​
​
Advanced Search

Irish Gaelic Names for Girls

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Thu Feb 06 2025
The terms Irish and Gaelic are used interchangeably though not always accurately. Irish is a language all its own, while Gaelic is the Scottish language. But there are similarities and many of the Irish Gaelic Names for Girls here are also on the list of Irish names for girls.

Here, our full roster of Irish Gaelic girl names. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
  1. Aoife

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, radiant"

    • Description:

      Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh, meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman warrior in the world and enemy of her twin sister, Scathach.
  2. Niamh

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "bright"

    • Description:

      Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.
  3. Caoimhe

    • Origin:

      Irish, Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"

    • Description:

      Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native habitat, it is sometimes spelled Keeva.
  4. Ferelith

    • Origin:

      Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "true sovereignty"

    • Description:

      Ferelith is an unusual yet deeply-rooted Scottish girl's name, also found in ancient Ireland and drawn from the Gaelic Forbhlaith or Forbflaith. While it went through a period of dormancy after the Middle Ages, there are some modern women named Ferelith, including actress Ferelith Young and Princess of Denmark Anne Ferelith Fenella Bowes-Lyon.
  5. Laoise

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "light"

    • Description:

      Pronounced lee-sha, Laoise is the feminine form of the Irish mythological names Lugh and Lugus, which means light. Lugus was the Celtic god of commerce and craftsmanship, the equivalent of the Roman Mercury, thought to inspire the later Irish hero Lugh. Laoise is among the Top 100 Irish names for girls, but Americans will definitely have pronunciation issues.
  6. Roisin

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "little rose"

    • Description:

      No, the pronunciation--ro-SHEEN--isn't immediately obvious to the non-Gaelic viewer, but the sound of this shiny Irish version of Rose is pretty enough to make it worth considering. Very popular in its native Ireland, it's one of many Irish girl names finding a wider audience. Earlier generations Anglicized at as Rosaleen, but we stay stick to the original.
  7. Ailbhe

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "noble, bright"

    • Description:

      While Irish Gaelic spellings add intrigue to a name, they'll prove endlessly confusing. Ailbhe is pronounced like the less intriguing but infinitely simpler Alva.
  8. Emer

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "swift"

    • Description:

      Popular name in Ireland -- it's pronounced ee-mer -- from the legendary wife of Cuchulainn who was supposed to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and of course, needlework. Is found in the poetry of Yeats.
  9. Sinead

    • Origin:

      Irish form of Janet

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      One of the best known of the Irish girls' names, thanks to singer Sinead O'Connor. Though it's still in the Irish Top 100, it's no longer quite as fashionable in Ireland as Aoife or Aisling. But by now everyone in the Western World knows it's pronounced shin-aid and so would have no trouble fitting in on an American playground.
  10. Orlaith

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "golden princess"

    • Description:

      In early, pre-Norman Ireland, this name was borne by both a sister and a niece of high king Brian Boru. Now, the English form Orla is more commonly used.
  11. Nainsí

    • Description:

      Nainsí is the Irish Gaelic form of Nancy, showcasing the distinctive spelling conventions of the Irish language. The original name Nancy developed as a medieval diminutive of Anne, which comes from the Hebrew Hannah meaning 'grace.' In Irish form, Nainsí maintains the same pronunciation as Nancy while connecting the bearer to Irish linguistic heritage. The name represents the beautiful adaptation of imported names into traditional Irish spelling patterns, a process that helped preserve cultural identity through centuries of external influence. Though not among the most common Irish names today, Nainsí might appeal to families with Irish roots seeking to honor their heritage while using a name that remains recognizable across cultures.
  12. Siobhán

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Lovely Irish name which has inspired many Anglicized variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful Gaelic girls' names.
  13. Fionnuala

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "white shoulders"

    • Description:

      This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English Fenella. In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for 900 years.
  14. Aoibh

    • Origin:

      Celtic, Short Form Of aoibheann

    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, radiant"

    • Description:

      One of many Irish names that, despite pronunciation challenge, are beginning to be taken into consideration here as authentic Celtic versions of familiar English names.
  15. Sina

    • Origin:

      Samoan, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish

    • Meaning:

      "gray or white haired; god is gracious; new victory"

    • Description:

      Short, sweet, and perhaps misleadingly simple, Sina is in fact a multicultural choice with a wide range of origins. In Samoan mythology, Sina is used for a number of figures, and notably appears in the creation story of the coconut tree, Sina and the Eel. In this case, the name means "white or gray haired" and appears in the Disney movie Moana.
  16. Eimear

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic

    • Meaning:

      "swift"

    • Description:

      Sometimes spelled Emer and pronounced "EE-mer," the legendary wife of Cuchulainn possessed the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and needlework. A fresh alternative to Emma, but the two have the potential to be frequently confused.
  17. Áine

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "brilliance, wit"

    • Description:

      Name of a fertility goddess said to confer luck on its bearer, though to avoid confusion you may want to use the phonetic spelling Anya or Enya.
  18. Seosaimhín

    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic variation of Josephine, French

    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"

    • Description:

      Seosaimhín is the Gaelic form of Josephine, most notably borne by traditional Irish singer Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich.
  19. Luiseach

    • Origin:

      Irish, from the deity name Lugh

    • Description:

      Authentically spelled Luíseach (with Luighsech as a variant), this obscure saint's name is thought to derive from the mythological figure Lugh, perhaps a reflex of an older god. Luíseach is sometimes considered the Irish version of Lucy. In fact, they are historically separate names, but if Lugh derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "shining" then they are very distant cousins.
  20. Baírbre

    • Description:

      Baírbre is the traditional Irish Gaelic form of Barbara, featuring the distinctive Irish accent mark (fada) over the 'i'. The name derives ultimately from Greek 'barbaros,' which referred to non-Greek speakers, though its meaning evolved over centuries. In Irish culture, Baírbre has historical significance and reflects Ireland's rich naming traditions that preserve Celtic linguistic features. Though pronounced approximately as 'BAR-bruh' (similar to Barbara), the authentic Irish pronunciation may vary slightly in different regions of Ireland. While common in traditional Irish contexts, Baírbre remains quite rare internationally and even within modern Ireland, where the anglicized Barbara is more frequently used. The name carries connections to Irish heritage and linguistic tradition, making it a meaningful choice for families with Irish roots.