690+ Irish Names (With Meanings and Popularity)

Buoyant but lightweight.

The fashion for using surnames as firsts has extended beyond the familiar Morgan and Parker to choices such as Cohen and O'Brien to -- why not? -- this quintessentially Irish name with the friendly o ending.

Cait, pronounced like more popular sister Kate, is the form used when shortening Caitlin or any of the other Irish and Gaelic Cait-starting variations of Catherine.

Used primarily for girls in Ireland, as a variation of Raithnait, Renny could easily be a diminutive form of a whole variety of names including Lorenzo, Laurence, Remington, Rowen, Renatus, Renaud, Reynold and simar.

Roone is a lively, attractive and unusual redhead entry brought into the mix by the late TV sports and news executive Roone Arledge, who seemed to own it as a one-person name when he was alive.

Ethne is one of the many Irish Gaelic names whose spelling and pronunciation -- it's en-ya -- will prove endlessly confusing to English speakers.

This name of an ancient Irish saint -- a favorite disciple of Saint Patrick -- could be an option for parents in search of a more distinctive alternative to Brendan or Aidan.

This Irish saint's name sounds like a lopped-off Lorna.

Too close to baloney.

Curran is a common surname in Ireland, but unusual even there as a first. With its savory feel, calling to mind curry and currants, Curran can make for an attractive update on Colin or Connor.

While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female Channing. It makes an attractive surname-name for either gender.

Kaitlin is a variation of Caitlin that's on a steep decline; it dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2013, after more than three decades on the list.

Sheron is predominantly a masculine name, though it can be used for either gender depending on cultural context. It appears to be a variant spelling of Sharon, which derives from the Hebrew word for a fertile coastal plain in Israel. The alternative spelling gives the name a distinctive quality while maintaining the melodious sound of the original. As a male name, Sheron has gained limited usage across different cultures, particularly in parts of the Caribbean and South Asia. The name carries biblical connotations of fertility and beauty associated with the Sharon plain mentioned in the Song of Solomon. Unlike the feminine Sharon which saw peak popularity in mid-20th century America, Sheron as a masculine name remains relatively uncommon.

Poetic name that's terminally mournful, though its meaning is anything but. Myrna plays a powerful role in Irish legend.

The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan.

Gives Carlo a place-name/surname spin.

Egan's likeness to the word eager gives this Irish surname a ready-to-please, effervescent energy, and it would make an appropriate substitute for the overused Aidan.

An X-ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show. 

With Galway and Ireland in play as names (not to mention Shannon and Kerry), there's no reason this one can't work, too.

Kieran is a boys' name that could cross over, as an update of outmoded Karen or a variation on trendy Kiera (or Keira or Kyra). Keren Ann is an Israeli-born singer. The proportion of babies named Kieran who are girls is less than ten percent, but is slowly growing. Kieran had an increase in use for girls in 2022.