Names That are Uniquely Popular in Northern Ireland
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Croia
Irish
"heart"
Also spelled Croía, this is an unusual name with a loving meaning that jumped into the limelight when an Irish martial artist Conor McGregor chose it for his daughter born 2019. Virtually unknown…
Eabha
Irish form of Eve
"life"
Eabha, along with Aoife and Aoibhe and even the Anglo Ava, are all Eve sisters or soundalikes in the Irish Top 100. Outside of Ireland, though, this Gaelic spelling would prove difficult. Confusingly…
Eimear
Irish Gaelic
"swift"
Popular in Ireland but less familiar elsewhere, Eimear is a mythological choice, which some may see as a fresh alternative to Emma. In Irish legend, Eimear was the wife of the warrior hero…
Meabh
Irish
"she who intoxicates"
Meabh, the native Irish spelling of Maeve, is in the Top 100 in Ireland and becoming more popular here in its Anglicized form. Outside of Ireland, life will be easier with the Maeve spelling of this…
Mollie
Variation of Molly
This new/old spin on Molly -- nickname-names with the ie ending were particularly popular at the turn of the last century -- that has landed this name in the US Top 1000.
Roise
Irish
"rose"
A relative of the very popular (in Ireland) name Róisín ("little rose"), Róise comes from the Gaelic word for "rose". It’s one of the very old Irish names for girls , in use at least since the early…
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…
Aodhan
Irish
"little fire"
Also written as Aodhán and borne by a number of early Irish saints, Aodhan is a Gaelic spelling of Aidan, sometimes pronounced with a very soft d/th sound in the middle, though this varies…
Caolan
Irish
"slender"
A Top 100 choice in Northern Ireland, Caolán shares many fashionable sounds with names like Cayden and Callan, but remains virtually unknown in the US.
Cian
Irish
"ancient"
A handsome Irish name for boys, very popular in that country, but in the US this traditional spelling might cause pronunciation problems. Still, whether Cian or Kian, it's simple and straightforward…
Conan
Irish
"little wolf"
The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor. In…
Cormac
Irish
"charioteer"
Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…
Daire
Irish
"oak tree"
Daire, along with brother names Dara and Darragh, is among the Top 100 boys' names in Ireland today. An ancient name with an inspirational meaning, pronunciation could prove confusing to Americans.
Daithi
Irish
"switfness, nimbleness"
Traditionally spelled Dáithí, Daithí, or Dathí, this Irish boy name has a distinct and attractive sound. 34 baby boys were given the name Daithi in 2022.