International Baby Names
Gaelic Names
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Eithne
Gaelic
"nut kernel"
Pretty and soulful name of a goddess from Irish mythology and several Irish saints. Singer Enya, born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, has made the Anglicized spelling familiar. Eithne comes from the vocabulary…
Laoise
Irish
"light"
Pronounced lee-sha, Laoise is the feminine form of the Irish mythological names Lugh and Lugus, which means light. Lugus was the Celtic god of commerce and craftsmanship, the equivalent of the Roman…
Oisin
Irish
"little deer"
Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was…
Padraig
Irish
"patrician, noble"
Parents of Irish heritage are increasingly looking for more authentic Gaelic names, and this is a native spin on Patrick. Pronunciation will be confusing for many Americans, though: It's POR-rick.…
Bronagh
Irish
"sorrow"
Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.
Darragh
Irish
"oak tree"
Also Anglicized as Dara and also spelled Daire in its native form, Darragh has an undeniably rugged appeal. It's used for both girls and boys in Ireland, but it's very popular in particular for boys.
Dearbhla
Irish
"daughter of the poet"
Dearbhla along with its Anglicized form Dervla are both well-used in modern Ireland. There was a medieval Saint Dearbhla. The spelling Deirbhile is also used.
Fionn
Irish
"fair or white"
Fionn, the modern Irish form of Finn, is more popular in Ireland these days than Finn, which is rising fast in the U.S. where Fionn is virtually unknown. That's probably a good thing, because few…
Rian
Irish
"little king"
More authentic and original form of Ryan, but far less common of the two spellings in the US. There were about 170 baby boys named Rian in the US last year, versus over 4000 named Ryan. In its native…
Eoin
Irish, variation of John
"God is gracious"
Though Eoin is a Gaelic form of John, its Anglicized pronunciation links it directly to Owen. Eoin is currently a Top 30 name in Ireland. Other variations: Ewan, Ewen, Evan and Eoghan (pronounced as…
Aoibhe
Irish
"life, or beauty"
Aoibhe may be considered a form of either Aoife -- beauty in Irish -- or Eve, which means life. Either way, this popular Irish name for girls is pronounced as Eva though outside of Ireland few would…
Caoimhe
Irish, Scottish
"beautiful"
Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native…
Aodhán
Irish
"little fire"
Authentic Irish Gaelic spelling of Aidan, sometimes pronounced with a very soft d/th sound in the middle.
Tadhg
Irish
"poet"
The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick…
Cathal
Irish
"battle rule"
The name of an ancient Irish saint is in the contemporary Irish Top 50. While it's one of the rare Irish names for boys that hasn't immigrated to the U.S., it may follow brothers Aidan and Declan to…
Senan
Irish
"little old one"
St. Senán was a famed 6th-century monk, who founded a monastery on Inis Cathaigh whose ruins can still be seen today. Legend has it that before he could found the monastery, he had to banish a great…
Roisin
Irish
"little rose"
No, the pronunciation--ro-SHEEN--isn't immediately obvious to the non-Gaelic viewer, but the sound of this shiny Irish version of Rose is pretty enough to make it worth considering. Very popular in…
Eoghan
Irish Gaelic
"born of the yew tree"
Pronounced like Owen, this was the name of several early Irish kings and saints, as well as a celebrated Ulster hero. Often spelled with two 'n's in Scotland, it has been Anglicized as Ewan, Ewen,…
Ruadhri
Ruadhri is an ancient Irish name with deep Gaelic roots. Derived from the elements 'ruadh' meaning 'red' and 'rí' meaning 'king,' it traditionally referred to a red-haired ruler or king. Throughout…
Clodagh
Irish river name
A popular choice in Ireland, Clodagh was the name of a river and later a saint. The "cloddy" aspect of the name has prevented it from spreading beyond Ireland, but that could change with the rise of…