ABBÁN m IrishMeans
"little abbot", derived from Irish
abb "abbot" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint, the son of King Cormac of Leinster.
AILBHE f & m IrishPossibly derived from the old Irish root
albho meaning
"white" or
ail meaning
"rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
AODH m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyFrom the old Irish name
Áed, which meant
"fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as
Hugh.
AODHÁN m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyFrom the old Irish name
Áedán meaning
"little fire", a diminutive of
Áed (see
AODH). This was the name of an Irish monk and saint of the 7th century. It was also borne by several characters in Irish mythology.
AONGHUS m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyPossibly meaning
"one strength" derived from Irish
óen "one" and
gus "force, strength, energy". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed
Mac Og meaning "young son") was the Irish god of love and youth. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king and several Irish kings.
ARAN (1) f & m IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
ARDGHAL m IrishMeans
"high valour", derived from the Irish elements
ard "high" and
gal "valour".
BARRFHIONN m IrishMeans
"fair hair", derived from Gaelic
barr "head" and
fionn "white, fair".
BERACH m IrishDerived from Irish
biorach meaning
"sharp". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
BRÁDACH m IrishPossibly derived from a Gaelic word meaning
"large-chested".
BRENDAN m Irish, English, BretonFrom
Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Irish name
Bréanainn, which was derived from a Welsh word meaning
"prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
BRENNAN m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname derived from
Ó Braonáin meaning
"descendant of Braonán".
Braonán is a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop" (with a diminutive suffix).
BRIAN m English, Irish, Ancient IrishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the old Celtic element
bre meaning
"hill", or by extension
"high, noble". It was borne by the semi-legendary Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. The name was common in Ireland before his time, and even more so afterwards. It came into use in England in the Middle Ages, introduced by Breton settlers. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.
BROGAN m & f IrishDerived from Gaelic
bróg "shoe" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint
Patrick's scribe.
CAIRBRE m IrishMeans
"charioteer" in Irish. This was the name of two semi-legendary high kings of Ireland.
CAOLÁN m IrishFrom Irish
caol meaning
"slender" combined with the diminutive suffix
án.
CARROLL m IrishAnglicized form of
CEARBHALL. A famous bearer of the surname was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
CÁRTHACH m IrishMeans
"loving" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
CASEY m & f English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cathasaigh meaning
"descendant of CATHASACH". This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case,
Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.
CATHAIR m IrishPossibly means
"battle man" from Irish
cath "battle" and
fer "man".
CATHAL m IrishDerived from Irish
cath "battle" and
fál "ruler". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
CATHÁN m IrishDerived from Irish
cath "battle" combined with a diminutive suffix.
CEALLACH m IrishIrish name of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
ceallach "war, strife" or
ceall "church".
CENNÉTIG m IrishOld Irish byname meaning
"armoured head" or
"misshapen head". This was the name of an Irish king, the father of
Brian Boru.
CIAN m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"ancient" in Irish. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of
Brian Boru.
CIANÁN m IrishDiminutive of
CIAN. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish saint.
CIAR m IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning
"black".
CIARÁN m IrishDiminutive of
CIAR. This was the name of two Irish saints: Saint Ciarán the Elder, the patron of the Kingdom of Munster, and Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, the founder of a monastery in the 6th century.
CILLIAN m IrishProbably from Gaelic
ceall meaning
"church" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelized in Franconia. He was martyred in Würzburg.
CINÁED m Scottish, IrishMeans
"born of fire" in Gaelic. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth.
CLANCY m Irish, English (Rare)From the Irish surname
Mac Fhlannchaidh, which means
"son of Flannchadh". The Irish name
Flannchadh means "red warrior".
COLMÁN m IrishDiminutive of
Colm (see
COLUM). This was the name of a large number of Irish saints.
COLUM m IrishIrish form of
COLUMBA. This is also an Old Irish word meaning "dove", derived from Latin
columba.
COLUMBAN m IrishPossibly an Irish diminutive of
COLUMBA. Alternatively, it may be derived from Old Irish
colum "dove" and
bán "white". The 7th-century Saint Columban of Leinster was the founder of several monasteries in Europe.
COMHGHALL m IrishMeans
"joint pledge" from Irish
comh "together" and
gall "pledge".
COMHGHÁN m IrishMeans
"born together" from Irish
comh "together" and
gan "born".
CONALL m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeans
"strong wolf" in Irish. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged
Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.
CONAN m IrishMeans
"little wolf" or
"little hound" from Irish
cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
CONLETH m IrishModern form of the old Irish name
Conláed, possibly meaning
"chaste fire" from Irish
connla "chaste" and
aodh "fire". Saint Conláed was a 5th-century bishop of Kildare.
