Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the language is Celtic; and the length is 4.
gender
usage
language
length
Áedh m Old Irish
Variant of Áed.
Afon f & m Welsh (Rare)
Means "river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
Aífe f Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Old Irish form of Aoife.
Áine f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Anne.
Alan m English, Scottish, Breton, French, Polish
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it could be of Brythonic origin meaning "little rock". Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.... [more]
Alby m Irish
Anglicized masculine form of Ailbhe.
Aled m Welsh
From the name of a Welsh river, of uncertain meaning.
Alis f Welsh
Welsh form of Alice.
Alun m Welsh
Welsh form of Alan. It is also the name of two rivers in Wales.
Anna f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary.... [more]
Aodh m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish 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.
Aran 1 m & f Irish
From the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
Beli m Welsh Mythology
Probably a Welsh derivative of Belenus. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
Bile m Irish Mythology
Possibly an Irish form of Belenus, though it may derive from an Irish word meaning "sacred tree, scion, hero". In Irish mythology this was the name of one of the Milesians who was drowned while invading Ireland.
Brân m Welsh Mythology
Means "raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Brân the Blessed (called Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure Llŷr. After his sister Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.
Bran 1 m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.
Bran 2 m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Brân. This is also the Middle Welsh form.
Bríd f Irish
Modern Irish form of Brighid.
Bron f Welsh
Short form of Bronwen.
Bryn m & f Welsh, English (Modern)
Means "hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see Brynn).
Cadi f Welsh
Short form of Catrin.
Cáel m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish cáel meaning "slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.
Cáit f Irish
Short form of Caitríona.
Ceri f & m Welsh
Meaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of Ceridwen; it could be derived from Welsh caru meaning "to love".
Cian m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of the father of Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of Brian Boru.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Cóem m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Caomh.
Colm m Irish
Variant of Colum.
Conn m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Perhaps from Old Irish conn meaning "sense, reason" or cenn meaning "head, chief". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.
Cúán m Old Irish
Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Old Irish meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 8th-century saint.
Dara 1 m Irish
Anglicized form of Dáire.
Dewi 1 m Welsh
Possibly from Dewydd, an Old Welsh form of David. Saint Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, was a 6th-century bishop of Mynyw. A later Welsh form of David was Dafydd, which was more common in the medieval period. Dewi was revived in the 19th century.
Éber m Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Éibhear.
Edel f Irish
In Ireland this name is given in honour of the Irish missionary Edel Quinn (1907-1944). She was named after the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum), which is derived from German edel "noble" and weiß "white".
Eira 1 f Welsh
Means "snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
Elen f Welsh, Armenian, Czech
Welsh and modern Armenian form of Helen, as well as a Czech variant form. This was the name of a 4th-century Welsh saint, traditionally said to be the wife of the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus. According to the Welsh legend The Dream of Macsen Wledig (Macsen Wledig being the Welsh form of Magnus Maximus), she convinced her husband to build the roads in Wales.
Elin f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh
Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen.
Elva 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Ailbhe.
Emer f Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.
Emyr m Welsh
Means "king, lord" in Welsh.
Enda m Irish
Anglicized form of Éanna.
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian Cycle
Probably derived from Welsh enaid meaning "soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.
Énna m Old Irish
Possibly from Old Irish én meaning "bird". 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 on Aran.
Enya f Irish
Anglicized form of Eithne.
Eòin m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Iohannes (see John) used in the Bible.
Eoin m Irish
Irish form of Iohannes (see John) used in the Bible.
Erin f English, Irish
Anglicized form of Éireann. It was initially used by people of Irish heritage in America, Canada and Australia. It was rare until the mid-1950s.
Ériu f Irish Mythology
From the name of an Irish goddess, who according to legend gave her name to Ireland (which is called Éire in Irish). In reality, the goddess probably got her name from that of the island, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Étan f Irish Mythology
Possibly a variant of Étaín. In Irish mythology she was the daughter of Dian Cécht, the god of healing.
Evan m Welsh, English
Anglicized form of Ifan, a Welsh form of John.
Finn 1 m Irish Mythology, Old Irish, Irish, English, Dutch, German
Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.
Gaël m French, Breton
Form of Gael using French orthography.
Gael m Breton, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern)
Probably from the ethnolinguistic term Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages.
Glyn m Welsh
Means "valley" in Welsh.
Guto m Welsh
Diminutive of Gruffudd.
Gwen f Welsh, English
From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.
Gwil m Welsh
Welsh short form of Gwilym.
Gwyn m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with Gwythyr for the beautiful Creiddylad.
Haul m Welsh (Rare)
Means "sun" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
Hoel m Breton, Arthurian Cycle
Breton form of Hywel. This was the name of two dukes of Brittany. According to the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was borne by a ruler of Brittany who was an ally of King Arthur.
Iago m Welsh, Galician, Portuguese
Welsh and Galician form of Iacobus (see James). This was the name of two early Welsh kings of Gwynedd. It is also the name of the villain in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603).
Iain m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Iohannes (see John).
Ifan m Welsh
Modern form of Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of Iohannes (see John).
Ifor m Welsh
Welsh form of Ivor.
Ilar m Welsh
Welsh form of Hilarius. This is the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint.
Ioan m Romanian, Welsh, Bulgarian
Romanian and Welsh form of John. This is also an alternate transcription of Bulgarian Йоан (see Yoan 2).
Iolo m Welsh
Diminutive of Iorwerth, used independently.
Ivor m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)
From the Old Norse name Ívarr, which was probably derived from the elements ýr "yew tree, bow" and herr "army, warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland (Irish Íomhar), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic Iomhar) and Wales (Welsh Ifor).
