International Baby Names
Gaelic Names
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About this list
Gaelic names encompass Irish names, Scottish names, and Manx names from the Isle of Man. The Gaelic names on this list draw from name rosters from all these origins.
There is a lot of confusion about the terms Gaelic and Celtic and how they relate to names from Ireland, Scotland, and other countries. The Celts or Celtics were a wide-ranging group of people who settled throughout Western Europe and had their own culture and language. Gaelic is a subset of the Celtic language.
The Irish language, which can also be called Irish Gaelic, is widely spoken and understood in Ireland, where it is taught in the schools. In Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom, Gaelic is spoken by only a small percentage of the people.
Gaelic names particularly from Ireland where they are widely popular have emigrated to the wider world. Saoirse, an Irish Gaelic name that means freedom, has become popular thanks to Irish actress Saoirse Ronan. Irish musician Niall Horan has similarly popularized his Gaelic name.
Gaelic baby names can present pronunciation and spelling problems for English speakers. Many Gaelic names have been Anglicized, but we've stuck to the original Gaelic spellings for this list.
Included here are both Gaelic girl names and Gaelic boy names native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
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The names
Callum
Scottish form of Columba, Latin
"dove"
Callum is a gentle, charming name of Scottish origin, that is a popular choice across the UK. In the US, it was a rare option until the late 2000s, however, since 2017 it's been rising up the ranks.…
Oscar
English or Irish
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing. In the nineties and the…
Ronan
Irish
"little seal"
Ronan is the compelling legendary name of twelve Irish and Scottish saints that is now drawing some deserved attention; this cousin of the ascending Roman and Rowan was chosen by actor Daniel…
Brian
Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
The origins of the name Brian are not entirely clear, but it is suspected that it evolved from an Old Celtic word related to nobility. In Ireland the name is associated with Brian Boru, the most…
Fiona
Scottish
"white, fair"
Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon , but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990. Fiona is the best known of a group of…
Cillian
Irish
"war strife or church"
Cillian is one of the native Irish names that, along with Aiden and Declan, is becoming an unlikely favorite in contemporary America. The Killian spelling has been more popular in the US, but…
Conor
Spelling variation of Connor, Irish
"lover of hounds"
Conor's more popular brother name Connor has been in the Top 100 for long enough that both are ready to make way for a new generation of Irish boys' names.
Ciara
Irish
"little dark one"
Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…
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…
Siobhan
Irish Gaelic
"god is gracious"
Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which…
Una
Latin, Irish, or Old Norse
"one; lamb; happy"
In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but…
Saoirse
Irish
"liberty"
Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones , few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way…
Brigid
Irish variation of Brighid
"strength or exalted one"
Brigid is the simpler Irish version of the name of the goddess of fire, which may also be spelled Brighid. Other variations include Bridget, the most usual spelling in the U.S., and the French…
Shay
Anglicized spelling of Shea or Shai, Irish, Hebrew
"dauntless, fine, hawk; gift"
Gentle yet rugged, cool but well established, Shay is straightforward and memorable. An anglicized spelling of the Irish Shea ("dauntless, fine, good" "hawk") and the Hebrew Shai ("gift"), Shay…
Donal
Scottish variation of Donald
"proud chief"
Donal is, yes, just Donald with the final d cut off, but that somehow gives it a jauntier, fresher feel. Donal Logue is a Canadian actor and Donal Skehan is an Irish cookbook author.
Oran
Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"light, song, little green one"
A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a…
Deirdre
Irish
"sorrowful"
Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.
Fiadh
Irish
"wild"
Fiadh is the fastest-rising girls name in Ireland, derived from the ancient root word for "wild". Sassy but gentle at the same time, it also entered the England and Wales Top 1000 in 2020 and has…
Aoibheann
Irish
"beautiful sheen"
An ancient Aoibheann was the mother of Saint Enda, and Aoibheann remains popular in Ireland today, sometimes with its Anglicized spelling Eavan.
Sadhbh
Irish
"sweet, goodness"
Sadhbh was the name of several real and legendary Irish princesses, including the daughters of Conn of the Hundred Battles, of Queen Medb of Connacht, and of King Brian Boru. It's also written Sabha.…
