Christian Names
Christian names/First names - Ainmneacha baiste
People are often searching for names for their new born babies. For those who resist the temptation to go for the exotic “ Barack”, “Chardonnay”, here are some Irish / and / or traditional names that will stand the test of time and will be more likely to give your child a strong sense of identity in an increasingly globalized world:
Boys - Buachaillí
Diarmuid / Diarmaid/ Dermot – one of the heroes of the Fianna
Conchúr Conor – “lover of hounds”, legendary king of Ulster
Aodhán / Aidan – “fire” the name of a number of early Irish saints
Seán / John- Introduced to Ireland by the Normans
Eoghan / Owen – “born of the yew”, popular in early ireland
Eoin / John – from the biblical name John
Cathal – “Strong in battle”
Micheál / Michael - from the biblical name Michael
Peadar / Peter – from the biblical name Peter
Pádraig / Pauraic/ Patrick – from the Latin Patricius “ noble”
Liam / William
Tarlach - “instigator” traditional amongst Donegal families
Cathair/ Cahir – old Irish first name, common with the O’Doherty’s
Colm - originally from Latin: “a dove” made famous by St Colm Cille
Caoimhín / Kevin - “of gentle birth” St Kevin of Glendalough
Dónall / Donal - “world mighty” 5 high kings of Ireland had this name
Fionnbharr / Finbar - “ fair- haired”. 8 Irish saints had this name
Fiontán / Fintan- “ white fire” many Irish saints with this name
Fionn/ Finn- “fair, bright” most famous was the warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill
Fearghas / Fergus - “ man strength” Old Irish first name
Tomás / Thomas - from the biblical Thomas meaning “ twin”
Tiarnán - “lord, chief” St Tiarnan of Mayo
Ultán - “the Ulsterman” a number of Irish saints had this name
Olcán- “ bold” A saint associated with Armoy and Cranfield
Órán / Odhrán – “ dark, sallow” 17 Irish saints if this name
Tadhg – “a poet”
Ruairí / Rory – “ great king, red king” a favourite with the O’Connors of Connacht
Féilim / Phelim the name of several Irish saints. A favourite name of the O’Neills
Oscar – “ deer lover” Mythical grandson of Fionn Mac Cumhaill
Oisín – “ little deer” Mythical son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill
Adhamhnán / Eunan – “ little Adam” Famous Donegal saint
Máirtín / Martin – From St Martin of Tours ( France)
Maitiú / Matthew – from the biblical figure Matthew
Mánas, Mánus – From the Latin “magnus = great” this name was borrowed from the Norse invaders
Cian – “ ancient, enduring”
Lorcán – “ silent” one famous Lorcán was Lorcán O’Toole, archbishop of Dublin
Lochlainn / Loughlin – “ Viking”. Was a prominent name on Rathlin island
Caolán – “slender lad”
Cillian / Cillín - derived from “a church” many Irish saints of this name
Gearóid/ Gerald/ - “ German: spear rule”
Gearóid /Gerard – from St Gerard
Proinsias/ Francis – St Francis of Assisi in Italy
Fionnán – “Little Finn” St Fionnan was bishop of Moville
Fiachra – “ battle king” the name of a number of Irish saints
Fearghal / Fergal- “ valourous, courageous”
Éanna/ Enda –St Éanna of the Aran islands
Art – “ a champion, a bear” name of many legendary kings
Éamonn/ Éamann/ Edward/ Edmund – “ rich/ protection” introduced to Ireland by the Anglo- Normans
Aogán – diminutive of Áed “ little fire”
Déaglán / Declan - Patron saint of the Deisí ie Waterford
Dáithí/ David – from the biblical king David
Dáire - “fruitful, fertile” Common name in Irish legend
Cormac- Cormac Mac Airt – high king of tara
Críostóir/ Christopher – St Christoper, patron saint of travellers
Conn - “ wisdom” Conn of the 100 battles, a legendary king
Connla - “ great lord, chief”
Cianán - diminutive form of Cian “ ancient, enduring” 2 saints of this name
Ciarán - “Ciar dark, black” St Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Conall - “ strong as a wolf” The name of many warriors and kings
Colmán - Diminutive of Colm: a dove. 234 Irish saints of this name
Conán- “ hound, wolf” 6 Irish saints of this name
Cathán - from Cath: a cattle, battler. St Cathan of Dal nAraidh, (Antrim)
Comgall – St Comgall of Bangor monastery
