Irish Names for Girls

This ultra-rare spelling of Oona was chosen by actress Amber Heard for her daughter, born in 2021.

Oonagh

The name of a character in the once scandalous novel Valley of the Dolls now sounds a little more dated than the similar Arden.

Ardis

The Irish variation of Evelyn and Aveline, Eibhlín appears in the title of a love song by 17th century, Eibhlín a Rún, written by composer and harpist, Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh. It can be pronounced with either an "ayv" sound at the beginning, or an "ehv" sound, depending on regional dialect.
 
While the exact meaning of the name is unknown, "desired" or "water, island" are possibly theories. Eibhlín may also be the source of the more familiar Eileen, though this is also used as an Irish form of Helen.

Eibhlín

Barra is a Gaelic-speaking island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, that's been inhabited since the Neolithic era. A male nickname for Finbarr in Ireland, as well as a stand-alone name, Barra was used by George R.R. Martin as a girl's name. It means 'fair-haired'.

Barra

A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.

Biddy

Vintage short form of Bridget, very rarely still heard in Irish Catholic communities.

Biddie

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly rare.

Bridie

Interesting Irish diminutive of Bridget or Bríd.

Brídín

Irish surname names are hugely popular for girls in the US these days, with Riley and Kennedy ranking high on the official popularity lists. Connery is uncommon, but certainly attractive and usable.

Connery

Wild, lovely place in western Ireland makes wild, lovely name. 

Connemara

Perhaps too spicy for some, but this is a popular Gaelic surname that might appeal for those looking to honor a family branch or to fans of legendary British comedian Tim Curry.

Curry

You may think of this as a variation of Eilis, an Irish name that rhymes with Irish, or a mashup of Eileen and Elise.

Eilise

Borrowed from the Irish word for "new" and "modern", Nua could make a novel alternative to Nova or Neo, or to the similar sounding Noa and Nora. In Ireland, its pronunciation varies regionally, with noo-uh, noo, and noh in use, though English speakers are likely to choose the two-syllable option. 
 
Beyond its Irish roots, Nua is an Ogoni name used in Nigeria where it means "second born", and also a Vietnamese name, where it may mean "female, woman", "flower bud", or "half". In Portuguese, however, it relates to the word for "nude, naked" which might be something to bear in mind when choosing the name.

Eimer is a rare variation of the popular Irish name, Eimear. Also appearing as Emer, it derives from Irish mythology in which it was borne by the the legendary wife of the warrior hero Cuchulainn.
 
While the exact meaning is unknown, it is sometimes interpreted to mean "swift", in relation to the Irish mear.
 
The name last appeared in the Irish data back in 2009, and even at its peak in 1995, it was given to just 11 girls. 
 
From its Germanic roots, Eimer is a masculine name, and used as a Frisian form of Elgimar or Elimar meaning "famous blade"

Eimer

Popular in Ireland but less familiar elsewhere, Eimear is a mythological choice, which some may see as a fresh alternative to Emma. 
 
In Irish legend, Eimear was the wife of the warrior hero Cuchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and needlework. While the exact meaning of the name is unknown, one suggestion is that it means "swift, quick", from the Irish mear.
 
Pronounced as EE-mer, the name may also be spelled as Emer, and more rarely, Eimer. Other forms are Éimhear (said as EH-ver) and Eimher, the Scottish variant (pronounced AY-veer).

Eimear

Although it is now a unisex name in Ireland, Naoise is originally a masculine name. It belonged to a handsome young warrior in Irish legend, lover of the tragic Deirdre, who killed herself after Naoise was murdered by the jealous king Conchobhar. 
 
Despite its tragic origins, Naoise makes an attractive choice, and while some may be thrown by the spelling, with the increased visibility of Saoirse, its not too hard to learn. It was chosen for 31 boys and 39 girls in a recent year in Ireland. 
 
Author Naoise Dolan is a notable bearer.

Naoise

Sullivan has been on the rise in recent years, predominantly for boys, but also for a growing number of girls: more than 100 in a recent year. Short form Sully has also begun to see occasional usage, fitting in to the trend of boyish nicknames for girls, but alternative spelling Sullie may appeal to parents who want to soften the name slightly, in line with Billie and Stevie. Meaning "black-eyed one" from its Irish origins, Sullie has only ever appeared in the US charts once, back in 1919, when it was used for 6 girls. 

Sullie

More popularly used as an alternative spelling to the popular Hindi name, Arun, the mythic charioteer of the dawn, Aroon is also used as an Irish term of endearment, loosely translating to "darling" or "oh darling. 
 
More literally, it comes from a a rún meaning "love", "secret" or "intention", which may well connect it to the Old Norse and Old Germanic runo relating to magic, runes, and secrets. In fact, there isa very similar Icelandic name.
 
Coming back to its Irish roots, Aroon is the name of the heroine of Molly Keane's classic novel of the Anglo-Irish gentry, Good Behaviour and is heard in the song Eileen Aroon (Eibhlín a Rún). It is rarely actually used as a given name.

Aroon

While Doireann may look like a form of Doreen (a diminutive of Dora or Dorothy), it is in fact a name of Old Irish origin, appearing in Irish legend. Usually pronounced as DEH-ruhn (though DIR-an and DUR-enn are also listed), it is rarely used outside of Ireland.
 
The exact etymology of the name is unknown, but it may be a blend of finn and der meaning "white, blessed" and "daughter" respectively. Another (less favorable) possibility is that is comes from an Irish word meaning "tempestuous", while others have suggested it comes from doire meaning "oak grove".
 
Notable bearers include social media star and comedian, Doireann Garrihy, poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, radio producer Doireann Ní Bhriain, and translator and academic Doireann MacDermott.

Doireann

Less known internationally than Saoirse and Orla, but equally appealing, Saorla is also spelled Saorlaith or Saorfhlaith. It combines the elements soer and flaith giving it the meaning "free ruler, free princess".
 
The Saorlaith spelling ranked in the Irish Top 100 in the early 2020s.

Saorla

 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 17)

Irish Names for Girls: The Complete List