Traditional Irish Names {Boys}

I am so in love with Irish names. Part of me thinks its because I am Irish myself but the other part is because the names are just so beautiful and unique. They are also easy to spot as Irish just by looking at them. I featured some traditional Irish girl names yesterday so I am going to share with you some traditional Irish boy names today. Names like Aiden, Sean, and Patrick are not on this list so you are getting a nice variety of unique names.

Ailill

Pronounced: AL-yil

Meaning: Elf 

This is a name that is frequent in Irish legend. One Ailill is the youngest husband of Queen Medb. It is believed that she chose him because he was a man without meanness, fear of jealousy, and a match for her own greatness.

Bran 

Pronounced: BRAN

Meaning: Raven

In Irish legend Bran was a mariner who was involved in many adventures. I am a Game of Thrones fan and there is a character with the name int he series. This might be a coincidence but Bran in the show has connects with ravens.

Cairbre

Pronounced: KAHR-bra

Meaning: Charioteer

Cairbre is the name of many historical and mythological figures in medieval Ireland. There was the poet, King of Tara, 1st century High King of Ireland, Ulster Warrior, eponymous founder of the Cenél Coirpri and many others. Not only is it a first name it is also a place name in Ireland. Its a great occupation name that many people wouldn't think of. 

Erskine

Pronounced: UR-skien

Meaning: Projecting Heights 

The name is a surname that was derived from a Scottish town. Erskine Childers is a famous Irish novelist and nationalist. His novel, The Riddle of the Sands is one of great influence. As an Irish patriot, Erskine smuggled guns into Ireland on his sailing yacht.

Fionnbharr

Pronounced: FIN-var

Meaning: Fair hair

Saint Fionnbharr of Cork was a 6th century bishop who was said to have performed miracle cures. The Barry Islands off of Wales were named after him. The name is a great alternative to the ever popular Finn and Finley.

Lorcán

Pronounced: LOR-kan

Meaning: Little Fierce One 

I just adore this name! I think this is the easiest name on the list to pronounce in English. For some reason I thought I talked about this name on Instagram already but I am mistaken. Must have been on someone else's account and not its bugging me because I can't remember. Some of you may know the name because of a character in Harry Potter. 

Oisín

Pronounced: OSH-een, USH-een

Meaning: Little Deer

In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and poet. The name is currently ranked at #12 in Ireland. I am a huge fan of animal name so the meaning is just the cutest. Wouldn't a hunting themed nursery be so cute for a little Oisín?!

Ruaidhrí

Pronounced: ROR-ee

Meaning: Red King 

The last high king before the Norman invasion in Ireland from the 12th century was named Ruaidhrí. This name is great because it is the Irish spelling or Rory. If you can get over the fact that most people won't be able to pronounce it I think its great to use. 

Tadhg

Pronounced: TIEG

Meaning: Poet

An 11th century king of Connact was named Tadhg along with many other kings in Ireland. I think this is one of the few traditional Irish names that I see for boys from time to time. In Ireland the name has gained popularity. It was #69 in 2005 and #40 in 2010. The name is most common in South-west Ireland.

Tighearnán

Pronounced: TEER-nawn

Meaning: Little Lord

Tighearnán is the name of a 12th century king of Breifne  in Ireland. He was contently expanding his kingdom through alliances. The English variant of the name is Tiernan, an easy to pronounce name. 

Traditional Irish Names {Girls}

Irish names are so beautiful. There are the names that are easy on English speaking parents like Aiden, Patrick, and Sean but what I really enjoy is the traditional Irish names. They can be hard to pronounce but are just beautiful. With St. Patrick's Day right I thought it would only be fitting to look at some beautiful Irish names.

Aoife

Pronounced EE-fa 

Meaning: Beauty 

In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. She went to war with her sister but eventually reconciled with her. Sometimes the name is used as an Irish form of Eva or Eve.

Caoimhe 

Pronounced KEE-va

Meaning: Beautiful, Gentle, Kind 

This is such a beautiful name. I really like the anglicized spelling of the name, Keeva. Caoimhe is ranked in the top 20 in Ireland. I think the meaning is also pretty great. 

Gráinne

Pronounced GRAWN-ya

Meaning: Grain 

The first time I saw this name I had no idea it was Irish and thought that it was pronounced like grain. After some research I was corrected. Gráinne is the name of the ancient Irish goddess of grain. Sometimes the name is believed to mean love. 

Mairéad

Pronounced MAW-rayt or Ma-REYD

Meaning: Irish form of Margaret (pearl)

I actually know a girl with the name Mairead. She often tells people that her name is Parade but with an M. Its a great way to honor a Margaret and I am a huge fan of all things Margaret. To no surprise there is a saint with the name. 

