Irish Baby Boy Names C - D

NAME	PRONOUNCE	ENGLISH	DESCRIPTION	AUDIO
Cillian	"kil + e + an"	Killian	cille means "associated with the church." One St. Cillian left Ireland in about 650 AD with eleven companions and carried out his missionary work in the Rhine region of Germany where he became Bishop of Wurzburg after converting the local lord, Duke Gosbert of Wurzburg, to Christianity. Later Duke Gosbert married Geilana, his brother's widow and Cillian declared the marriage invalid. While Gosbert was away on a military expedition, Geilana had Cillian beheaded when she found that Gosbert was going to leave her because their marriage was forbidden by the Church. The city of Wurzburg still celebrates a festival of mystery plays each year, known as Killianfest.
Clearie, Cleary			cliareach "minstrel, scholar." A surname now used as a given name.
Clooney			Derived from the Irish word cluain meaning "a green plain or pasture" or may mean "an intriguing rogue" – does "blarney" come into it?
Coilin	"koh + lin"	Colin	From coll "chieftan" and the diminutive -in and would mean "little chieftan."
Colm, Colum, Colmcille, Columb, Columba			A Gaelic form of the Latin columba meaning "dove." St. Columba of Iona or Colmcille colm + cille or "dove of the church" was a prince of the O'Neill clan, a great poet and scholar. When Columba copied a book belonging to a monastery the abbott claimed it. Columba refused. His royal relatives got involved and a battle ensued. The High King decided in the abbott's favor "To every cow it's calf, to every book it's little book" and Columba was exiled to Iona – the closest place from which he could not see Ireland. His monks created "The Book of Kells" and he himself may have illuminated some of the manuscripts. Born in 521 AD, by the age of 25 he has founded 27 monasteries and 40 churches in Ireland, before setting up a monastery on the island of Iona, and from there he christianised Scotland and northern England.
Colman			From the same root as Colm, it means "little dove" and has developed into a seperate name from Colm and there are said to be 350 saints of the name. St. Colman of Kilmacduagh, lived as a recluse until his meeting with the king of Connacht. As the king was sitting down to dinner on an Easter Sunday the feast was miracously whipped from in front of his eyes and when he and his servants followed it they found Colman, weak after his Lenten fast, devouring the food.
Conall, Connall	"kun + al"	Connell	Means friendship or could be from con "a hound," as applied to a swift-footed warrior, and all "great, mighty." In legend Conall Cearnach ("Conall the Victorious"), one of the mightiest warrior heros in the Red Branch Knights, the forerunners of the Knights of the Round Table, avenged the death of his foster brother Cuchulainn (read the legend). It was also believed that he was in the Holy Land when Christ was crucified. Every nation on earth was reputedly represented and Conall Cearnach was Ireland's representative and it is further believed that he was one of the people who put their shoulders to the rock that covered the entrance to Christ's tomb and rolled it back on that first Easter morning.
Conan			An old name from con "a hound" or "swift-footed warrior" and in the form conan means "little warrior." Conan Maol ("Bald Conan") was one of the warrior-band, the Fianna (read the legend).
Conchob har	"con + r"	Conor, Connor	Means "lover of hounds." Conchobhar MacNessa was the king of Ulster and, according to legend, was born on the same day as Christ. Conchobhar, an uncle of Cuchulainn (read the legend), loved Deirdre and wished to marry her. But she fled with his nephew Naoise and his brothers. Conchobhar gave chase and althought he promised to forgive them, he killed Naoise and her abductors. In the battle a sling-shot lodged in his brain which doctors could not remove and on hearing of the crucifixion of Christ he over-exerted himself in his rage and the sling-shot fell out and he died. In 2003 it was the fourth most popular baby name for boys in Ireland.
Conlaoch, Conleth, Connla, Conla			From conn "chief" + laoch "hero" meaning "highest chief." One of the earliest holders of the name was the son of Cuchulainn (read the legend) and Aoife and in mythology "Conlaoch's Well" was the source of great inspiration and knowledge, for "The Salmon of Knowledge" (read the legend) swam in its waters. The salmon had eaten the magical nuts that fell from the nine hazel trees that grew above the well so whosoever ate the salmon received its great powers.
Cormac, Cormack, Cormick			From old Irish corbmac "son of the charioteer." Cormac Mac Airt was probably the most famous of the ancient kings of Ireland. As the ruler of Tara, the seat of the high kings of Ireland, for forty years (probably 227-266 AD), he was famous for his wise, true and generous judgments. Cormac owned the wonderful gold cup given to him by the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir. If three lies were spoken over it, it would break in three; three truths made it whole again. Cormac used this cup during his kingship to distinguish falsehood from truth and when he died, the cup vanished. It was a very popular name in early Ireland and is still used today.
Cronan, Cronin			cron "brown, sallow, dark-skinned." The seventh-century St. Cronan built a monastery in a very remote area of his native County Tipperary but travellers lost their way trying to find the hospitable Cronan. Saddened by this he built a new monastery closer to the roadside which became the modern town of Roscrea. He was known for his generosity to the poor and to travellers.
Daire	"di + re"	Darragh, Daragh, Dara (pron. "da + ra")	daire "fruitful, fertile." The Brown Bull of Cooley (read the legend) was owned by Daire Mac Fiachna, and his refusal to sell his bull to Queen Maebh was part of the reason for the fight between the provinces of Ulster and Connacht. At present it is a very popular name in Ireland with all four spellings and it is often used as a girl's name with the spellings Daire and Dara.
Daithi, Dahey, Dahy	"dah + hee"	David	It is an old Irish name meaning "swiftness, nimbleness." Daithi, the last pagan king of Ireland, ruled from 405 AD to 426 AD, and he had twenty-four sons. Along with Crimhthan the Great (366 A.D.) and Niall of the Nine Hostages (379 A.D.) (read the legend) Daithi led Irish fleets to raid the Roman Empire. He was killed by lightning in the Alps and is buried under a standing stone called "King Daithi’s Stone." As in all these matters there is debate over where the stone is located, either in County Roscommon or on the Aran Islands, off the coast of County Galway.
Dalaigh	"dawl + ee" or "dale + ee"	Daley, Daly	dalach meaning "frequenter of gatherings" and refers, therefore to a "counsellor." The Irish Parliament is known as the Dail (pron. "doyle"), which means "a gathering."
Darcy, Darcie, D"Arcy			From the surname O'Dorchaidhe "descendant of the dark one."
Davin			From damh + -in meaning "little deer."
Deaglan	"deck + lan"	Declan	From dag "good" and lan "full" suggesting "full of goodness." St. Declan was the founder of a monastery at Ardmore in County Waterford and may have preached in Ireland before the arrival of St. Patrick. Many miracles are attributed to a rock on the beach at Ardmore known as St. Declan's Stone. According to legend, on a trip back from Wales one of his disciples, Runanus, forgot Declan's sacred bell. But a prayer from Declan and, miraculously, the stone carried the bell over the waves back to Waterford.
Derry			"like an oak." It is often used as a short version of Derek and Dermot but can be a name in its own right. The city of Derry in Northern Ireland comes from Doire Colmcille, the name of a 6th century monastery.
Desmond			Meaning "one from Desmond," Desmond being an area of South Munster, one of the four provinces of Ireland. Popular diminutives are Des and Dessie.

Irish Christening Gowns/Outfits		Baby Clothing Collection		Galway Crystal Christening Cup		Silver/Pewter Baby Gifts
	All available at the Baby Gift Store