Clodagh: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Clodagh is an Irish girl’s name taken from the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Gender
- Girl
- Also spelled
- Cloda
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 47 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Clodagh?
Clodagh is pronounced CLO-da. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. Other spellings: Cloda.
What does Clodagh mean?
Clodagh is an Irish girl’s name taken from the Clodiagh (An Chlóideach), a small river in County Waterford. It was first used as a given name for Lady Clodagh Beresford (1879–1957), daughter of the 5th Marquess of Waterford, who was named after the river, which flows through the family’s Curraghmore estate.
The river rises in Lough Coumduala in the Comeragh Mountains and joins the River Suir just outside Portlaw. Its name is old: logainm.ie records it as “Clodagh” as early as 1307, but gives no meaning for it. Lady Clodagh later married Claud Anson and is also known as Lady Clodagh Anson, a philanthropist and writer.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, logainm.ie.
How popular is Clodagh in Ireland?
In 2025, 100 baby girls in Ireland were named Clodagh, which made it No. 47 that year. It was most popular in 2009, when 224 baby girls were named Clodagh, No. 34 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 25 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | No. 47 (Clodagh) |
| 2024 | 115 | No. 42 (Clodagh) |
| 2023 | 101 | No. 54 (Clodagh) |
| 2022 | 104 | No. 52 (Clodagh) |
| 2021 | 142 | No. 40 (Clodagh) |
| 2020 | 117 | No. 46 (Clodagh) |
| 2019 | 122 | No. 50 (Clodagh) |
| 2018 | 129 | No. 45 (Clodagh) |
| 2017 | 129 | No. 49 (Clodagh) |
| 2016 | 127 | No. 51 (Clodagh) |
| 2015 | 130 | No. 50 (Clodagh) |
| 2014 | 144 | No. 44 (Clodagh) |
| 2013 | 133 | No. 50 (Clodagh) |
| 2012 | 128 | No. 54 (Clodagh) |
| 2011 | 168 | No. 44 (Clodagh) |
| 2010 | 195 | No. 39 (Clodagh) |
| 2009 | 224 | No. 34 (Clodagh) |
| 2008 | 178 | No. 44 (Clodagh) |
| 2007 | 199 | No. 39 (Clodagh) |
| 2006 | 161 | No. 40 (Clodagh) |
| 2005 | 152 | No. 42 (Clodagh) |
| 2004 | 153 | No. 41 (Clodagh) |
| 2003 | 125 | No. 46 (Clodagh) |
| 2002 | 127 | No. 45 (Clodagh) |
| 2001 | 129 | No. 42 (Clodagh) |
| 2000 | 135 | No. 39 (Clodagh) |
| 1999 | 127 | No. 38 (Clodagh) |
| 1998 | 114 | No. 39 (Clodagh) |
| 1997 | 125 | No. 49 (Clodagh) |
| 1996 | 118 | No. 48 (Clodagh) |
| 1995 | 128 | No. 47 (Clodagh) |
| 1994 | 90 | No. 61 (Clodagh) |
| 1993 | 97 | No. 59 (Clodagh) |
| 1992 | 83 | No. 76 (Clodagh) |
| 1991 | 82 | No. 81 (Clodagh) |
| 1990 | 66 | No. 99 (Clodagh) |
| 1989 | 65 | No. 106 (Clodagh) |
| 1988 | 48 | No. 122 (Clodagh) |
| 1987 | 46 | No. 132 (Clodagh) |
| 1986 | 66 | No. 102 (Clodagh) |
| 1985 | 35 | No. 159 (Clodagh) |
| 1984 | 39 | No. 157 (Clodagh) |
| 1983 | 48 | No. 142 (Clodagh) |
| 1982 | 43 | No. 151 (Clodagh) |
| 1981 | 65 | No. 119 (Clodagh) |
| 1980 | 61 | No. 125 (Clodagh) |
| 1979 | 71 | No. 113 (Clodagh) |
| 1978 | 74 | No. 110 (Clodagh) |
| 1977 | 96 | No. 85 (Clodagh) |
| 1976 | 70 | No. 113 (Clodagh) |
| 1975 | 98 | No. 82 (Clodagh) |
| 1974 | 99 | No. 85 (Clodagh) |
| 1973 | 101 | No. 85 (Clodagh) |
| 1972 | 90 | No. 91 (Clodagh) |
| 1971 | 98 | No. 85 (Clodagh) |
| 1970 | 81 | No. 95 (Clodagh) |
| 1969 | 59 | No. 116 (Clodagh) |
| 1968 | 29 | No. 164 (Clodagh) |
| 1967 | 29 | No. 154 (Clodagh) |
| 1966 | 27 | No. 160 (Clodagh) |
| 1965 | 13 | No. 209 (Clodagh) |
| 1964 | 25 | No. 149 (Clodagh) |
Clodagh 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 Clodagh, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- LLuis, rowan
- OOnn, gorse
- DDair, oak
- AAilm, pine
- GGort, ivy
- HUath, hawthorn
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Clodagh
Questions about Clodagh
- How do you pronounce Clodagh?
- Clodagh is pronounced CLO-da, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Clodagh mean?
- Clodagh is an Irish girl’s name taken from the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford.
- Is Clodagh a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Clodagh is a girl's name.
- How popular is Clodagh in Ireland?
- In 2025, Clodagh was No. 47 for girls in Ireland, with 100 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2009, at No. 34.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA60 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Behind the Name, Wikipedia and logainm.ie. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com