Irish Names

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been dropping on the charts lately.

Ashlyn

This Anglicized spelling of Irish Aislinn or Aisling has enjoyed some popularity in the US as an updated Ashley.

Ashlynn

Attractive Scottish and Irish surname name of a seventh-century saint, associated with the illusionist and escape artist David Blaine.

Blaine

Brennan is a winning Irish surname name, more modern than Brian or Brendan, more unusual than Conor and Aidan. The only possible problem with Brennan: people might think you're saying Brendan.
 Brennan eased onto the very bottom of the popularity list in 1966, and has pretty much remained in the Top 1000 ever since.

Brennan

This extra-L variation of Alan isn't quite as popular in the US as the original. Both spellings remain popular in Ireland and England.

Allan

Kellan Lutz is the attractive young actor who plays Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.

Kellan

Like Cassidy, Kassidy peaked near the turn of the millennium and has lost ground in recent years.

Kassidy

One of the original unisex Irish surname names, energetic Casey bounced onto the scene in the 1960s, then peaked in the 1980s for both boys and girls. Today Casey is having a resurgence for both girls and boys and re-entered the charts on the girls' side, likely due to the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) on the hit show Yellowstone.
 "Casey at the Bat" is an 1888 poem by Ernest Thayer.

Casey

Kellen is German in origin and Irish in spirit. Kellen has fallen a bit in popularity for boys since its peak in 2012, but it has possibilities for girls too. In fact, Kellen's similarity to such <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">feminine names</a> as Helen, Ellen, and Kelly makes it feel more unisex or even female, though Twilight actor Kellan Lutz has done much to popularize this name for boys.

Kellen

Kara and the soundalike (though not necessarily related) Cara are among the most multi-cultural names around. Cara has roots in Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Kara can be viewed as simply as K-starting version of Cara. 

But Kara is also uniquely a Norse mythology name, drawn from the name of a valkyrie meaning "wild stormy one".. Kara was a Valkyrie, lover of Helgi, who charmed his enemies in battle by enchanting them with song.

Both Cara and Kara peaked in the 1980s but Kara remains more popular than the Cara variant.

Kara

Kiyan is a cross-cultural choice with a familiar and approachable sound. It has its roots in Persian where it means "king, "royalty" or "high status", though it may also be interpreted as coming from kieyan meaning "universe" or "cosmos". 
 
Alternatively, it may be used as a variation of the Arabic Keyan, meaning "being, essence, entity" or "existence" or the Irish Cian, meaning "ancient". As such, whichever meaning you turn to, it has an inspiring and powerful feel, while remaining a grounded choice.
 
The name Kiyan was chosen for 135 boys in the US in 2024, while in the UK and the Netherlands, it ranked in the Top 700 and 500 respectively.

Kiyan

Would make a truly original alternative to the overused Sarah. 

Zaira

Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones, few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way edging its way into the mainstream, particularly, of course, with parents who have Irish roots. It made its first appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising girls' name.
 
Saoirse originated as a baby name in 1920s Ireland as an applied use of saoirse, the Gaelic word for "freedom." The name was first adopted during the Irish War of Independence, when the Irish Republican Army fought the British Army for the liberation of Ireland from British rule. In modern times, Saoirse, as well as a host of other <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/1051/gaelic-names">Gaelic names</a>, are being revived in Ireland, the UK, and the US.
 Another related name Is Sorcha, pronounced SURK-ha and meaning "radiance": in the film Willow, the character's name is spelled Sorsha – another way to pronounce it.

Saoirse

Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley. 
 The original Irish spelling is Ciara, the name of an early saint (who was said to have put out fires by the power of her prayer) which was the most popular name in Ireland a couple of decades ago.
 Keira is the more popular spelling, but Kiera is the more authentic--though both have pretty mush lost their Irish accents. There is also the male Kieran.

Kiera

According to Irish legend, Saint Brendan the Voyager was the first European to touch American soil, and his name has been established here for decades, peaking in the late 1990s. 
 
