Irish Names

Etymology and Historical BackgroundÁed is an Old Irish masculine given name, meaning "fire." It is the original Old Irish form of the later Aodh, a name deeply rooted in Irish mythology and early Irish history. The name...

Aífe is the Old Irish form of the name Aoife, derived from the word oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). In Irish mythology, Aífe (pronounced approximately "EE-fa") is a formidable female warrior who appears in th...

Ailbe is the Old Irish form of Ailbhe, a name with uncertain etymology. It may derive from the Celtic root *albiyo- meaning "world", "light", or "white", or from Old Irish ail "rock". In Irish legend, Ailbhe (feminine) w...

Ailbhe is an Irish name steeped in legend and history. Derived from the Old Irish Ailbe, its etymology is debated: it may come from the Celtic root *albiyo- meaning "world, light, white" or from Old Irish ail meaning "ro...

Ailill is a male given name of Old Irish origin, prominent in Irish mythology and early medieval history. Its meaning is commonly interpreted as “elf” or “beauty,” though the exact nuance remains debated by scholars.Etym...

Áine (Irish pronunciation: [ˈaːnʲə]) is an Irish feminine name derived from the Irish word áine, meaning "radiance, brilliance." In Irish mythology, Áine is a goddess of summer, wealth, beauty, and sovereignty, often ass...

Aodh is a masculine Irish and Scottish Gaelic given name, derived from the Old Irish Áed, meaning "fire". In Irish mythology, Aodh was the name of a god, likely associated with fire or the sun. The name was extremely pop...

Aoife is an Irish and Gaelic feminine given name, pronounced EE-fə (Irish: [ˈiːfʲə]). Derived from the Old Irish name Aífe, it originates from the Gaelic word aoibh meaning "beauty" or "radiance" (modern Irish aoibh). Th...

Aonghus is the modern Irish form of the Old Irish name Óengus, derived from Proto-Celtic elements meaning "one strength" (óen "one" + guss "force, strength") or alternatively "true vigour." In Irish mythology, Aonghus (a...

Badb is a war goddess from Irish mythology, whose name derives from the Old Irish word for "crow" or "demon," rooted in a term meaning "battle, fight." In modern Irish, she is also known as Badhbh (pronounced approximate...

Badhbh is the modern Irish form of Badb, a name from Irish mythology. The name is pronounced similarly to "bive" or "bəu" in different dialects. Badb itself means "crow" or "demon" in Old Irish, deriving from a root sign...

Balor (also spelled Balar) is a figure from Irish mythology, best known as a fearsome giant king of the Fomorians, a race of malevolent supernatural beings. The name's meaning is uncertain, but it is thought to derive fr...

Bébinn (pronounced Bay-vin or Bay-bin) is an Old Irish feminine name derived from the elements bé ("woman") and finn ("white, blessed, fair"), thus meaning "white woman" or "fair lady." Variant spellings are numerous: Bé...

Béibhinn is the modern Irish form of the Old Irish name Bébinn. The name is derived from elements bé meaning "woman" and finn meaning "white, blessed," collectively interpreted as "white woman" or "fair lady." Some schol...

Bile is a name from Irish mythology and possibly an Irish form of the Gaulish god-name Belenus. It may also derive from an Irish word meaning "sacred tree, scion, hero". The name appears in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book o...

Bláithín is a modern Irish feminine name, essentially a simplified form of the older Bláthíne, which itself is a variant of Bláthnat. The name comes from the Irish element bláth meaning "flower", combined with a diminuti...

Bláthíne is a feminine Irish name, a variant of Bláthnat formed with a different diminutive suffix, used in some versions of Irish mythology.Etymology and MeaningBláthíne derives from the Irish element bláth, meaning “fl...

Bláthnaid is a modern Irish feminine name derived from the older mythological name Bláthnat. Bláthnat itself means "little flower" in Irish, combining the element bláth ("flower") with a diminutive suffix. Given this flo...

Bláthnat is a feminine given name from Irish mythology, derived from the Irish element bláth meaning "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix, thus signifying "little flower." In early Irish literature, Bláthnat is a k...

