Irish Boy Names (with Meanings)

A spelling variant of presidential surname Regan that briefly entered the Top 1000 for boys in the 1960s, but hasn't rejoined the list since. Shakespeare also used the name for a daughter of King Lear, inspired by an ancient king of the Britons in accounts of the medieval scribe Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Regan

Breccan may be the original saints' name, but in the modern U.S., the spelling Brecken is the most popular form, followed by Breckin. A winner by any spelling.

Breckin

Fallon was one of the first of the unisex surname names, but thanks to "Dynasty" in the 1980s it now has a feminine image.  For a boy, try Phelan instead. 

Fallon

Harmon

Lucan is a rarely heard Irish name, a Luke form with the trendy an ending. 

Lucan

Jaunty and dapper, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son in 1996. Derived from the Irish, O'Raighbheartaigh, it means "(spring) flood tide", though some sources relate it to the Old Irish rath meaning "abundance" and "prosperity."
 Preppy and energetic but earthy too, it also comes with cool nicknames Raffy, Rafe, and Raffa. A rare choice in the US, it has been appearing in the England and Wales Top 1000 since 2003 and has more recently appeared in the Top 250.

Rafferty

This distinguished surname belonged to one of Ireland's great princely families. Its many variations include Rourke (as in actor Mickey), and O'Rourke. The family surname is thought to be one of the oldest in the world, originating in the tenth century, following the death of a young prince named Ruarc. It has literary cred via Howard Roark, the protagonist of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

Roark

Tully is a relaxed, rarely used Irish surname possibility which might provide an alternative to Tommy, Eli, or Troy. It has a long history of usage and a number of meanings, depending on which root you follow.
 From the surname, Ó Taithligh it could mean "quiet and peaceable", whereas from the Irish word tuile, it likely means "flood". There's also the possibility it's connected to the Scottish place name, Tullos, which comes from the Gaelic tulach meaning "hill", or perhaps to the Irish name Tuathal, meaning "ruler of the people" and the name of various Irish kings and heroes.
 
From an entirely different root, it has been occasionally used as a modern, anglicized form of the Roman Tullius , most notably the name of the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Meanwhile, statesman Alexander Hamilton used the pen name Tully when he wrote editorials denouncing the instigators of the Whiskey Rebellion, while Tully Blanchard is an American-Canadian wrestler who bears the name.
 These days, Tully is currently a quietly used unisex option, given to 38 girls and only seven boys in the US in 2024.

Tully

Occasionally used as an alternative to Brandon or Brennan. 

Brannon

Carey is a surname name that works equally well on babies of all genders: Jazz great Carey Bell and motorcross champion Carey Hart are just two examples of how handsome this name can be for a boy. Also spelled as Cary (as in Old-Hollywood actor, Cary Grant), it was popular for boys in the 50s and remained in the US charts from the 1880s to the 1990s. 
 
Usually considered an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Ciardha, the name ultimately comes from ciar meaning "black". It is possible however that it may be used as a variant of the Welsh Carew ("fort on the hill!); a twist on the Irish mac Fiachra ("son of Fiachra, son of the crow"); a name from the Byronic root karɨd ("to love); or an anglicized for of the German Gehring ("spear").
 
While Carey is a unisex choice, it reached great heights for girls in the US back in the 1970s, likely thanks to its similarities with Carrie, Kerry, Cheri, and Caroline. These days, it's leaning masculine again, albeit in very small numbers: just 18 boys and 5 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Carey

While the lin ending is more commonly found in girls' names, Carlin is an authentic Irish male choice and was used just about evenly for both sexes in the US last year.

Carlin

Daire, along with brother names Dara and Darragh, is among the Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/328/irish-baby-names-for-boys">boys' names in Ireland</a> today. An ancient name with an inspirational meaning, pronunciation could prove confusing to Americans.

Daire

Spirited and bubbly, but handsome and preppy too, Darby is a surname style choice that fits in well with the likes of Alby and Lennox. 
 
Derived ultimately from Old Norse, as a surname, it likely emerged in reference to the English town Derby (pronounced the same).
 
Darby works particularly well with an O' surname, as in 'Darby O'Gill and the Little People' and it could also be a unisex option (and is now more popular for girls in the US).
 
Patrick Dempsey chose it for one of his twin boys back in 2007.

