Irish Names for Boys
Across 21 pages
of 21
Madigan
Irish
"little dog"
A jovial and jaunty Irish name, the title of a long-gone TV crime drama, this would make an appealing choice. Slight downside: Maddy is already a mega-popular nickname for Madeline/Madelyn and…
Magee
Irish
"son of Hugh"
Magee has a broad and bouncy appeal for the sons of anyone from Adam to Zachary.
Manus
Irish variation of Magnus
"greatest"
This is an old Irish name associated with such heroes as the seventeenth century chieftain, scholar and poet Manus O'Donnell. It is likely a variation of Magnus, itself derived from the Latin word…
Malone
Irish
"a devotee of Saint John"
Classic Irish surname with a lot of character and some interesting associations: the title character of a Samuel Beckett novel and basketball great Karl Malone. Malone is a popular name for baby boys…
Maloney
Irish
"devotee of the church"
Too close to baloney.
Mannix
Irish
"a little monk"
An X -ending surname less common than the Jolie-Pitt-inspired Maddox. Grandparents might still associate it with the old TV crime show.
Marmaduke
Irish
"devotee of Maedoc"
One of the ultimate teasable names, an Irish saint's name now associated with the oversized comic-strip dog. Scottish adventurer Bear (born Edward) Grylls took up the challenge when he used it for…
Mayo
Irish place-name
"yew-tree plain"
When ordering a baby name, hold the mayo.
Micheál
Irish variation of Michael
This Gaelic version of the enduring Michael was chosen by Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson for their first son.
Molloy
Irish
"a venerable chieftain"
There are many dynamic three-syllable Irish surnames; this is one of the rarer two-syllable ones. Molloy is the title of a 1951 novel by Samuel Beckett, initially written in French. Another Beckett…
Morrisey
Irish
"sea taboo"
When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice.
Mulligan
Irish
"descendent of the bald-headed"
Less appealing than some other Irish surnames, such as Malone and Sullivan, unless used as a tribute to jazz musician Gerry. There could be some Mulligan stew teasing.
Neal
Irish
"champion or cloud"
Always the less common spelling of Irish classic Neil, Neal has been on a fifty-year slide, and now doesn't even make the Top 1000. It has a streamlined, surnamey appeal in this spelling.
Niall
Irish
"cloud"
Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool. This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most…
Nigel
Irish
"dark, black-haired"
A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil…
Nevin
Irish
"holy"
Possible Gaelic alternative to Kevin and Devon.
Auliffe
Auliffe is a masculine name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Amhalghaidh' or 'Amhlaoibh', which are variants of the Old Norse name 'Olaf'. The name means 'ancestral heritage' or 'ancestor's…
Auley
Scottish and Manx
"ancestor's descendant"
Also spelled Aulay in Scotland, this is an attractive form of the Scandinavian name Olaf that blends several currently fashionable sounds.
O'neal
Irish
"from the chief's line"
Perfect as an updated namesake for Great-Uncle Neal (or Neil).
Oran
Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"light, song, little green one"
A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a…