User-created list
Irish Names that Look Best not Anglicized
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The names
Aine
Irish
"brightness, splendor"
More commonly seen here as Anya, this traditional yet unique Irish name belonged to the queen of the Munster fairies and is sprinkled throughout Irish folklore as an early Celtic goddess of summer…
Aodh
Gaelic
"fire"
Aodh, the name of the Celtic sun god meaning "fire", was common in early Scotland. It's also the origin of the wildly popular Irish name Aidan (originally Aodhán). Its pronunciation varies depending…
Aoife
Irish Gaelic
"beautiful, radiant"
Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh , meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman…
Ailill
Bride
Irish
"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.
Callaghan
Irish
"lover of churches"
A classic Irish "top-o'-the-mornin' surname with a lot of rhythm and pizzazz.
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…
Cairbre
Fiachra
Irish
"crow, raven"
In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of Lir who were turned into swans for 900 years. St Fiachra is the patron saint of gardeners.
Grainne
Irish
"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…
Odhran
Irish
"little pale green one"
Odhran, Anglicized as Oran, was the name of an ancient saint. Today, Odhran is among the Top 100 Irish names for boys in Ireland.
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…
Orfhlaith
Orfhlaith is a traditional feminine Irish name with ancient Gaelic origins, pronounced approximately as 'OR-la' or 'OR-lah.' It derives from the Gaelic elements 'or' meaning 'gold' and 'flaith'…
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…
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…
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…