Ailbe: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Ailbe is an Irish boy's name meaning “white.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- White
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Alby
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 676 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Ailbe?
Ailbe is pronounced ALL-bay. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Ailbe mean?
From an old Irish word meaning “white”, the 6th century St. Ailbe was associated with the monastery at Emly in County Tipperary. The local people requested that he bless a river that had no fish. St. Ailbe did and that very day the river was filled with an abundance of fish. The people built five churches in St. Ailbe’s honor at the best fishing spots along the river. Ailbe may be used for a boy or a girl.
How popular is Ailbe in Ireland?
In 2025, 4 baby boys in Ireland were named Ailbe, which made it No. 676 that year. That's up from No. 699 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1967, when 3 baby boys were named Ailbe, No. 265 that year. The most babies got the name in 2019: 9. It first appears in the records in 1967, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | No. 676 |
| 2024 | 5 | No. 582 |
| 2022 | 3 | No. 779 |
| 2020 | 5 | No. 556 |
| 2019 | 9 | No. 402 |
| 2018 | 5 | No. 572 |
| 2017 | 3 | No. 710 |
| 2016 | 3 | No. 713 |
| 2015 | 3 | No. 699 |
| 2013 | 4 | No. 605 |
| 2010 | 3 | No. 720 |
| 1974 | 3 | No. 321 |
| 1967 | 3 | No. 265 |
Ailbe in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Ailbe, letter by letter.
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- LLuis, rowan
- BBeith, birch
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Ailbe
Questions about Ailbe
- How do you pronounce Ailbe?
- Ailbe is pronounced ALL-bay. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Ailbe mean?
- Ailbe means “white.”
- Is Ailbe a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Ailbe is a boy's name.
- What is Ailbe in English?
- The English form of Ailbe is Alby.
- How popular is Ailbe in Ireland?
- In 2025, Ailbe was No. 676 for boys in Ireland, with 4 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1967, at No. 265.