if given a name associated with beauty, they’ll be beautiful!
It’s also worth noting that many people outside of Ireland may struggle with pronunciation, as many Irish names are Gaelic in origin. However, it doesn’t take long to educate people on the correct pronunciation!

How To Pronounce Irish Names…

So far we’ve given you a little helping hand to understand the pronunciation of some Irish origin baby names, but below are a few trickier names that people can struggle with:

Aoife – Pronounced ‘Ee-fa’.

Caoimhe – Pronounced ‘Kwee-va’.

Eoghan – Pronounced ‘Owen’.

Dearbhla – Pronounced ‘Derv-la’.

Grainne – Pronounced ‘Graw-nya’

Niamh – Pronounced ‘Neev’.

Pádraig – Pronounced ‘Paw-drig’.

Saoirse – Pronounced ‘Sir-sha’.

Sinead – Pronounced ‘Shin-ade’.

Tadgh – Pronounced ‘Tig’.

We hope you’ve found some of the best Irish names for baby boys and girls! However, if you’re still looking for more baby names for your bundle of joy, then you can check out our other baby name blogs.

Is parenthood feeling a bit daunting? Head to our main Parenting hub page for more baby related content and other useful tips & hacks!

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