Niamh

Pronounced NEEV

Meaning: Bright

I could die for this name! I get so excited to see it used. Irish legend says that Niamh was the daughter of the sea god. The name is in the top 50 in Ireland and #109 in England and Wales. 

Pádraigín

Pronounced PAW-dri-geen

Meaning: Irish form of Patricia (noblemen)

Most of the names on this list I have seen before but Pádraigín is new to me. I feel like this is one of the names that would give people a run for their money when they try to pronounce it. Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer bearing the name. 

Róisín

Pronounced ROSH-een 

Meaning: Form of Rose

Róisín is very popular in Ireland at number 25.  There was poem from the 16th-17th century called Roisin Dubh or Dark Little Rose. I think this is such a cool alternative to Rose. 

Saoirse 

Pronounced SEER-sha

Meaning: Freedom 

Saoirse Ronan can be found in the movie The Lovely Bones and brought light to the name. After she started staring in more and more movies people slowly learned how to pronounce the name and were noticing it more. In Ireland the name is in the top 20 and has been for years. 

Siobhán

Pronounced shi-VAWN

Meaning: Variant of Jeanne (Yahweh is gracious) 

I knew a Siobhán in high school and thought it was the coolest thing. If you can't tell I was so excited to hear her name. Many early Irish queens had the name but it was introduced to America by actress Siobhan McKenna from the 1940s and 1950s. 

Úna

Pronounced OO-na

Meaning: Lamb 

I adore the name Una! Its probably my favorite U name for girls. Like other names on this list Una is from a poem. One called Una Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson and For Una by Robinson Jeffers. Other spellings of the name include Oona, Unah, and Unna. 

Unisex Irish Surnames

I adore surname names as first names. They always feel so fresh and cool. One of my favorite parts about surname first names is they are a great and unique way to honor one or more members of your family. Since St. Patrick's Day is this month I thought it would be great to write about unisex Irish surnames. Irish surnames always seem to have a different feel to them than other surnames. I choice to do unisex names because lets face it most surnames are unisex.

Clancy

Red-Haired Warrior

As I was doing research for this blog post I noticed that the name favors boys more so than girl. I always thought that Clancy would work really nice on a girl because it reminds me a little of Claire and Nancy. The most famous Clancy out there is Tom Clancy, a novelist and video game designer. We also have a lot of fictional characters named Clancy that are males. They come from The Simpsons, The Darkest Minds trilogy, and the tv show House. Clancy can be a nickname for the name Clarence.

Connolly

Valiant  Hound/Wolf

Love, Friendship

Connolly makes a great alternative or a way to honor a Connor. As the population ages the Connors because older and more and more are having kids. Because Connolly is unisex its an easy way to name a girl after a Connor. If you have a Colleen in your family or like the name but want something that sounds more modern I think Connolly/Connelly is a great option. There are a few spellings to the name; Connolly, Connelly, or Connall.

Dempsey

Proud

Now I have seen the name Dempsey on both girls and boys equally. The last time I saw the name was while browsing Instagram when I came across a set of twin girls. One was named Dempsey and I can't remember for the life of me what the second girl's name was. I know they were adopted and just the cutest thing. Many people might think of Patrick Dempsey from Grey's Anatomy.

Flannery

Red Valour 

Flannery is another name I heard on Instagram. It was on a little girl and I thought it was so cool right away. Flannery O'Connor is a female writer who used the name before surname names were popular. Her birth name was Mary Flannery O'Connor and she had 2 novels and many other pieces of writing. In the book The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell there is a girl amend Flannery.

Gallagher 

Descendant of foreign helper 

I know many, many families with the surname Gallagher and was always so used to it in the surname spot. It took a little bit for me to see the name as a first name. The most recent place I have heard the name was from he tv show Shameless. The family are the show are named Gallagher. This is one of the names on the list I can see equally on both a girl and a boy. Gally or Ally would make cute nicknames. 

Madigan

Dog, Mastiff

Years ago I came across this name as a girls name. It was an alternative to the popular Madison and I fell in love. It wasn't until months later that I realized it was an unisex name. just like Madison. Simmone Jade Mackinnon named her son Madigan James Mackinnon and that is really the only boy I could find with the name. Madgian Shive is a female musician bearing the name.

Murphy

Sea Warrior 

I am a huge fan of The 100. One of the characters on the show goes by Murphy and I always think of him. Personality I lean toward the name on a boy but I wouldn't be opposed to see it on a girl. As a surname it is very common in Ireland. I'm sure some of you know families with the surname where you live. The one downside to the name, which I don't think many people will pick up on, is Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will).

