By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Irish
"descendant of Flannghal"
Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…
"strength or exalted one"
Technically a pet form of Brigid and very commonly heard in Ireland, but pronunciation problems complicate Bride as a name choice in America.
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…
"horse"
Eachna is the name of an Irish goddess renowned for her beauty, brains and stylishness; in early legend, a Connacht princess named Eachna was deemed to be one of the loveliest and cleverest women int…
Irish surname, variation of Shannon
"old and wise"
Sheenan updates the longtime Irish favorite Shannon, which ranked in the US Top 100 through much of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Shanon fell off the Top 1000 about ten years ago, but Sheenan is a worthy…
"love, friendship"
Energetic Connelly variation that works better for girls than for boys.
Variation of Maria and Mary
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"
A variation of Maria and Mary, used as a diminutive in Estonia, Croatia, Macedonia, The Netherlands, and Slovenia, and occasionally as a respelling of the Irish Máire. In the first instance, it may…
Scottish Gaelic
"noble"
This attractive and unique Scottish form of Alice can also be found in the spelling Aileas. Like Alice, it ultimately derives from the Germanic name Adalheidis. Spelt with the fada, Ailís, it's Irish…
"sprite, changeling"
A relatively modern (18th C) Irish Gaelic name, Siofra or, more properly, Síofra with the fada has its roots in superstition. In the past, when babies were born in Ireland their families feared that…
"courageous"
Farrell is usually considered a boy's name, though the soft sound of this Irish surname makes it perfectly appropriate for a girl, reminiscent of Farrah.
Popular in Ireland, though not as popular as its spelling variant Eimear, Emer is a mythological name, associated with the legendary wife of the warrior hero Cuchulainn. She was said to possess the…
"little lord"
An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.
Irish, feminine variation of Declan
Has an incomplete feeling....
Spanish feminine form of Roman family name Tullius, meaning unknown
Tulia, rhyming with Julia, is one of several offshoots of the noble Roman family name Tullius, best known as the middle name of the philosopher Cicero. While the single L is considered the Spanish…
"little dog"
An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.
"dark"
This Irish surname packs a lot of attitude, projecting an image of spunk and sass. The Welsh singer Duffy, born Aimee Anne Duffy, is best known for her songs Mercy and Warwick Avenue.
"beautiful sheen"
Anglicized spelling of the difficult-to-decipher Gaelic Aoibheann, the name of several Irish princesses, this name rhymes with Steven. Eavan Boland is a distinguished Irish poet who teaches at…
"grain or love"
Grainne is the Irish form of the name often Anglicized as Grania. It was the name of the ancient grain goddess and also of the fiancee of mythological hero Finn McCool and lover of Dermot, who was a…
"dark, black"
A unisex name in the same vein as Casey, Cassidy, and Kelly, Carey and its alternative spelling Cary were familiar choices for boys in the first half of the 20th-century, and became popular in the…
"charioteer"
Male name from Irish mythology makes stylish-sounding choice for girls.
