Irish Names for Girls

Saoirse meets Orla (or Orlaith), Saorla blends with elements soer and flaith giving it the meaning "free ruler, free princess". It ranked in the Irish Top 100 back in the early 2020s, but is rare elsewhere.
 
Alternative spellings include Saorla or Saorfhlaith.

Saorlaith

A multicultural choice with a distinctive sound, Moya may appeal as a unique alternative to Maia/Maya or Mia. Given to a handful of girls each year in the US, it is more commonly heard in the UK or in Ethiopia. 
 
From its Irish roots, Moya is a variation of Máire (and in turn, of Maria and Mary too), giving it the meanings "beloved", "bitter", or "drop in the sea" due to the cloudy origins of the classic name. 
 
As an African name, it is used in a variety of languages including Zulo, Sotho, Lala, and Tsonga, though it ultimately stems from Proto-Bantu mʊ̀jòjà meaning "life, spirit". More broadly, it is used to mean "wind", though the root remains the same. 
 
From its Spanish roots, it is predominantly used as a surname or place name, however, it likely derives from the Latin name Modius or Modianus, ultimately meaning "measure". As such, Moya can mean "estate of measure".
 
The name has been borne by singer Moya Brennan, producer and entrepreneur Moya Doherty, actress Moya O'Sullivan, and scholar, activist, and writer, Moya Bailey (who coined the term misogynoir).

Moya

Also written as Realta, this rare Irish name joins the glowing list of names that mean "star". Given to a small handful of girls in Ireland since the 2010s, it may be pronounced as RAYL-tuh in some parts of Ireland and REHL-tuh in others. 
 
The related name Réaltín meaning "little star" also appears in the charts in a variety of forms.

Réalta

A modern Irish word name that has been appearing (albeit very quietly) in the Irish charts since the 2010s, Realta has the celestial meaning of "star". Pronounced as RAYL-tuh in some parts of Ireland and as REHL-tuh in others, it may also be spelled as Réalta.



Realta

Also appearing in the charts as Realtin, Reailtin, Réaltan, and Réiltín, this distinctive Irish name combines the word réalta with a diminutive suffix, giving it the sparkly meaning of "little star". This form was the most popular, given to 11 girls in Ireland in a recent year which did in fact place it in the Top 400.
 
It may be pronounced as RAYL-teen, REHL-teen, or sometimes REEL-teen, depending on which part of Ireland someone is from.

Réaltín

Derived from the Irish réalta meaning "star", combined with a diminutive suffix, Réiltín is a glowing, modern choice in Ireland. Given to eight girls in a recent year (which placed it in the Top 500 in Ireland), it is the second most popular form of the name, outranked only by Réaltín. 
 
Also appearing in the charts as Realtin, Reailtin, and Réaltan, it may be pronounced as RAYL-teen or REHL-teen depending on which part of Ireland someone is from.

Réiltín

Typically spelled as Éala (in which case it would be pronounced like Ella), this name comes from the Irish word for "swan". Its accented form appeared in the Irish Top 50 in a recent year, though this variation may appeal as more closely tied to the bird, or closer in sound to Alice or Alan. 
 
It may also be considered a masculine name in Hawaii, where it is viewed as a variation of the English Earl.

Eala

A rising star for girls in Ireland, Éala is pronounced as EH-luh and may be inspired by the Irish word for swan, eala, said as A-luh). Alternatively, it may be considered an Irish form of Ayla, meaning "oak tree" in Hebrew and "halo, moonlight" in Turkish. 
 
Appealing thanks to its familiar and name-y sound, and because of its elegant and nature-related meanings, it appeared in the Top 50 in Ireland in a recent year.

Éala

An Irish surname, borrowed from the given name Dougal (or Dubhghall), Doyle was a popular choice for boys in the US in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Meaning "dark stranger", it appeared in the stats for girls a handful of times throughout the period. 
 
It might appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes writer, Arthur Conan Doyle, though others might find it a bit too much like doily.

Doyle

Best associated with singer Kylie, Minogue may appeal in the same way as Winslet, Aniston, Bowie, and Mercury: a celeb surnames with stylish sounds. Nicknames Minnie and Moe may make it feel more usable too. 
 
