Updated October 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Irish
"noble good"
Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its…
Irish, from Brid, Brigh, Brigid
"strength or exalted one"
A short, breezy name with a sophisticated yet upbeat image, that doesn't betray its Irish roots. Bree first came to notice here in 1971 via the complex prostitute character in the movie Klute , which…
"girl"
Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
"courageous"
Riley is the spelling of this lively Irish name most often picked for girls, but this version is occasionally used.
"pool, lake"
A name that has many close, more familiar relatives, like Mira and Myra.
"one with broad eyes"
Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.
English or Irish
"people of Cana or wolf cub"
While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female…
Anglicized spelling of Irish Niamh or Italian and Portuguese
"snow"
Introduced to the American public by actress Neve Campbell; it was her Dutch-born mother's maiden name. Neve is an interesting and fresh new possibility, one which Conan O'Brien chose for his…
"son of the handsome one"
Although the Mc or Mac prefix always means "son of", the first names McKenna and MacKenna are used in the US exclusively for girls, with the McKenna spelling outpacing this one 14 to 1. There are no…
"son of Egan"
Another two-syllable surname zooming up the ladder for boys, and poised to be grabbed by the girls.
Anglicization of Conleth, Irish
"chaste fire; constant fire"
Part Constance, part Finley, Conley is a contemporary sounding surname choice that has been used for boys since the early 20th century. An anglicized form of the Irish name Conleth, it began to be…
Variation of Tara or Tyrone, English, Irish
"rocky hill, elevated place; land of Eoghan"
Taryn is an offshoot of Tara that has a variety of meanings in a variety of cultures. In 1953, Taryn was presented to the public as an invention by actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian for their…
Diminutive of several names
Baby names that started off as diminutives -- Ena, Ita, Etta -- seem too insubstantial for a modern female.
Irish Gaelic
"bright"
Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who…
"loyal"
With both the Dillon and Dylan spellings, usage of this gender-neutral names runs about ten to one boys to girls. But Dylan is used about 20 times as often as Dillon for both genders. Which might be…
Feminine form of Alf or anglicized form of Ailbhe, Danish, Icelandic, Irish
"elf; bright, light, white"
Elva is a multicultural choice, being both an anglicization of the Irish Ailbhe and an feminine form of the name Alf, meaning "elf". Popular in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it…
Spelling variation of Kaitlyn or Caitlin
Kaitlynn seems to be trying too hard to make its pronunciation plain. At this point, everyone knows that the name however you spell it is pronounced like Kate plus Lynn, so why go all the way to…
"rough, fierce"
While Larkin takes this name from bird to surname, there are actually more female Larkins these days than male, and it's a name that works as well for either gender. It has the literary connection to…
"brightness, splendor"
More commonly seen here as Anya, this traditional yet unique Irish name belonged to the queen of the Munster fairies and is sprinkled throughout Irish folklore as an early Celtic goddess of summer…
"dream, vision"
Aisling is currently a very popular Irish name for girls . Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic Irish names in the twentieth century, and is…