Iwan m Welsh, Polish
Modern Welsh form of Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of Iohannes (see John). It is also a Polish form of Ivan.
Jago m Cornish
Cornish form of Jacob.
Jory m Cornish
Cornish form of George.
Juan 1 m Spanish, Manx
Spanish and Manx form of Iohannes (see John). Like other forms of John in Europe, this name has been extremely popular in Spain since the late Middle Ages.... [more]
Léan f Irish
Irish form of Helen.
Liam m Irish, English, French (Modern), Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
Irish short form of William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017. Famous bearers include British actor Liam Neeson (1952-), British musician Liam Gallagher (1972-), and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (1990-).
Lile f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Lily.
Lleu m Welsh Mythology
Probably a Welsh form of Lugus. In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the son of Arianrhod. He was raised by his uncle Gwydion, who helped him overcome the curses that his mother placed upon him. His wife Blodeuwedd and her lover Gronw conspired to overcome his near invincibility and murder him, but they were not successful. Eventually he became the king of Gwynedd.
Llew m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Variant of Lleu. It can also be a short form of Llewelyn. It coincides with the Welsh word llew meaning "lion".
Llŷr m Welsh Mythology
Means "the sea" in Welsh. According to the Mabinogi he was the father of Brân, Branwen and Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King Leir of the Britons.
Llyr m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Llŷr.
Loïc m French, Breton
Breton form of Louis.
Lugh m Irish Mythology
Probably an Irish form of Lugus. In Irish mythology Lugh Lámfada was a divine hero who led the Tuatha Dé Danann against his grandfather Balor and the Fomorians. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.
Maël m French, Breton
French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Mael m Breton
Breton form of Maël.
Mahé m Breton, French
French form of Mazhe, the Breton form of Matthew.
Mair f Welsh
Welsh form of Maria (see Mary).
Malo m Breton
Means "bright pledge", derived from Old Breton mach "pledge, hostage" and lou "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint, supposedly a companion of Saint Brendan on his trans-Atlantic journey. He later went to Brittany, where he founded the monastic settlement of Saint-Malo.
Marc m French, Catalan, Welsh
French, Catalan and Welsh form of Marcus (see Mark). This name was borne by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).
Mari 1 f Estonian, Finnish, Welsh, Breton, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Georgian, Armenian
Estonian, Finnish, Welsh and Breton form of Maria, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of Mária. It is also a Scandinavian, Georgian and Armenian form of the French name Marie.
Math m Welsh Mythology
Possibly from the old Celtic root *matus meaning "bear". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. Whenever he was not at war, it was required that he rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of the hero Gwydion, with whom he shared most of his adventures.
Mave f Irish (Rare)
Variant of Maeve.
Medb f Irish Mythology
Original Irish form of Maeve.
Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").
Neas f Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Neasa.
Neil m Irish, Scottish, English
From the Irish name Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly connected to the old Celtic root *nītu- "fury, passion" or the (possibly related) Old Irish word nia "hero". A derivation from Old Irish nél "cloud" has also been suggested. This was the name of a few early Irish kings, notably Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century.... [more]
Ness 1 f Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Neasa.
Nest f Welsh
Medieval Welsh diminutive of Agnes.
Neve f Irish
Anglicized form of Niamh.
Níam f Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Niamh.
Nóra f Hungarian, Irish
Hungarian and Irish Gaelic form of Nora 1.
Nora 1 f English, Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Short form of Honora or Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play A Doll's House (1879).
Nudd m Welsh Mythology
Welsh cognate of Nuada. This is the name of a figure in Welsh legend, appearing in early poetry and in Culhwch and Olwen as the father of Gwyn.
Oona f Irish, Finnish
Anglicized form of Úna, as well as a Finnish form.
Oran m Irish
Anglicized form of Odhrán.
Orla 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Órlaith.
Orna 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Odharnait.
Owen 1 m Welsh, English
Anglicized form of Owain.
Owen 2 m Irish
Anglicized form of Eoghan.
Paol m Breton
Breton form of Paul.
Pedr m Welsh
Welsh form of Peter.
Rees m Welsh
Anglicized form of Rhys.
Rhys m Welsh, English
From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Rian m Irish, Old Irish, English
Irish form of Ryan, as well as an English variant.
Róis f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Rose, or directly from the Irish word rós meaning "rose" (genitive róis; of Latin origin).
Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Sadb f Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Probably derived from the old Celtic root *swādu- meaning "sweet". This was a common name in medieval Ireland. In Irish mythology Sadb was a woman transformed into a deer. She was the mother of Oisín by Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Seán m Irish
Irish form of John, derived via the Old French form Jehan.
Sean m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Seán. This name name, along with variants Shawn and Shaun, began to be be used in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland around the middle of the 20th century.
Seoc m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Jack.
Shan f Welsh
Anglicized form of Siân.
Shay 1 m & f Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Shea m & f Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Siân f Welsh
Welsh form of Jane.
Síle f Irish
Irish form of Cecilia.
Síne f Irish
Irish form of Jeanne or Jane.
Sìne f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Jeanne or Jane.
Siôn m Welsh
Welsh form of John.
Siôr m Welsh
Welsh form of George.
Sive f Irish
Anglicized form of Sadhbh.
Tadg m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Tadhg.
Toal m Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Túathal.
Tomi m Finnish, Hungarian, Welsh
Finnish, Hungarian and Welsh diminutive of Thomas.
Trev m Welsh, English
Short form of Trevor.
Wynn m Welsh
Variant of Wyn.
Yann m Breton, French
Breton form of John.