Irish Names for Girls: The Complete List
- Aislinn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dream"Description:
Old Irish name that's taken off in its Anglicized forms, mainly Ashlyn or Ashlynn. Nonetheless, this more traditional version debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
- Eibhlin
Origin:
Irish form of Aveline and Evelyn, GermanMeaning:
"desired; or water, island"Description:
The Irish Gaelic form of Evelyn or Aveline, this name is more authentically spelled Eibhlín. It appears in the title of a love song by 17th century composer Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh, called Eibhlín a Rún.
- Noreen
Origin:
English, diminutive of NoraDescription:
Noreen's in limbo, especially now that Nora has made a comeback.
- Keegan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of Egan"Description:
Another two-syllable surname zooming up the ladder for boys, and poised to be grabbed by the girls.
- Eavan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"beautiful sheen"Description:
Anglicized spelling of the difficult-to-decipher Gaelic Aoibheann, the name of several Irish princesses, this name rhymes with Steven. Eavan Boland is a distinguished Irish poet who teaches at Stanford University.
- Ita
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"thirst"Description:
The name of one of the most famous medieval Irish saints, who was known as "the foster-mother of the saints," and founded a nunnery in the county of Limerick. Might be of interest to someone looking for an unusual 3-letter name.
- Barry
Origin:
Irish "spear"Meaning:
"spear"Description:
Out-of-date for a boy, innovative for a girl.
- Meriel
Origin:
Variation of Muriel, IrishMeaning:
"of the bright sea"Description:
This pleasant modernization of a dated original is still rare but has real modern possibilities. Alternate versions include Merial and Meryl.
- Ethne
Origin:
Variation of Eithne, IrishMeaning:
"kernel"Description:
Ethne is one of the many Irish Gaelic names whose spelling and pronunciation -- it's en-ya -- will prove endlessly confusing to English speakers.
- Sadbh
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"sweet; goodly"Description:
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.
- Paili
Origin:
Irish variation of PollyDescription:
Authentic Irish choice, easy to spell, tricky to pronounce.
- Eachna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"horse"Description:
Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int he world.
- Darren
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little great one"Description:
Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.
- Grania
Origin:
Variation of Grainne, IrishMeaning:
"the loved one or grain of corn"Description:
In addition to being the appellation of an ancient grain goddess, this name was also borne by two mythic Irish figures, one of whom was betrothed to legendary chieftain Finn MacCool, the other the brave sixteenth century pirate Grainne Ni Mhaille— known in English as Grace O'Malley-- whose name passed into poetry as a symbol of Ireland.
- Cliodhna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"shapely"Description:
Cliodhna and its simplified form Cliona are both well-used in modern Ireland though they are ancient mythological names. The goddess Cliodhna left the Land of Promise with a mortal but was punished for her desertion by being swept to sea by a giant wave.
- Áine
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"brilliance, wit"Description:
Similar in sound to Anya and Enya, Áine is a mythical Irish choice, associated with the goddess of summer, wealth, beauty, love, and fertility. It is a familiar choice in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where it flits in and out of the Top 100, while in England and Wales, it was a Top 1000 choice back in the 2000s.
- Grainne
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"grain or love"Description:
Grainne is the Irish form of the name often Anglicized as Grania. It was the name of the ancient grain goddess and also of the fiancee of mythological hero Finn McCool and lover of Dermot, who was a heroine of the seas.
- Riona
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"queenly"Description:
We'd opt for Fiona.
- Flynn
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of the red-haired one"Description:
A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".
- Kerry
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark, dark-haired"Description:
Kerry is the name of one of the most beautiful and lush counties of Ireland was a seventies favorite. Related, updated versions might include Cerys and Keira.
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