Irish Boy Names Starting with F

Faolan, in Irish Faolán, is an old Irish name meaning “little wolf.” It is a diminutive of faol, a literary Irish word for a wolf, and Patrick Woulfe’s Irish Names and Surnames (1923) records it as the name of fourteen Irish saints.

No. 170 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 29 baby boys.

Feidhlim is a short form of Feidhlimidh, the later spelling of the Old Irish name Feidlimid; its English forms include Phelim and Felim. Woulfe records that the name is explained as meaning “the ever good”; Behind the Name calls this the traditional meaning and suggests a link with the Old Irish feidil, “enduring, constant.”

No. 468 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 7 baby boys.

Feilim is another spelling of Feidhlim, meaning “ever good.” Say it FAIL-im.

No. 402 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 9 baby boys.

Ferdia, also spelled Fer Diad, is a warrior in the Ulster Cycle of Irish legend. His name’s meaning is uncertain: the first part is fer, “man,” and the whole has been read as “man of smoke,” “man of the pair” or “man of two feet.”

No. 348 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 11 baby boys.

Fergal comes from the Old Irish fer “man” and gal “valor,” so “man of valor” or “brave man.” Fearghal is the modern Irish spelling, and Farrell is another English form. Patrick Woulfe described it in 1923 as an ancient and once very common name, especially among families such as the O’Farrells, O’Neills and O’Rourkes.

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2023.

Fergus is an Old Irish name usually explained as “man of vigour,” from fer, “man,” and guss, “vigour, strength, force.” Patrick Woulfe, writing in 1923, traced it instead to an ancient Celtic form meaning roughly “super-choice.” The modern Irish spellings are Fearghas and Fearghus, and Woulfe notes ten saints of the name in the Martyrology of Donegal.

No. 829 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 3 baby boys.

Finbar comes from the Irish Fionnbharr, made from fionn, “fair,” and barr, “head,” so it means “fair head.” It is the name of several Irish saints, above all St Finbar of Cork, and its short form Barra is anglicised as Barry.

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2024.

Fintan, in Irish Fionntán, is an old Irish name of debated meaning. Patrick Woulfe explained it as a diminutive of fionn, “fair,” so roughly “little fair one,” while Behind the Name suggests “white fire” or “white ancient.” Woulfe counts more than twenty Irish saints of the name, one of the most celebrated being St Fintan of Clonenagh.

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2024.

Fionn is an ancient Irish name meaning “white” or “fair.” It comes from the Old Irish finn, which meant white, bright or fair, especially of hair and complexion, and in modern Irish fionn still means white or fair. Finn, the Old Irish form, is also used as a spelling of the name.

No. 6 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 321 baby boys.

Francis in Irish is Proinsias, meaning “Frenchman.” Say it PRON-she-iss.

No. 309 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 14 baby boys.

Frank in Irish is Proinsias, meaning “Frenchman.” Say it PRON-she-iss.

No. 286 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 15 baby boys.