Rooney

Descendant of the Champion 

I just love how upbeat this name sounds. Roo or Rue is such a great nickname for this name. Rooney Mara is an actress (you can find her in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and brought light tot he name, especially for girls. If you didn't know about Rooney Mara than maybe you know about Mickey Rooney from Night at the Museum, The Fox and the Hound, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Sheridan

Searcher

One of my favorite parts about having a name instagram is being able to connect with other people who love names in an easy way. There are so many names that I was introduced to because of other names and Sheridan was one. Just recently Ianthe from Namestation featured a subset and one of the girls was named Sheridan. I fell in love right away. The beginning sound makes me think girl but the end makes me think boy.

Tierney

Descendant of a lord 

Like Madigan, Tierney is a name I loved years ago. I think go of a girl right away but it works just as well on a boy. I would even be happy to hear it on a boy. Tierney Sutton is an American female jazz singer. The original form of Tierney is Tiarnach and there are several saints with the name both male and female. 

Irish Surnames

Your last name, at times, can be a dead give away of your nationality. With St. Paddy's Day yesterday I thought it would be cool to look at some of my favorite Irish surnames. Growing up with a lot of Irish people has made some of this surnames every day names fro me.

Source

Burke
Meaning: From the Fortress
Sex: Boy
I've had the name Burke on my boy list at one point in my life. It's such a cool surname and I love names that have a K in them. In 2013, 78 boys were named Burke and I was pleasantly surprised but how high the number was.

Daly
Meaning: Assembly
Sex: Unisex
I love this name on a girl but just like Gallagher, it's a boy name. A lot of boy names are being used for girls right now so this could go along with he trends. In 2013 more girls (14) than boys (5) were named Daly.

Doyle
Meaning: Black Stranger
Sex: Boy
Doyle would make a great variant to the name Douglas. Although you can use the name Doyle on a girl, it is much more common on a boy. Seventeen boys were named Doyle in 2013. It has a very masculine sound to it.

Gallagher
Meaning: Descendent of Gallchobar
Sex: Unisex
Although when you look up the name Gallagher you will find information containing to the name being a boy name, I can see it on a girl. The nickname Gally is extremely cute but for a girl. The -er ending makes me think of a boy. No babies were named Gallagher in 2013.

Magee
Meaning: Son of Hugh
Sex: Unisex
I really enjoy this name on a girl. For some reason it reminds me of the name Mae. Maybe it could just well be an alternative to the name Mae. I pronounce this name Mah-gee. The ending reminds with tree. Magee could also be a nickname for Margaret. No Babies were named Magee in 2013.

Maguire
Meaning: Son of the Beige One
Sex: Boy
The first thing I think of when I hear the name Maguire is Toby Maguire and Spiderman. It is also the surname of the character Jerry Maguire. Although its a stretch, the nickname Mac would be really cute. Only 12 baby boys were named Maguire in 2013.

O'Brien
Meaning: Descendent of Brian
Sex: Unisex
Most people will probably see this name as a boy name but I know a girl with the surname O'Brien and would love it on a girl. Usually I'm not a fan of punctuation in names but the apostrophe is ok here. The nickname Obee is really cute and one of my favorite, unique nicknames. I say it two ways, one like the letters O and B together and the other like the word odd but with a B instead. The Brien part makes it more masculine. I think this would be a great name to honor a Brian. No babies were named O'Brien in 2013.

Irish Boy Names

Hey everyone! I’m back to finish up the Irish baby names. I have the boy names for you. I’ll be putting the Irish names in parentheses and if they don’t have English names or I like the Irish name more I’ll just put that. So let’s get started.

1. Cian- It’s pronounced key-in and means ancient enduring.
2. Cillian- It’s pronounced kil-e-an and means associated with the church. There is a saint Cillian.
3. Conall- It’s pronounced kun-al and can also be spelled Connall. The English spelling is Connell. It means friendship.
4. Conan- It means little warrior.
5. Cormac- It means son of charioteer. You can also spell it Cormack and Cormick.
6. Lochlan- It’s pronounced lok-linn and can also be spelled Lochlann. Lochlan means land of the lochs.
7. Malachi- It’s pronounced Mala-ki and means my angel, or messanger of God.
8. Niall- It’s pronounced nye-al. Niall could mean passionate, vehement or come from nel and mean a cloud.
9. Pierce- It can also be spelled Pearse and Pearce and comes from the French name Piers.
10. Riordan- It’s pronounced reer-don and means king poet and royal poet.
11. Ronan- It means seal.

So those are all of the names. There aren’t as many as the girls because I don’t like Irish names on boys as much as I like them on girls. Which names are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below. That’s all for today. Tomorrow I will be doing the second link up with The Name Nook. Bye for now :)

Photo Credit:  http://grocery-genie.com/happy-green-day/