25 Traditional Irish Names

When you think about Irish names there are many to choose some, with some of the most popular being Ava, Hannah, James, and Conor.

But there is also a host of traditional Irish names they while they are not popular, they have the great history and meaning of Ireland going back hundreds of years.

Here are 25 Irish names and their traditions:

Siobhan

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Siobhan pronunciation, meaning and origin of the Irish girls name. How do you pronounce the Irish girls name Siobhan? What does the Irish name Siobhan mean? Siobhan is another Irish form of Joan meaning “God is gracious.” A popular name in Ireland where the anglicised versions are often used. Siobhan McKenna, an Irish actress who died in 1986, was considered by many as a woman who personified all that was good about being … Read more

Saoirse

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Saoirse How To Pronounce Saoirse? What does the Irish name Saoirse mean? Irish word saoirse “freedom, liberty”. It has only been used since the 1920s and has strong patriotic overtones. It has become a very popular baby girl name in Ireland in recent years. What is the Gender for the Irish name Saoirse? Girl | Female Is Saoirse a girls name? Yes, Saoirse is … Read more

Aedan

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Aedan. Listen and learn how to pronounce Aedan so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish boy name. MEANING: A diminutive form of the name Aed meaning “”fire”” and would imply “”born of fire.”” It became a popular name in honour of St. Aidan of Iona (c. 630 AD) who founded a famous monastery on the island of Lindisfarne which he used as a base to … Read more

Arthur

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Arthur. Listen and learn how to pronounce Arthur so you can get the correct pronunciation for this boy name. MEANING: In Ireland a seperate name from Arthur it comes from an ancient word for “”a bear,”” used in the sense of “”outstanding warrior”” or “”champion.”” A pagan High King of Ireland, Art’s rule was so honest that two angels hovered over him in battle. GENDER: Boy | Male IRISH … Read more

Aideen

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Aideen. Listen and learn how to pronounce Aideen so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish girl name. MEANING: Formed like Aidan from aed ”fire.” Aideen loved her husband Oscar, a grandson of Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend), so much that when he fell in battle she died of a broken heart. GENDER: Girl | Female IRISH NAME: Aideen PRONUNCIATION: ay + deen” ENGLISH: AUDIO: (Listen to … Read more

Aine

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Aine How do you pronounce Irish name AINE? What does the Irish name Aine mean? Ancient Irish name from the noun aine that means “splendor, radiance, brilliance”. Aine is connected with fruitfulness and prosperity. The queen of the Munster fairies was called Aine as was one of the wives of Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend). Aine appears in folktales as “the best-hearted woman who ever … Read more

Brandon

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Brandon. Listen and learn how to pronounce Brandon so you can get the correct pronunciation for this boy name. MEANING: There are at least seventeen saints who bear the name but St. Breandan the Navigator is probably the best known. Tradition has it that he was born in County Kerry, set sail in a small boat with a group of monks in the early 6th century, visited an island … Read more

Aoife

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Aoife HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IRISH NAME AOIFE? What does the Irish name Aoife mean? Beautiful, radiant, joyful.” Known as the greatest woman warrior in the world, Aoife was the mother of Cuchulainn’s (read the legend) only son, Connlach. Aoife Dearg (“Red Aoife”) was a daughter of a king of Connacht who had her marriage arranged by St. Patrick himself. In 2003 Aoife was … Read more

Beibhinn

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Beibhinn How do you pronounce Irish name Beibhinn? What does the Irish name Beibhinn mean? A blend of bean “woman, lady” and finn ”fair, white” originally described Viking women. Brian Boru’s (read the legend) mother was called Beibhinn and he named his daughter for her. In legend, the golden-haired giantess Beibhinn sought sanctuary with Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend) so she would not have to marry the … Read more

Brigid

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Brigid How To Pronounce Brigid? What is the meaning and origin of Brigid? The name Brigid from brigh meaning “power, vigour, virtue” epitomizes the Irish genius for layering old and new. The main female deity of the Celts, Brigid made the land fruitful and animals multiply, she blessed poets and blacksmiths. Her namesake St. Brigid of Kildare carried her powers into the Christian era. The stories … Read more

Colin

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Colin. Listen and learn how to pronounce Colin so you can get the correct pronunciation for this boy name. MEANING: From coll “”chieftan”” and the diminutive -in and would mean “”little chieftan.”” GENDER: Boy | Male IRISH NAME: Colin Coilin PRONUNCIATION: “koh + lin” ENGLISH: Colin Back to Irish Boy Names Around the Web: 23 popular Irish names and what they mean. Discover 15 Lucky Irish Baby Names For Your Little One! The … Read more

Caoimhe

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Caoimhe How To Pronounce Caoimhe? What is the meaning and origin of Caoimhe? From “gentle, beautiful, precious”. The same root as Kevin, the name has become very popular in Ireland with the original Irish spelling. In 2003 it was the twelfth most popular Irish girl name for baby girls. What is the Gender for the Irish name Caoimhe? Girl | Female Is Caoimhe a … Read more

