Irish Names for Girls

A rare Irish name with a whispery and poetic sound, Sílbhe might be considered a blend of the Irish elements síl meaning "seed, descendant" and bé meaning "lady", lending it the meaning "noble woman" or "woman with lineage". Alternatively, it may be used as an Irish variation of Sylvia, Cecilia, or Celia, meaning "of the woods, forest", "blind" and "heavenly" respectively, though you may mix the various meanings to get "woman of the woods" or "heavenly lady".
 
The name appears in Florence Knapp's 2025 novel, The Names.

Sílbhe

Croía is an unusual name with a loving meaning that jumped into the limelight when an Irish celebrity chose it for his daughter. Virtually unknown before, it's now among the most popular Irish girl names in Ireland.

Croía

Croí's big sister name Croía has become popular in Ireland, but this simpler version is rare and arguably cooler.

Croí

Used predominantly in Ireland, Edel was a popular choice from the 40s through until the 90s, largely in honor of the Irish missionary, Edel Quinn, known for her work with the poor in the slums of Dublin and later, as a Legion of Mary Envoy in Africa. Quiin was named after the edelweiss flower, making this a non-frilly floral choice.
 
Edel is additionally used as a short form of names containing the German element, edel, such as in Edeltraud and Edelmira. In this case, it would would mean "noble".
 
In Ireland, you may hear it said as EE-dehl, while from its German roots, AY-duhl or EH-dehl may be heard.

Edel

 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 19)

Irish Names for Girls: The Complete List