Boann is an Irish goddess and the namesake of the River Boyne, one of Ireland's most historically significant waterways. Her name is derived from Old Irish bó (cow) and finn (white, blessed), literally meaning "white cow...

Bóinn is the modern Irish form of Boann, the name of the goddess of the River Boyne (in Irish, Bóinn). The name is deeply rooted in Irish mythology and geography, as the Boyne is one of Ireland's most significant rivers,...

Bran is a given name of Irish origin, meaning "raven" in Irish. Raven symbolism is prominent across Celtic mythology, linking to intelligence, prophecy, and sometimes otherworldly passage. In the famous tale, Bran mac Fe...

Brígh is an Irish feminine name derived from the Old Irish noun bríg, meaning "might, power". In Irish mythology, Brígh was the daughter of the Dagda, the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The name Brígh is thus directl...

Brighid is a modern Irish form of the ancient name Bridget, derived from the Old Irish Brigit. Since the 1948 Irish spelling reform, the name is typically written Bríd. The root of Brighid lies in the Celtic *Brigantī, m...

Etymology and OriginsBrigid (also spelled Brigit) is a name of deep mythological and religious significance in Irish culture. It is an Irish variant of Brighid (derived from Old Irish Brigit, from old Celtic *Brigantī me...

Brigit is the Old Irish form of the name Bridget, derived from the Celtic root *Brigantī meaning "the exalted one." This ancient name carries deep connections to both mythology and sainthood in Ireland.EtymologyThe name...

Etymology and Origins Cáel is a masculine Irish name derived from Old Irish cáel, meaning "slender" or "thin". The same root appears in modern Irish words like caol (narrow, slanted), and extends to the common Irish surn...

Céibhfhionn is an Irish female name with a rich heritage in Celtic mythology. It derives from the Old Irish elements ciab meaning "locks, hair" and finn meaning "white, blessed" or "fair", thus conveying the meaning "fai...

Cian (also spelled Cían) is an Irish male given name derived from the Old Irish word cían, meaning "ancient, enduring". In Irish mythology, Cian is a prominent figure as the father of the heroic god Lugh Lámfada. He was...

Ciar is a given name of Irish origin, derived from the Irish word ciar meaning "black" or "dark." In Irish mythology, Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, the legendary queen of Connacht. Ciar is said to be the a...

Cleena is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Clíodhna. In Irish mythology, Clíodhna is a significant figure, often described as a queen of the sióga (fairies) and a banshee associated with the Tuatha Dé Danann. She is...

Clídna is the Old Irish form of Clíodhna. The name appears in Irish mythology as that of a beautiful goddess, sometimes considered a queen of the banshees or a goddess of love and beauty, especially associated with Count...

Clíodhna is a goddess and banshee figure in Irish mythology, as well as a given name derived from that legend. The name's meaning is uncertain, and in Irish legend, Clíodhna appears in various tales as a beautiful supern...

Etymology and MeaningConall is an ancient Irish name derived from Old Irish Conall, itself from Proto-Celtic *Kunowalos, composed of *kū (“hound, dog, wolf”) and *walos (“prince, chief”). The name thus carries the rich m...

Conchobar is an Old Irish male name, composed of the elements cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive con) and cobar "desiring". The name thus means "lover of hounds" or "hound-desiring." Etymology The name's structure follows a...

Conchobhar is the modern Irish form of the ancient name Conchobar, deeply rooted in Irish mythology and history. Derived from the Old Irish elements cú meaning "hound, dog, or wolf" and cobar meaning "desiring," the name...

Conchúr is a modern Irish form of Conchobar, an ancient Gaelic name with deep roots in Irish mythology and history. The name derives from the Old Irish elements cú (genitive con), meaning 'hound, dog, wolf,' and cobar me...

Conlaoch is a name from Irish legend, a variant of Connla. The two forms are often used interchangeably, though Conlaoch is less common and appears predominantly in modern contexts.EtymologyThe name Conlaoch derives from...

Conn is a masculine given name of uncertain origin, primarily used in English and Irish contexts. It may derive from Old Irish conn meaning “sense, reason” or cenn meaning “head, chief.” These etymological roots point to...