Connor

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Connor. Listen and learn how to pronounce Connor so you can get the correct pronunciation for this boy name. MEANING: 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 … Read more

Cormac

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Cormac. Listen and learn how to pronounce Cormac so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish boy name. MEANING: 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 … Read more

Colleen

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Colleen. Listen and learn how to pronounce Colleen so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish girl name. MEANING: From the Irish cailin meaning “girl” and used by the Irish in the USA and Australia as a way of connecting to their Irish roots. GENDER: Girl | Female IRISH NAME: Colleen Coleen PRONUNCIATION: ENGLISH: AUDIO: (Listen to the late author Frank McCourt pronounce Colleen and read along with … Read more

Daireann

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Daireann. Listen and learn how to pronounce Daireann so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish girl name. MEANING: Meaning “fruitful, bountiful.” In legend, Daireann, a beautiful young woman, fell in love with Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend), a man with many wives. She asked to be his only wife for a year – and then to have the half of his time after that. … Read more

Eamon

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish boys name Eamon How do you pronounce Irish name Eamon? What does Eamon mean? Is the Irish form of Old English ead “rich” + mund “guardian”, and implies “guardian of the riches”. In more recent times the name has been given to honor Eamon De Valera who was President of Ireland for 14 years, the maximum allowed, from 1959 to 1973. What is the Gender for the Irish name Eamon? … Read more

Faolan

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish boys name Faolan How do you pronounce Irish name Faolan? What does the Irish name Faolan mean? Comes from the word faol “wolf”. The earliest record of the name seems to be for a follower of the warrior Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend) who was so loyal that he would have rescued Fionn from captivity, even from God himself. What is the Gender for the Irish name … Read more

Finbar

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the Irish name Finbar. Listen and learn how to pronounce Finbar so you can get the correct pronunciation for this Irish boy name. MEANING: Meaning “”fair-haired,”” the name has been popular since the sixth century when St. Finbar came to an area of Cork that was being tormented by a serpent. The people begged him to do something to help them. One night he went to where the serpent was sleeping … Read more

Kathleen

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Kathleen. Listen and learn how to pronounce Kathleen so you can get the correct pronunciation for this girl name. MEANING: Devotion to St. Catherine came to Ireland with Christianity. Revered for her courage and purity, Catherine in the Irish form, Cathleen, became such a popular name that W. B. Yeats chose it for the heroine of his 1899 play “The Countess Cathleen” which was inspired by an Irish folktale. … Read more

Keira

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Keira. Listen and learn how to pronounce Keira so you can get the correct pronunciation for this girl name. MEANING: The feminine form of Ciaran, from the Irish ciar meaning “dark” and implies “dark hair and brown eyes.” St. Ciara was a distinguished seventh-century figure who established a monastery at Kilkeary in County Tipperary. It was the fourth most popular baby girl name in Ireland in 2003. GENDER: Girl | Female … Read more

Mary

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Mary. Listen and learn how to pronounce Mary so you can get the correct pronunciation for this girl name. MEANING: The name that was used in Ireland for Our Lady was Muire and interestingly, her name was so honored that it was rarely used as a first name until the end of the fifteenth century. Then Maire became acceptable as a given name but the spelling Muire was reserved … Read more

Malachy

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Malachy. Listen and learn how to pronounce Malachy so you can get the correct pronunciation for this boy name. MEANING: A name with two sources, St. Malachi (1095-1148 AD) was the Bishop of Armagh who adopted the name from the Hebrew prophet “”Malachi”” whose name means “”my angel”” or “”messenger of God.”” It is also linked to the High King Maoilseachlainn “”devotee of St. Sechnall”” one of Saint Patrick’s … Read more

Neave

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning of the name Neave. Listen and learn how to pronounce Neave so you can get the correct pronunciation for this girl name. MEANING: niamh “radiance, lustre, brightness.” The daughter of the sea god Manannan she was known as “Niamh of the Golden Hair,” a beautiful princess riding on a white horse. She fell in love with Fionn’s son Oisin (read the legend of Niamh and Oisin) and lived with him in Tir-na-nOg … Read more

Niamh

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish girls name Niamh How do you pronounce Irish name Niamh? What does the Irish name Niamh mean? Niamh “radiance, lustre, brightness.” The daughter of the sea god Manannan. What is the Gender for the Irish name Niamh? Girl | Female Is Niamh a girls name? Yes, Niamh is traditionally given to a girl. How do you spell Niamh in Irish? It is spelled “Niamh”. How do … Read more

Padraig

Create Your Baby Registry Honor tradition and make it easy for loved ones to celebrate your little one. Start your Irish-inspired baby registry today. Start Your Registry Meaning, pronunciation and origin of the Irish boys name Padraig How is Padraig pronounced? What does the Irish name Padraig mean? From the Latin patricius “nobly born”. The patron saint of Ireland, it is hard to differentiate between fact and myth. What is probably true is that he was born in Britain around 373 AD and was brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of seven, possibly by Niall of the Nine Hostages (read … Read more