Irish Baby Names: Rare in the US

Irish Baby Names: Rare in the US

Irish names have been immigrating to the US for decades and show no signs of slowing. And why should they, when there’s such a wealth of beautiful Irish names still to discover!

From 19th century choices Bridget and Patrick, through midcentury favorites Kathleen and Kevin, to today’s popular picks like Liam and Aiden, Riley and Quinn, many Irish names are now so familiar to the American ear, that they don’t even really register as “Irish” anymore.

So if you want to honor your Irish heritage more overtly – or if you just prefer unique baby names – it’s time to dig deeper!

22 Simple Yet Rare Irish Baby Names

We’ve trawled the latest Irish and Northern Irish baby names data to uncover 22 unusual Irish baby names that are well used on the Emerald Isle, but little known in the US.

All are relatively straightforward for the uninitiated English speaker to pronounce – no Aoibheann or Caoimhe here! And all were given to at least three babies in Ireland and/or Northern Ireland last year.

Uncommon Irish Girl Names

Cliona (CLEE-uh-nah)

One of the lesser-known mythological names for girls. In Irish lore, Clíodhna was a beautiful queen of the sidhe (faeries) who fell in love with a mortal and was swept out to sea. The tide in the harbor of Glandore in County Cork is still known as Tonn ChlíodhnaCliona‘s Wave”.

Clodagh (CLO-da)

Derived from the river Clodiagh in Ireland, Clodagh is in the Top 100 in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. It has never been used for more than 15 girls a year in the States, but would make a great rare alternative to Clover and Chloe.

Eriu (EH-ryu)

The Old Irish name for Ireland, now Éire, which is the source of Erin (via its genitive form Éireann “of Ireland”). In Irish mythology, Ériu is the mother goddess of Ireland, whose name may derive from a Proto-Celtic word meaning “full, abundant” – i.e. “land of abundance”.

Fianna (FEE-uh-nah)

In Irish mythology, the Fianna are small bands of warriors, led most famously by the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool). The singular form fiann is cognate with modern Irish fine “family group” and Old English wine “friend”.

It may also be used as an elaboration on the hugely popular Irish name Fiadh (Fia), which was the #3 girl name in Ireland last year. Both these names are still uncommon in the States, used for under 60 girls each year, but they have seen a sharp rise in the last five years.

Iseult (EE-sult)

An ancient name of uncertain origin – theories include Germanic is “ice” + hild “battle”; Welsh is “under” + allt “slope, hillside”; or a possible Brythonic name Adsiltia, meaning “she who is gazed upon”.

In the legend of Tristan and Iseult (or Isolde), Iseult of Ireland is a beautiful Irish princess who falls in love with the knight Tristan, with tragic consequences.

Neala (NEE-la)

Neala derives from the Gaelic name Niall, whose origin is disputed. Possibilities include Old Irish niadh “champion” or nél “cloud”. The male form Neal has dropped off the charts in both Ireland and NI, but Neala was given to 5 baby girls in 2022.

Orla

Already well used throughout the British Isles, Orla is the most popular spelling of the Gaelic name Órlaith or Órfhlaith, borne by the sister of the 11th century Irish king Brian Boru. It means “golden princess”.

Sibeal (shi-BALE)

Part-Sinead, part-Sibyl, Sibéal is actually the Irish form of Isabel, adopted into the Gaelic language in the early Middle Ages.

Siofra (SHEEF-ra)

Spelled Síofra, this name is rising fast in the Republic of Ireland, entering the Top 100 in 2023. Meaning "sprite" or "changeling", it has both a simple, distinctive sound and a fae, whimsical feel.

Tuiren (TIR-en)

Another surprisingly modern sounding mythological name, Tuiren was the aunt of Finn MacCool, famed for her beauty. Tuiren is most popular in the Republic of Ireland, where it was given to 6 baby girls last year.

Unusual Irish Boy Names

Art

No, it’s not a nickname for Arthur, though you’d be forgiven for thinking so! In Ireland Art is an ancient name, deriving from Proto-Celtic artos “bear” and figuratively meaning “hero, champion”. It has belonged to two legendary High Kings of Ireland, Art mac Cuinn and Art mac Lugdach.