CONOR m Irish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Irish name
Conchobar, derived from Old Irish
con "hound, dog, wolf" and
cobar "desiring". It has been in use in Ireland for centuries and was the name of several Irish kings. It was also borne by the legendary Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa, known for his tragic desire for
Deirdre.
CORMAC m IrishPossibly derived from Irish Gaelic
corb "raven" or "wheel" and
mac "son". This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Ireland.
CUÁN m IrishMeans
"little wolf" or
"little hound" from the Irish element
cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix.
CUIMÍN m IrishPossibly from Celtic
cam meaning
"bent, crooked". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
DÁIRE m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"fruitful, fertile" in Irish. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief who reneged on his promise to loan the Brown Bull of Cooley to
Medb, starting the war between Connacht and Ulster as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
DÁITHÍ m IrishPossibly means
"swift" in Irish. It is sometimes used as an Irish form of
David.
DÁLACH m IrishDerived from Irish
dál meaning
"assembly".
DALEY m & f Irish, English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Dálaigh meaning
"descendant of Dálach". The name
Dálach means "assembly" in Gaelic.
DAMHÁN m IrishMeans
"fawn" from Gaelic
damh "stag, ox" combined with a diminutive suffix.
DARA (1) m IrishFrom the Irish
Mac Dara, which means
"son of oak". This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara. It is also used as an Anglicized form of
DÁIRE.
DECLAN m IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Deaglán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to Ireland.
DESMOND m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Deasmhumhain meaning
"South Munster", originally indicating a person who came from that region in Ireland.
DIARMAID m Irish, Irish MythologyPerhaps means
"without envy" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of a warrior who became the lover of
Gráinne. It was also the name of several ancient Irish kings.
DORAN m IrishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Deoráin meaning
"descendant of Deoradhán". The name
Deoradhán means "exile, wanderer" in Gaelic.
DOUGAL m Scottish, IrishAnglicized form of the Gaelic name
Dubhghall, which meant
"dark stranger" from
dubh "dark" and
gall "stranger".
DOYLE m IrishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Dubhghaill meaning
"descendant of Dubhghall" (see
DOUGAL). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
DRISCOLL m English (Rare), IrishFrom an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of
Ó Eidirsceóil meaning
"descendant of the messenger".
DUANE m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Ó Dubhán meaning
"descendant of DUBHÁN".
DUBHÁN m IrishIrish name derived from
dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix.
ÉAMON m IrishVariant of
ÉAMONN. This name was borne by American-born Irish president Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), whose birth name was Edward.
ÉIBHEAR m Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. According to Irish legend this name belonged to two of the sons of Míl, Éibhear Dunn and Éibhear Finn, the first of the Gaels to conquer Ireland.
ÉNNA m IrishPossibly means
"bird-like" in Irish. This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany.
EOGHAN m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"born from the yew tree" in Irish, though it is possibly derived from
EUGENE. It was borne by several legendary or semi-legendary Irish figures, including a son of
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
ERSKINE m Scottish, Irish, English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from the name of a Scottish town meaning
"projecting height" in Gaelic. A famous bearer of the name was the Irish novelist and nationalist Erskine Childers (1870-1922).
FAOLÁN m IrishMeans
"little wolf", derived from Gaelic
fáel "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint who did missionary work in Scotland.
FEARDORCHA m IrishMeans
"dark man" from Irish
fear "man" and
dorcha "dark".
FEARGHAL m IrishMeans
"man of valour", derived from the Irish elements
fear "man" and
gal "valour". This was the name of an 8th-century king of Ireland.
FEARGHAS m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeans
"man of vigour", derived from the Irish elements
fear "man" and
gus "vigour". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend including the Ulster hero Fearghas mac Róich.
FECHÍN m IrishMeans
"little raven" from Irish
fiach "raven" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint of the 7th century who died of the yellow plague.
FIACHNA m IrishDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". This was the name of a king in Irish legend.
FIACHRA m Irish, Irish MythologyDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of
Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners, a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France.
FINNEGAN m Irish, English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Fionnagáin meaning
"descendant of Fionnagán". The name
Fionnagán is a diminutive of
FIONN. This was the name of a character in James Joyce's novel
Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called
Finnegan's Wake.
FINNIAN m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white". This was the name of several Irish saints.
FINTAN m Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means either
"white fire" or
"white bull" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
FIONN m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Irish
fionn (older Irish
finn) meaning
"fair" or
"white". Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary Irish hero who became all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon. He fought against the giant Fomors with his son
Oisín and grandson
Oscar.