Darby

Devlin is an Irish name that's fresher and even more devilish than Devin. 
The earliest written record of this surname occurs in the thirteenth century, when an O'Devlin was appointed Bishop of Kells in 1211.
 In the contemporary world, Devlin Agamand is a character in the video game "War of Witchcraft" and there is a British rapper who goes by the single name Devlin. Bernadette Devlin was the youngest woman ever elected to the British Parliament.

Devlin

Colm is a popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/328/irish-baby-names-for-boys">Irish name for boys</a> that could immigrate, especially with its peaceful meaning. Colm Toibin is a contemporary Irish novelist and critic, author of The Master and Brooklyn; Colm Meaney is an Irish actor. Pronunciation is two syllables instead of one, like Colin with an 'm' at the end. Colm is related to Columba, Colom, Colum, Callum, and Malcolm.

Colm

Cheerful but laidback, surname-style Delaney is derived from the Old Irish name Dubhshláine and has become a familiar choice for girls in recent decades. Nevertheless, it has also been used for boys since the early 1900s and was equally - though rarely - given to both, right up until the 1990s. 
 
Since then, it has been given to around 15 boys each year, with notable bearers including musician Delaney Bramlett, actor Delaney Williams, and singer Delaney Davidson. With last names as first names on trend and <a href="the-softer-side-of-boys-names">soft names for boys</a> climbing the charts, Delaney could work well - and feel fresher - on a boy.

Delaney

Fintan is an ancient Irish saints' name that in legend is also the name of the only person to survive The Flood.  Popular in modern Ireland, Fintan is ripe for export to the US where it is rarely used but could make an excellent long form for the stylish Finn.

Fintan

Has a legitimate first name history in its native land and an appealing meaning, but pronunciation is far from obvious. 

Riordan

Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o. It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of countries, ranging from the Netherlands to Brazil, from Portugal to Czechia. 
 
On one hand, Ivo is a Germanic name, originally used as a short from of names including the element iwa, meaning "yew tree, yew wood", or more figuratively, "archer". As such, it's a cognate to French Yves, Cornish Ives, and the Scottish Ivor and Evander. 
 
Alternatively, Ivo may be used as a diminutive to Ivan, a variation of John used across Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, England, Bosnia, and beyond. In this case, it would mean "God is gracious".
 
Another source for the name is the Bulgarian Ivaylo (or Ivailo) meaning "wolf", while variations include the Latin American Evo, Polish Iwo, and Finnish Iivo.
 
Pronunciation of the name varies depending on country and region. EE-vo is typically used in German, Dutch, Italian, Serbian, and Croatian, IH-vo is heard in Czech and EE-voo is used in Portuguese. EYE-vo is also used among English speakers. 
 
Borne by a number of French, Breton, and Cornish saints, more a more recent bearer is comedian Ivo Graham.
 
Despite its stylish sounds and multicultural appeal, Ivo has never appeared in the US Top 1000, and a recent year saw it given to 18 boys.

A beaming, friendly Irish last-name-first-name waiting to be discovered, though anyone into American history might associate it with John C. Calhoun, a 19th century statesman who defended slavery. There are however plenty of places called Calhoun which might lessen that association.

Calhoun

 in general — are becoming more and more popular beyond their native shores. In the US, the Irish name Liam is now Number 1 and all the different spellings of Aiden have climbed to the top of the U.S. popular names list.

What are the top Irish boy names in the US?

What are the top Irish boy names in Ireland?

Which Irish names for boys are most popular around the world?

Irish names for boys and trending in other countries as well. 

 is an astonishing international success,

 in countries as diverse as Argentina and Austria, Sweden and France. 

 is another Irish boys' names that's an international star, in the Top 100 in Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands.

 among the first wave imported to the US, such as 

are still used in the US and Ireland along with other countries, but are no longer fashionable. If you want to name your baby boy after Grandpa Kevin, you might want to look to newer choices such as 

 which share the first initial K, or a more stylish name with a similar sound, such as

 have become more popular for both genders, we see the style factor on the rise particularly in Irish boys' names unheard in the world outside Ireland a generation ago, such as

Irish boy names that include both top names in ireland and unique Irish names for baby boys, with meanings and popularity. Irish male names used in the US, Ireland, and abroad include Liam, Finn, and Aiden. (Page 7)

Irish Names for Boys: A Curated List