Breandán /Brendan - “ a prince” St Brendan the Navigator from Kerry
Barra - Can be for Barry or Fionnbarr
Brian - “ high, noble” Most famously Brian Boru who won the battle of Clontarf
Antain / Antoin/ Antaine/ Anthony - From Greek “ flourishing”. Also Saint Anthony
Dualtach - “dark limbed” Common in Inishowen
Donncha - “ brown, lord”
Stíofán / Stephen - St Stephen an early Christian martyr
Séamus / James –-from James the Apostle
Pól / Paul – Paul the Apostle
Eoin Pól / John Paul – from Pope John Paul 2
Allastar / Allister - from the Greek “Alexander” – common amongst the Mac Donnells
Rónán - from “Rón” a seal – 10 saints of this name in early Ireland
Mura - pet form of Murchadh from Inishowen
Muircheartach / Murtagh - “skilled in sea – craft”. Very common in early Ireland
Matha - early Irish name used as equivalent of Matthew
Maol Íosa - “devotee of Jesus”
Mac Dara - “son of the oak” Popular in Connemara
Leannán - “ lover, sweetheart “
Marcas - from the apostle Mark
Flann - “ bright red” the name of a number of Irish saints
Senán - diminutive form of Sen = old. Many Irish saints of this name
Rian - from Rí = a king. Also St Ríán
Girls - Cailíní
Úna - popular girls’ name in medieval ireland
Éadaoin/ Aideen - probably connected with ét = jealousy, possibly originally a sun - goddess
Aisling /Aislinn - “vision, dream”
Eithne - mother of the legendary Celtic God Lug
Áine /Ann /Anne - the Irish name represented a legendary Goddess. Anne is a biblical name
Bairbre / Barbara – derived from Greek: “foreign woman”
Eilís – Irish form of Elizabeth
Bríd / Brigid – “ the holy goddess” Most famous irish saint was St Brigid of Kildare
Brídín / Bridgeen – “ little Bríd”
Eibhlín / Eileen / Aileen - a name brought to Ireland by the Normans. Identical to Avelina (old German)
Caitríona/ Tríona/ Catherine -Brought to Ireland by the Normans
Cáitlín / Cáit / Kate - as above
Sorcha - bright, radiant. Anglicised as Sarah
Clár / Clare – from Latin: “ bright, clear”
Córa - possibly from the Greek for “ maiden”
Deirdre - legendary sweetheart of Naoise, of the sins of Uisneach
Deirbhile / Dervla – a saint of Connacht
Clóda / Clodagh - a river in County Tipperary
Sionainn / Shannon - a recently used name after the river Shannon
Eimhear/ Emer - the sweetheart of the warrior Cú Chulainn
Bláthnaid / Blánaid – “ little flower” diminutive of Bláth = a flower
Fionnuala / Nuala – “ fair shouldered”
Gráinne - daughter of legendary Cormac mac Air and sweetheart of Diarmaid Ó Duibhne
Siobhán, Siún - derives from Jehane a French feminine form of John, brought to Ireland with the Normans
Sinéad - Irish form of Jane, Janet
Caoimhe - “ gentle”
Ciara - “ black haired”
Méabh / Medb/ Meadhbha/ Maeve - “ she who intoxicates men” The legendary queen of Connacht who stile the brown bull of Cooley
Muireann - “sea – white” legendary wife of Oisin, son of Fionn mac Cumhail
Máiréad - from the Latin Margarita, originally “pearl”
Máire / Mary – from Mary, the Blessed Virgin
Máirín / Maureen – a variant of Mary
Neansaí/ Nancy – variant of Ann = Grace
Nóra - Honora from Latin meaning “ honoured
Síofra- “fairy child”
Niamh - “brightness, radiance” eloped with Oisín to Tír na nÓg
Nollaig - Noelle, Christmas
Orlaith / Orla - “ golden princess”
Pádraigín / -Patricia “ noble” from Latin
Peig / Peigí - pet from of Margaret
Ríonach - “ queenly” 2 Irish saints of this name
Róisín / Róise / Róis - “Rose”
Treasa / Teresa - from Spanish. St Teresa of Avila
Luíseach - “radiant girl”. An Irish saint of this name
Lasairíona - “ fire of wine” - Once common in Connaught
Grian - “ sun goddess” Obscure Irish name
Doireann - daughter of fairy king, Midir
Caireann - Latin Carina – mother of Niall of the Nine Hostages
Brónach / Bronagh - “ sorrowful”
Beibhinn - “white lady”
Aoife - from aoibh = “beauty”
Aoibhinn - “beautiful, radiance”
Nóirín / Noreen - a pet name of Nóra, Eleanor
NB:
This is not an exhaustive list of Irish names
It is important to check the proper pronunciation of these names as there is a different sound system in Irish
