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.
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