FIONNBHARR m IrishMeans
"fair hair", derived from Irish
fionn "white, fair" and
barr "head". Saint Fionnbharr of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Barry Islands off Wales were named for him.
FLAITHRÍ m IrishMeans
"king of princes" from Gaelic
flaith "prince" and
rí "king".
FLANN m & f IrishMeans
"red" in Irish Gaelic. This was the name of a 9th-century king of Tara in Ireland.
GARBHÁN m IrishMeans
"little rough one" from Irish
garbh "rough" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint.
GILROY m Irish, ScottishFrom an Irish surname, either
Mac Giolla Ruaidh, which means
"son of the red-haired servant", or
Mac Giolla Rí, which means
"son of the king's servant".
GOBÁN m IrishEither means
"little smith" from Irish
gobha "smith" combined with a diminutive suffix, or else derived from the name of the Irish god
GOIBNIU (which is also a derivative of
gobha).
GRADY m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Grádaigh meaning
"descendant of Grádaigh". The name
Grádaigh means "noble" in Gaelic.
IARFHLAITH m IrishComposed of the Irish elements
ior, of unknown meaning, and
flaith "lord". Saint Iarfhlaith was a 6th-century bishop from Galway, Ireland.
IVOR m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was derived from the elements
yr "yew, bow" and
arr "warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
KEEGAN m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac Aodhagáin, which means
"descendant of Aodhagán". The given name
Aodhagán is a double diminutive of
AODH.
KELLY m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
CEALLACH or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
KENNEDY f & m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cinnéidigh meaning
"descendant of CENNÉTIG". The name is often given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
KEVIN m English, Irish, French (Modern), Spanish (Modern), German (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern), Danish (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Caoimhín meaning
"handsome birth", derived from the older
Cóemgein, composed of the Old Irish elements
cóem "kind, gentle, handsome" and
gein "birth". Saint Caoimhín established a monastery in Glendalough, Ireland in the 6th century and is the patron saint of Dublin. It became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland in the middle of the 20th century, and elsewhere in Europe in the late 20th century.
LACHTNA m IrishMeans
"milk-coloured" in Irish Gaelic. According to legend this was the name of an ancestor of the Irish king
Brian Boru.
LOMMÁN m IrishMeans
"little bare one", derived from Irish Gaelic
lomm "bare" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a nephew of Saint
Patrick.
LONÁN m IrishMeans
"little blackbird", derived from Irish Gaelic
lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix.
LORCÁN m IrishMeans
"little fierce one", derived from Irish Gaelic
lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.
LUGHAIDH m Irish, Irish MythologyDerived from the name of the Irish god
LUGH. This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lughaidh mac Con.
MAINCHÍN m IrishMeans
"little monk", derived from Irish
manach "monk" combined with a diminutive suffix.
MUIRCHERTACH m IrishMeans
"mariner" in Gaelic. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish high king.
MUIREDACH m IrishMeans
"lord" in Irish. This was the name of several legendary and historical kings of Ireland.
NAOISE m Irish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown, presumably of Gaelic origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who eloped with
Deirdre, the beloved of
Conchobhar the king of Ulster. Conchobhar eventually succeeded in having Naoise murdered, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.
NAOMHÁN m Irish, ScottishMeans
"little saint", derived from Irish
naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
NEIL m Irish, Scottish, EnglishFrom the Gaelic name
Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly meaning
"champion" or
"cloud". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century Irish king, Niall of the Nine Hostages.
... [more] NINIAN m Scottish, Irish, Ancient CelticMeaning unknown. It appears in a Latinized form
Niniavus, which could be from the Welsh name
NYNNIAW. This was the name of a 5th-century British saint who was apparently responsible for many miracles and cures. He is known as the Apostle to the Picts.
NOLAN m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Nualláin meaning
"descendant of NUALLÁN". The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer of this name.
ODHRÁN m IrishMeans
"little pale green one", derived from Irish
odhra "pale green, sallow" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a saint who travelled with Saint Columba through Scotland.
OISÍN m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"little deer", derived from Irish
os "deer" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhail.
OSCAR m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Gaelic
os "deer" and
cara "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
OSGAR or its Old Norse cognate
ÁSGEIRR, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhail.
... [more] PATRICK m Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Latin name
Patricius, which meant
"nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint.
... [more] QUINN m & f Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cuinn meaning
"descendant of CONN".
REAGAN f & m English (Modern), IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Ríagáin meaning
"descendant of RIAGÁN". This surname was borne by American president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).