Girl's name
Éabha Murphy
In Irish: Éabha Ní Mhurchú
Say it: AY-va
Meaning: “life”
Surname: Murphy: descendant of Murchadh, a name meaning “sea warrior”
In Ogham:᚛ᚓᚐᚁᚆᚐ᚜
No. 2 for girls in Ireland in 2025
Irish Name Generator
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Type a first name to find its Irish form, with how to say it and what it means.
How the name generator works
Every name is one of the 203 Irish names on this site (102 for girls, 101 for boys), each with its own page: how to say it, what it means, and its history in Ireland. “Popular in Ireland now” spins only names in the top 100 for 2025 in the Central Statistics Office’s baby names tables; “Rare finds” are names fewer than three babies were given that year. The surnames are the 20 most common in Ireland, shown in English and in Irish, and the first name is written in Ogham, Ireland’s oldest alphabet.
The 20 most common Irish surnames, in Irish
In Irish, a surname changes depending on who carries it: Ó or Mac for a son, Ní or Nic for a daughter. Here are Ireland’s most common surnames with their Irish forms.
| Surname | For a boy | For a girl | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murphy | Ó Murchú | Ní Mhurchú | Descendant of Murchadh, a name meaning “sea warrior” |
| Kelly | Ó Ceallaigh | Ní Cheallaigh | Descendant of Ceallach, a name meaning “strife” |
| O'Sullivan | Ó Súilleabháin | Ní Shúilleabháin | Descendant of Súilleabhán, possibly “dark-eyed” or “hawk-eyed” |
| Walsh | Breathnach | Bhreathnach | “Welshman” or “Briton” |
| Smith | Mac Gabhann | Nic Gabhann | “son of the smith” |
| O'Brien | Ó Briain | Ní Bhriain | Descendant of Brian, as in Brian Boru |
| Byrne | Ó Broin | Ní Bhroin | Descendant of Bran |
| Ryan | Ó Riain | Ní Riain | Descendant of Rian, possibly meaning “king” |
| O'Connor | Ó Conchúir | Ní Chonchúir | Descendant of Conchobhar |
| O'Neill | Ó Néill | Ní Néill | Descendant of Niall |
| O'Reilly | Ó Raghallaigh | Ní Raghallaigh | Descendant of Raghallach |
| Doyle | Ó Dubhghaill | Ní Dhubhghaill | Descendant of Dubhghall, “dark-haired foreigner” |
| McCarthy | Mac Cárthaigh | Nic Cárthaigh | Son of Cárthach, a name meaning “loving” |
| Gallagher | Ó Gallchóir | Ní Ghallchóir | Descendant of Gallchobhar, “foreign help” |
| Doherty | Ó Dochartaigh | Ní Dhochartaigh | Descendant of Dochartach, a name meaning “hurtful” |
| Kennedy | Ó Cinnéide | Ní Chinnéide | Descendant of Cinnéide, “adorned head” |
| Lynch | Ó Loingsigh | Ní Loingsigh | Descendant of Loingseach, “mariner” |
| Murray | Ó Muireadhaigh | Ní Mhuireadhaigh | Descendant of Muireadhach, “chieftain” |
| Quinn | Ó Cuinn | Ní Chuinn | Descendant of Conn |
| Moore | Ó Mórdha | Ní Mhórdha | Descendant of Mórdha, “majestic” |
Source: Wikipedia, most common surnames in Ireland, drawing on MacLysaght and Woulfe.
Questions about Irish names and surnames
- What is the most common surname in Ireland?
- Murphy, written Ó Murchú in Irish. Kelly (Ó Ceallaigh) and O'Sullivan (Ó Súilleabháin) come next.
- What do Ó and Mac mean in Irish surnames?
- Mac means “son of” and Ó means “descendant of,” so Ó Briain (O'Brien) is a descendant of Brian and Mac Cárthaigh (McCarthy) a son of Cárthach. Many families dropped the O' or Mac in English, which is why Ryan, Byrne and Quinn have none.
- Why is an Irish surname different for a girl?
- In Irish, a daughter uses Ní instead of Ó and Nic instead of Mac, and the next letter usually takes an h: Murphy is Ó Murchú for a boy and Ní Mhurchú for a girl. Nic doesn't add the h before C or G (Nic Cárthaigh). A woman who takes her husband's surname traditionally uses Uí or Mhic, as in Uí Mhurchú.
- What is the most popular Irish name right now?
- Of the Irish names on this site, Éabha was the most popular for girls in Ireland in 2025 (No. 2) and Rían for boys (No. 1), according to the Central Statistics Office. Choose “Popular in Ireland now” to spin only names in the top 100.