An Anglicization of the Irish surname, Ó Muineog, it literally means "descendant of Muineog", though it may be interpreted as "descendant of the monk", when considering the meaning of Muineog.

Minogue

A contemporary way to honor a Dennis or Denise, this surname style choice may appeal to fans of Jennings, Banks, and Remington. Derived from the Irish surname Ó Duinnín, it literally means "descendant of Duinnín", though may also be interpreted as "descendent of the brown haired man" or "descendent of the chieftain".

Dennings

Not to be confused with the Riadh, a variation of the (masculine) Arabic name Riad, Ríadh is punchy yet regal Irish name, possibly derived from rígain meaning "queen". Other sources however suggest "interest, fascinate" as meanings too.
 
Rare elsewhere, Ríadh has been catching on in Ireland in recent years, similar in sound to Fiadh, Raya, Aria, and Mia.

Ríadh

An Old Gaelic word used poetically to mean "the first light after dawn", more literally, Luisne means "glow". Pronounced LOOSH-nuh or LUUSH-nuh (LUUSH- to rhyme with push, LOOSH- like loose with a sh sound at the end), depending on where you are in Ireland, it has been used very occasionally since 2010. 

Luisne

A modern Irish name, currently on the rise, Éada is likely derived from Éadaoin, a figure from Irish legend. Meaning "passion" or "jealously", it may appeal to those who want a distinctly Irish choice but also enjoy the vintage sounds of Ada or popular Ava. 

Éada

A pretty Irish name with a wonderful meaning, currently of the rise alongside Síofra. Derived from the older name Síthmaith, it comes from the elements maith meaning "good" and síd meaning either "Peace" or "fairy mound".

Síomha

This Irish name can be used as a variant of Susan, or as a form of Siobhan, itself a feminine form of John. Once rare but more recently appearing in the Top 150 in Ireland, the name pronunciation varies slightly regionally, said with one or two syllables.
 
Siún appears in a classic Irish song, Siún Ní Dhuibhir , about a man's brief encounter with a woman named Siún and the fleeting nature of love.

Siún

Fódhla is the modern Irish spelling of Fódla or Fótla, a figure from Irish mythology. She is one of the three goddesses of Ireland, the other two being her sisters Banba and Ériu. First appearing in the Irish stats in 2018, a recent year saw it feature in the Top 200. 
 
 Legend goes that when the Spanish settlers known as the Milesians arrived in Ireland, Fódhla and her sisters all asked the bard, Amergin, for the country to be named for them. Ériu was chosen as the honored sister and the country named Éire, but the bard was keen for all the sisters to have their wish granted. As such, Ireland may be poetically known as Fódhla (or Banba), making this an alternative choice to Erin for those who want to celebrate the place. 
 
Pronounced as FO-luh (Fo to rhyme with tow or foe), the name likely derives from the element fót meaning "sod, land", in turn reflecting her role as goddess of the land. The alternative spellings Fodhla or Fóla might occasionally be used too.

Fódhla

A jazzy Irish surname, most notably borne by the great sax player John Coltrane, this name has been used for boys since the 90s and fits in to the recent trend for last names as first names. Now, with Murphy, McKay, McCoy, and Campbell in use for girls, Coltrane has intrigued some contemporary parents for their daughters. 
 From it's Irish roots, it means "descendant of Coltarán", though it has its origins in Old English too, likely given to someone from a place where coal or charcoal was mined.
 
Nickname Colt is a possibility, along with Coco, Rae, and Connie.

Coltrane

More popularly spelled as Carey, this succinct unisex option was popular in the 1960s and -70s, predominantly for boys, though it did appear in the charts for girls in the 60s through to the early 90s. Similar in sound (or style) to Carrie, Kerry, and Cassie, it ultimately comes from the Irish element ciar meaning "dare, black".

Cary

A Hispanicized form of Ailen or Ayelen, a Mapuche name with can mean "ember" and an Old Irish word name, translating to "island". It may appeal to fans of Ailani and Ayla.

Ailén

 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 18)

Irish Names for Girls: The Complete List