Barra

An Anglicization of Bairre, now more popular in Ireland than the original, Barra is a short form of the Gaelic names Fionnbharr (Finbar) or Barrfhionn, meaning “fair head”. Gaelic barr means “head”, but also “height” or “hill”.

Cahir (CAH-hir)

Meaning “warrior”, from Old Irish cath “battle” and fer “man”, Cahir is an Anglicized form of Cathair or Cathaoir. It’s especially popular in Northern Ireland, given to 23 baby boys there in 2023 (plus 19 called Cathair/Cathaoir).

Enda

This is an anglicization of Éanna, possibly deriving from Old Irish én, meaning "bird", which was a new entry to Ireland's Top 100 boy names in 2023. Belonging to several ancient saints and kings, as well as modern Irishmen, its' a distinctive A-ending boy name that's easy to spell and pronounce.

Eunan (YOO-nan)

A saint’s name, Anglicized from Ádhamhnán or Adomnán, which may derive either from Ádhamh (Adam) or from Gaelic adomnae “great fear”. St Eunan was a 7th century abbot of Iona best known for his “Law of Innocents”, which protected women, children and non-combatants.

Lorcan

Well loved here on Nameberry, Lorcan has never been given to more than 20 babies a year in the US and is the perfect rare alternative to Liam or Logan. In Gaelic, Lorcán means “little fierce one”.

Malachy (MAL-uh-kee)

Influenced by, but not technically related to, the Biblical name Malachi, Malachy is an Irish saint’s name. It’s the Anglicized form of either Maeleachlainn (“disciple of St. Seachnall”) or Maelmhaedhoc (“disciple of St. Máedóc”). Irish actor Cillian Murphy chose the name for his son in 2005.

Oisin (aw-SHEEN)

Meaning "little deer", Oisín was the son of the legendary hero Finn McCool, a warrior and poet. Today, it is a Top 5 boy name in Ireland, but was given to only 28 baby boys in the US in 2022. It is also anglicized as Ossian, and the Welsh version is Osian (AW-shan).

Rua

Many non-Irish speakers are familiar with Ruairí and Ruaidrí – the Gaelic spellings of Rory. They derive from Irish ruadh “red” + “king”. But Ruadh or Rua is also given as a name in its own right: 18 Ruas and 22 Ruadhs were born in Ireland last year.

Senan (SEN-an or SHEN-an)

Considering that Senan or Seanán is one of the origins of the surname turned popular first name Shannon, it’s surprising that this saint’s name remains so little known outside of Ireland.

Senan is thought to derive from Old Irish sen “old”, but parallels have also been drawn with the name of the goddess of the River Shannon, Sinann. It’s possible that the figure of St Senan may actually be a Christianization of a Celtic river goddess.

Turlough (TUR-lock)

A popular name during the Middle Ages, Toirdelbach (Anglicized as Turlough or Turlach) is the name of two High Kings of Ireland. It means “abettor, instigator”, from Gaelic toirdhealbh “prompting”. Often given in honor of 17th century harpist Turlough O’Carolan, considered by many to be Ireland’s national composer.

Ultan

Ultan or Ultán means “Ulsterman”, referring to the second-largest of the four traditional Irish provinces, which straddles Northern Ireland and the Republic. If unique baby names are your thing, you can’t get much more unusual than the U initial, and Ultan itself has never ranked in the US.

Irish Name Generator

Love Irish names? Check out our fun Irish Name Generator!

About the Author

Emma Waterhouse

Emma Waterhouse

Emma Waterhouse joined the team in 2017, writing about everything from the top baby name trends 2023 to how not to choose the next big baby name. As Nameberry's head moderator, she also helps to keep our active forums community ticking.

Emma's articles on names and naming trends have been featured in publications including the Huffington Post, People, Today's Parent, Fatherly, and Good Housekeeping.

A linguist by background, Emma speaks several languages and lives in England's smallest county with her husband and four young children. You can reach her at emma@nameberry.com.