Brendan first appeared on the US charts in 1941, especially popular, not surprisingly, for Irish-American boys. It is sometimes confused with the English surname name Brandon.
 Notable namesakes include Irish playwright Brendan Behan and actor Brendan Fraser. Mark Wahlberg used it for his son.

Brendan

Cullen is an appealing Irish surname name that upped its cool factor considerably when it became the Twilight family name of Edward et al. It's considerably less popular than it was at its peak in 2010, but is still widely used. 
 Cullen Jenkins was a defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Cullen

Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
 While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
 The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.

Dara

Darren and wife Sharon shop for fifties memorabilia on eBay. The Connecticut place-name Darien might offer an update. 

Darren

Kathleen is the early Irish import version that came between Katherine and Kaitlin, and which hasn't been used in so long it's almost beginning to sound fresh again. It was a surprise pick by one of the hip Dixie Chicks, Martie Maguire. Kathleen was a Top 10 name from 1948 to 1951, and it is the subject of several old sentimental songs, such as "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen."
 From the eighteenth century, Kathleen Ni Houlihan appears in Irish songs as a symbol of Ireland, representing its struggle for independence.
 Kathy Griffin and Kate Walsh were born Kathleen, and it's J.K. Rowling's adopted middle name, after her paternal grandmother. JFK's sister Kathleen was known as Kick.

Kathleen

The short but solid Irish surname Shea works well for both genders thanks to its soft, succinct sound. The traditional Irish form is Séaghdha, though it could also be used as a short form of Séamus, connected to James. 
 
Kevin James has a daughter named Shea, while Shea Coulée is a drag queen who featured on season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars. 
 For baseball fans: Shea Stadium was the home of The New York Mets until 2008, and has proved surprisingly influential as a namesake. Four of the players of the New York Mets named their children Shea in honor of the place, as did Jets player John Matlock and the aforementioned Kevin James. major League player Shea Spitzbarth also got his name from the stadium.
 
Another variation and the one that leans furthest toward the female side is Shae, for those who don't want the pronunciation confused with Shea Butter.

Shea

 are international stars, ranking near the top of popularity lists in Ireland and the US along with many other countries.

 in the US, standing at Number 1, and Riley is the

. Many new Irish baby names are replacing old standards like Kathleen and Patrick.

 include Kennedy, Quinn, Nora, and Maeve.

 include Finn, Ryan, all spellings of Aiden, Declan, and Rowan.

 we're hearing more of include Saoirse, as in actress Ronan; Niamh; and Una. 

 itself look rather different than they do in the US, though there are also several crossovers. Notably, not all of the top Irish baby names are actually Irish: at Number 1 currently are Jack and Sophie.

s in Ireland include the classic Hebrew James and Noah along with Irish names Cillian, Tadhg, and Liam. The 

 include only two Irish-language names, Éabha and Fiadh. Other popular girl names in Ireland are Grace, Emily, and Sophie.

 and Manx names. Along with Finn and Fiadh, other Irish Gaelic choices among the 

 include Eabha, Saoirse, and Aoife for girls; Darragh, Cillian, Oisin and Tadgh for boys.

Irish baby names enjoying international popularity

 include Liam, which ranks among the top names in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Norway as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

 in the Netherlands while variation Fynn is on Germany’s most popular list, and Nora is the second most popular girls’ name in Norway.

 go far beyond the Old School Kevins and Kathleens. If you define unique baby names as 

 on what's conventionally considered a name, then these nontraditional Irish surname names and place names may be ones you want to consider for your daughter or son.

 that work for boys and girls include Bellamy, Brady, and Callahan.

 in the US and most places outside the Emerald Isle -- though some are among the Top 100 names in Ireland -- include Aoife, Cian, Oisin, and Tadgh. Correct Irish spelling and pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers.

 both classic and modern, for girls and for boys, here, ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry.

Irish names with meaning and popularity including top Irish baby names and unique Irish names for girls and boys. (Page 6)

690+ Irish Names (With Meanings and Popularity)