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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…
Síle
Irish Gaelic
"blind"
The Irish Gaelic form of Cecilia, which is the origin of the Anglicized version Sheila, which subsequently became very popular across the English-speaking world.
Clodagh
Irish river name
A popular choice in Ireland, Clodagh was the name of a river and later a saint. The "cloddy" aspect of the name has prevented it from spreading beyond Ireland, but that could change with the rise of…
Curran
Irish
"hero, champion"
Curran is a curry-flavored Irish surname-y name that could work as well for girls as boys. Curran can be a fresher spin on the Twilight -inflected Cullen.
Dara
Hebrew, Slavic or Irish
"pearl of wisdom; gift; or oak tree"
Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.…
Darby
Irish, English, Norse
"free from envy; from the deer estate"
Once a common boy name in Ireland, the dynamic Darby now has a definite unisex feel. A bit like a mash up between Darcy and Ruby, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the 90s, peaking in 1995 when it…
Dervla
Anglicized form of Irish Dearbhla or Deirbhile
"daughter of the poet"
Tongue twister of a name common in Ireland in both its Gaelic and its Anglicized forms. American or British parents looking for an Irish name that's still largely unknown in the outside world might…
Devin
Irish
"poet"
Used far more for boys with this spelling, but still has a nice impish Irish feel for a girl.
Duffy
Irish
"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.
Eachna
Irish
"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…
Eavan
Irish
"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…
Eibhlin
Irish form of Aveline and Evelyn, German
"desired; or water, island"
The Irish Gaelic form of Evelyn or Aveline, this name is more authentically spelled Eibhlín. It appears in the title of a love song by 17th century composer Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh, called Eibhlín a…
Eilidh
Gaelic form of Eleanor
Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into…
Hermione
Feminine version of Hermes, Greek
"messenger, earthly"
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…
Étaoin
Irish
"jealousy"
This name of a mythical beauty transformed into a scarlet fly by a jealous wife is popular in its native land; here, while pleasant to the ear, it's bewildering on paper.
Éadaoin
Irish
"jealousy"
Modern Irish form of the mythological name Étaín.
Finola
Irish
"white shoulders"
Finola, the readily accessible version of some of the more problematic Gaelic versions of the name, would make a welcome addition to the stockpot of Irish girls' names.
Fianna
Irish
"band of warriors"
Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in…
Philippa
Greek, feminine variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…
Finn
Irish
"white, fair"
The most enduringly popular hero of Irish myth was Finn McCool, whose name is one of the coolest ever. When used for the female protagonist of How to Make an American Quilt , Finn established its…