Connla is a figure from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, the son of the legendary hero Cúchulainn and Aoife (also spelled Aífe). His name derives from Old Irish Conláech, composed of cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive c...

Conor is a male given name of Irish origin, representing the Anglicized form of Conchobar or its Modern Irish equivalent Conchúr. It remains one of the most widely used Irish names in the English-speaking world, enjoying...

Cormac is a masculine given name of Irish origin, borne by numerous figures in Irish legend and history. The name is derived from Old Irish Cormacc or Corbmac, with uncertain etymology. One theory suggests it combines co...

EtymologyCormacc is the Old Irish spelling of Cormac. The name is derived from Old Irish Cormacc or Corbmac, which itself may come from corb meaning "chariot, wagon" or corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with macc...

Cúchulainn (also spelled Cú Chulainn) is a legendary Irish warrior hero and demigod from the Ulster Cycle of mythology. His name means "hound of Culann" in Irish, reflecting a pivotal episode in his childhood. Originally...

Cú Chulainn (Irish: [kuːˈxʊlˠɪn̠ʲ]) is a variant of Cúchulainn, the name of the legendary warrior hero of the Ulster Cycle in Irish mythology. His story is also found in Scottish and Manx folklore. According to myth, he...

Culann is a figure from Irish mythology, best known as the smith whose ferocious watchdog met its fate at the hands of the young hero Sétanta. The name's meaning is uncertain, but it is forever linked to the legend of Cú...

Dagda is a name drawn directly from Irish mythology, referring to the powerful god known as The Dagda (from Old Irish In Dagda). The name means "the good god", derived from the Old Irish prefix dag- "good" and día "god"....

Dáire is an Old Irish masculine name meaning "fruitful, fertile" in Irish. It appears frequently in Irish mythology and early medieval genealogies, though it largely fell out of use after the early medieval period. The n...

Daireann is an Irish feminine name, a variant of Doireann. The root name's etymology is debated: it may derive from the Old Irish prefix der ("daughter") combined with finn ("white, blessed"), or alternatively from Irish...

Dáirine is a feminine Irish name possibly derived from Dáire, meaning "fruitful, fertile". In Irish legend, Dáirine was the name of the daughter of the legendary high king Túathal Techtmar. The name is also linked to a h...

Danu is a hypothetical Irish mother goddess, though her name is primarily known from the phrase Tuatha Dé Danann, meaning "people of the goddess Danu" — a supernatural race that supposedly inhabited Ireland before the Mi...

Deimne is an Irish name meaning "sureness, certainty". In Irish mythology, it was the birth name of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (also anglicized as Finn McCool), the central figure of the Fenian Cycle. Accordin...

Deirdre is a feminine given name of Irish origin, derived from the Old Irish name Derdriu. The meaning is unknown, though it might be related to the der element meaning "daughter." In Irish mythology, Deirdre is a tragic...

Derdriu is the Old Irish spelling of Deirdre, a name borne by a tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. The name's etymology is uncertain; some scholars have suggested a possible derivation from the old Ir...

Diarmaid is a masculine given name in the Irish language with deep roots in legend and history. Its exact etymology is uncertain, though the most common suggestion is that it means "without envy," from Irish dí "without"...

Diarmait is the Old Irish form of the name Diarmaid. Diarmaid's meaning is uncertain, though it has been suggested to mean "without envy" in Irish. The name is deeply rooted in Irish mythology and history, primarily thro...

Diarmuid is an Irish masculine given name, a variant of Diarmaid. Its etymology is debated but may derive from the elements dí meaning "without" and airmait meaning "envy," thus possibly meaning "without envy." The name...

Doireann is an Irish feminine given name rooted in the ancient legends and linguistic traditions of Ireland. Its etymology is twofold: it may derive from the Old Irish prefix der meaning "daughter" combined with finn mea...

Doirend is a variant of the Irish name Doireann. This feminine name originates from Irish mythology and carries multiple possible meanings. One interpretation traces it to the Old Irish prefixes der "daughter" and finn "...

Eadán is a modern Irish feminine given name, a recent form of the older Irish name Étan. Étan itself is possibly a variant of Étaín, a name deeply rooted in Irish mythology and derived from Old Irish ét meaning "jealousy...