Irish Names for Girls

Sadbh is the modern Irish form of the more streamlined but equally confusing Sadb or Sadhbh: these names are pronounced to rhyme with five.  In Irish mythology Sadb or Sadbh or Sadhbh, a goddess lover of Finn McCool's, was turned into a deer only to vanish and (somewhere in there) give birth to Oisin.

Sadbh

Aoibhinn and its twin name Aoibheann may be popular in Ireland but most English-speakers would find the spelling baffling and the pronunciation impossible to divine.  It's ee-van, or se-vin, fitting with the Irish popularity of many names -- Aoife, Eabha, Ava -- with this similar sound.

Aoibhinn

An ancient Aoibheann was the mother of Saint Enda, and Aoibheann remains popular in Ireland today, sometimes with its Anglicized spelling Eavan.

Aoibheann

Aoibhe may be considered a form of either Aoife -- beauty in Irish -- or Eve, which means life. Either way, this popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/804/irish-names-for-girls">Irish name for girls</a> is pronounced as Eva though outside of Ireland few would guess that. Leave Aoibhe to the Gaelic speakers.

Aoibhe

The popular Irish name Muireann comes from a mythical mermaid who was tranformed into a woman by a saint.  Pronunciation is like the surname of the actress Helen Mirren, but with the spin of a w sound after the initial M.

Muireann

The Etain (or more properly Étaín) of Irish mythology was a beautiful fairy turned into a fly (or in some versions, a butterfly), by a jealous queen. The insect Étaín fell into a glass of milk and was swallowed by yet another queen, then reborn as a beautiful maiden. Its pronunciation is similar to the number eighteen.

Etain

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/804/irish-names-for-girls">Irish names for girls</a>, but Americans will definitely have pronunciation issues.

Laoise

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.

Ferelith

Sadhbh was the name of several real and legendary Irish princesses, including the daughters of Conn of the Hundred Battles, of Queen Medb of Connacht, and of King Brian Boru. It's also written Sabha. One of the most authentic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/804/irish-names-for-girls">Irish names for girls</a>, it is also unfortunately one of the most difficult to export.

Sadhbh

Dearbhla along with its Anglicized form Dervla are both well-used in modern Ireland. There was a medieval Saint Dearbhla.  The spelling Deirbhile is also used.

Dearbhla

A very popular name for boys in Ireland that's well-used throughout the British Isles, Darragh is also occasionally used for girls and certainly sounds feminine or at least unisex to the American ear. Simplified form Dara pushes it further toward the girls' side.

Darragh

Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.

Bronagh

The 6th century Irish saint Mirin emigrated to Scotland and now is the patron saint of both the Glasgow suburb of Paisley and the game of football. 

Mirren is one modern spelling; the Cornish Merryn, best known as the name of the seacoast town St. Merryn, is also related. In all its forms, one of the most classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a>.

Mirin

Danu is a name from Irish mythology without many details attached. Some say she's a goddess of agriculture and/or of women, but that does not appear in ancient texts.

In Hindu mythology, Danu is a water goddess. Her name is connected to the river Danube.

Danu

On one hand, Aydan is a variation of the popular Irish name, Aidan, and a creative, Anglicized spelling of the Gaelic Aodhán. Meaning "little fiery one", it is more commonly used for boys, notably in the US, where it was give to 106 boys in a recent year, and England and Wales where it was given to 20. 
 
While the Irish name is given to a handful of girls each year, the Aydan spelling is in fact a multicultural choice, and a popular feminine name in Azerbaijan. From its Turkish and Azerbaijani origins, it combines the element ay meaning "moon" with a suffix, giving it the meaning "of the moon".
 
Important to note: the two different origins would give you two different pronunciations. AY-duhn would be the typical pronunciation if it is viewed as a form of Aidan, while IE-dan is the Turkish and Azerbaijani pronunciation.

Aydan

Hayden meets Logan in this modern choice which debuted for girls in the US stats in 2024 when it was given to five girls. Also spelled Hagan, the name is derived from an Irish surname and can mean "little fire" or "young".

Haegan

Aibhne is an Irish and Scottish nature name, derived from abhainn, meaning "river". Like many names, its pronunciation depends greatly on dialect and region, but it may be said as AV-neh, EHV-neh, AYV-neh, AV-nee, EHV-nee, and AYV-nee. 
 
It may appeal to those who like Ava, Ailis, Enya, and Ailbhe, though it is rarely used as a given name.

Aibhne

A writerly choice, Quill first entered the US stats for boys back in 2013 and for girls in 2017. It has since been used sporadically and quietly as a girl name, fitting in with choices such as Poet, Story, Sonnet, and Fable. 
 
Along with being a word name, Quill may also be considered a variation of the Irish Quillan ("lion cub") or the Latin Aquila ("eagle").

Quill

One in the currently modish aden family of <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys' names</a> beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. The name Brayden was given to 15 baby girls in the US last year....and over 5000 baby boys, so it can hardly be considered gender neutral, but rather a boys' name occasionally used for girls.

Brayden

Considered an Irish variation of the French Noel and as the Irish name for the month of December, Nollaig is a relatively modern creation, used as a unisex name since the 20th century. Given to 3 girls in Ireland in a recent year, it is notably borne by fiddle player Nollaig Casey and footballer Nollaig Cleary.

Nollaig

 in the US and other English-speaking countries. That may be because the Irish emigrated widely in the 19th and 20th centuries, seeking jobs and opportunities. 

Irish language baby names were forbidden under British rule, but were revived after the Irish fight for independence a century ago. Irish names that had been anglicized in previous generations were used again in their original form: Siobhan instead of Joan, Aine rather than Anne.

today are very different than they were a century ago. Irish surname-names are popular for baby girls in the US, including Riley, Kennedy, and Quinn.  

 other Irish girl names in the US Top 1000 include Nora, Reagan, Rowan, Finley, Cassidy, Sloane, and Teagan. 

 finding more widespread use include Saoirse, Una, and Teagan.


This list gathers our complete assortment of Irish names for girls, classic and modern, ordered according to their popularity on Nameberry.

Irish Names for Girls, with all the girl names of Irish origin on Nameberry, including popular Irish names for baby girls and unique Irish female names. (Page 16)

Irish Names for Girls: The Complete List