Irish Names: Meanings, Origins & Gaelic Names.
Explore Irish names for girls and boys, gender-neutral names, Gaelic names and names connected with Irish mythology, history and language.
Discover meanings, origins and pronunciation, then follow individual name guides to learn more about the stories and Gaeilge behind Ireland's naming traditions.
Irish names carry language, history and family tradition.
Irish first names come from several different sources, including native Irish-language traditions, saints, mythology, historical figures and names adapted across generations.
Some have remained recognisably Irish for centuries. Others have multiple Irish and English forms, different spellings or pronunciation patterns that are unfamiliar outside Ireland.
This hub helps you explore those names by type, meaning and cultural connection.
Explore what individual Irish names mean and where those meanings come from.
Learn how Irish spelling and pronunciation shape traditional names.
Discover names connected with legendary figures and early Irish storytelling.
Explore names that continue through families and communities today.
Find the kind of Irish name you are looking for.
Browse traditional Irish names, modern choices and names connected with mythology, gender and Gaelic-language traditions.
Irish Names for Girls
Explore traditional and modern Irish girls' names, meanings and origins.
Irish Names for Boys
Discover traditional, historical and modern Irish male names.
Gender-Neutral Irish Names
Explore Irish names that can be used across genders or have developed broader modern usage.
Irish Mythology Names
Discover names connected with Irish gods, goddesses, warriors and legendary characters.
Gaelic Names
Explore names associated with Irish and wider Gaelic naming traditions.
Irish Name Meanings
Explore individual name meanings, pronunciation and Irish-language forms.
Explore traditional, Gaelic and mythological names for girls.
Irish girls' names range from familiar modern choices to names rooted in Gaeilge, mythology and older traditions.
Irish Girls' Names
Browse Irish names for girls and explore meanings, origins and naming traditions.
Explore Irish girls' names →Gaelic Girls' Names
Explore female names associated with Gaelic-language traditions.
Explore Gaelic girls' names →Mythological Female Names
Discover names connected with women, goddesses and legendary figures from Irish mythology.
Explore mythology names →Explore boys' names, older names and modern choices.
Move between different naming traditions depending on the style, period or meaning you are interested in.
Some Irish names come with legendary stories attached.
Ireland's mythological tradition contains names associated with warriors, goddesses, rulers and supernatural figures.
Explore the names themselves here, then follow them into the Irish Mythology hub to learn more about the figures and stories behind them.
Explore mythological name collections
Irish spelling follows its own rules.
A name can look unfamiliar if you are trying to read it using English spelling conventions.
Irish has its own sound system, spelling patterns and letter combinations. Once those patterns become familiar, names such as Áine, Máiréad and Aislinn become much easier to approach.
Irish names are not only for people.
Explore Gaeilgeoir's more specialised collections for animals and other naming ideas.
Irish surnames have their own history.
First names and family names belong to related but different naming traditions.
Explore Ó, Mac and Mc surnames, Gaelic family names, Anglo-Irish surnames and surname meanings in the dedicated Irish Surnames hub.
Common questions about Irish first names.
Traditional Irish names include names originating in the Irish language as well as names associated with saints, historical figures and older naming traditions. The exact list varies depending on whether you mean Irish-language names, names widely used in Ireland or names with historical Irish origins.
In an Irish context, people sometimes use "Gaelic names" loosely to describe names from the Irish language. Gaelic is a broader linguistic term that can also include Scottish Gaelic and Manx traditions, so "Irish name" is more precise when referring specifically to Ireland.
Irish spelling follows Irish pronunciation rules rather than English ones. Letter combinations, broad and slender consonants, vowels and lenition all influence how words and names are pronounced.
Yes. A number of names associated with Irish mythology and early literature remain in use or have been revived in modern naming. Their popularity and spelling can vary.
Some do. Over time, Irish names have been translated, Anglicised or matched with English names, although the relationship is not always a direct translation.
Gaeilgeoir has a separate Irish Surnames hub covering surname origins, meanings, Gaelic family names, Mac and Mc surnames and Anglo-Irish surname traditions.
Discover the language and stories carried inside a name.
Explore Irish first names, meanings, pronunciation, mythology and wider naming traditions across Gaeilgeoir.
