Irish Surnames used as First Names
Recently, using Irish last names has become very popular. This is especially true in the USA, where names like Kelly and Shannon have been popular for years, and names like Braden and Kennedy are zooming up the charts. Here is a list of surnames you might like to use for first names. Most Irish surnames, in their Gaelic form, start with Ó, Mac, or occasionally de (which indicates a name of Norman origin). Ó means 'grandson of', Mac means 'son of' and de means 'of'.
|
name
|
Irish
spelling
|
meaning
|
|---|---|---|
|
Adair
|
Ó
Daire
|
usually
Scottish- this name is sometimes found in Ireland. "son of Daire
('fruitful')"
|
|
Bannon
|
Ó
Banáin
|
meaning
is obscure- possibly 'white' or dervied from 'woman'
|
|
Bardon
|
Ó
Bardáin
|
a
bard
|
|
Beary
|
Ó
Beara
|
?
|
|
Beckett
|
?
|
this
is an English name of Norman origin but usually associated with
the Irish writer Samuel Beckett
|
|
Begley
|
Ó
Beaglaioch
|
little
hero
|
|
Beglan
|
Ó
Beigleighinn
|
little
scholar
|
|
Bergin
|
Ó
hAimeirgin
|
wondrous
birth
|
|
Berrigan
|
Ó
hAimeirgin
|
wondrous
birth
|
|
Blake
|
de
Blaca
|
Norman
name- derived from 'black'
|
|
Braden
|
Ó
Bradáin
|
salmon
|
|
Bradigan
|
Ó
Bradagáin
|
perhaps
'spirited'
|
|
Brady
|
Mac
Bradaigh
|
"
|
|
Bragan
|
Ó
Bragain
|
|
|
Branigan
|
Ó
Branagain
|
raven
|
|
Brennigan
|
Ó
Branagain
|
raven
|
|
Brannagh
|
Ó
Breathnach
|
Welshman
|
|
Brannan
|
Ó/Mac
Branain
|
raven
|
|
Bree
|
Ó
Breaghdha
|
from
Bregia in Co. Meath
|
|
Bray
|
Ó
Breaghdha
|
from
Bregia in Co. Meath
|
|
Breen
|
Ó/Mac
Braoin
|
?
|
|
Brennan
|
Ó
Braonain
|
possibly
'sorrow'
|
|
Breslin
|
Ó
Breaslain
|
possibly
'strife'
|
|
Brogan
|
Ó
Brogain
|
?
unrelated to the Gaelic word for 'shoe'
|
|
Cabe
|
Mac
Caba
|
a
cape
|
|
Cadden
|
Mac
Cadain
|
?
|
|
Cagney
|
Ó
Caingne
|
tribute
or exaction
|
|
Cahey/Caughey
|
Mac
Eachaidh
|
son
of Eachaidh
|
|
Callinan
|
Ó
Callanain
|
?
|
|
Canavan
|
Ó
Ceanndubháin
|
black
head?
|
|
Carey
|
Ó
Ciardha/Mac Fhiacra
|
dark/
son of the battle-king
|
|
Carley
|
Mac
Fhearghaile
|
son
of Fergal
|
|
Carlin/Carolan
|
Ó
Cairealláin
|
son
of Caireallain
|
|
Casey
|
Ó/Mac
Cathasach/Ceasaigh
|
vigilant
in war
|
|
Cassidy
|
Ó
Caiside
|
?
|
|
Cavanagh/Cavanna
|
see
Kavanagh
|
|
|
Clancy
|
Mac
Fhlannchaidh
|
red
warrior?
|
|
Cody
|
Mac
Oda
|
son
of Otto
|
|
Collins
|
Ó
Coilean
|
whelp
|
|
Coulter
|
Ó
Coltair
|
place
name
|
|
Conlan
|
Ó
Connelain
|
?
|
|
Connery
|
Ó
Conaire
|
?
|
|
Corcoran
|
Mac
Corcrain
|
purple
|
|
Corey
|
Mac
Godhfraigh
|
son
of Godfrey
|
|
Corley
|
Ó
Thoirdealbhaigh
|
|
|
Cullen
|
Ó/Mac
Cuilinn
|
holly
|
|
Curran
|
Ó
Corráin
|
?
|
|
Delaney
|
Ó
Dubhshlaine
|
dark
health? perhaps refers to river Slaney
|
|
Devlin
|
Ó
Doibhilin
|
?
|
|
Dillon
|
Diolun/deLeon
|
hiberno-norman
name- perhaps relating to lions or the place name Lyons
|
|
Donegan
|
Ó
Donnagáin
|
descendant
of Donnagain
|
|
Donovan
|
Ó
Donnabháin
|
dark
brown
|
|
Doran
|
Ó
Deorain
|
exiled
person
|
|
Doyle
|
Ó
Dubhghaill
|
descendant
of Dubhgall (dark stranger)
|
|
Duane/Dwayne
|
Ó
Dubhan
|
dark
haired
|
|
Duff
|
Dubh
|
dark
|
|
Duffy
|
Ó
Dubhthaigh
|
dark
|
|
Dugan
|
Ó
Dubhgain
|
dark
|
|
Dwyer
|
Ó
Duibhir
|
black
|
|
Egan
|
Mac
Aodhagáin
|
fire
|
|
Fagan
|
Ó
Faodhagáin
|
?
|
|
Fallon
|
Ó
Fallamhán
|
leader
|
|
Farrell
|
Ó
Fearghal
|
valorous
|
|
Farren
|
Ó
Faracháin
|
?
|
|
Finnegan
|
Ó
Fionnagain
|
fair
|
|
Fitzgerald
|
Mac
Geralt
|
norman
name- son of Gerald
|
|
Flannery
|
Ó
Flannabhra
|
red
eyebrows
|
|
Flynn
|
Ó
Floinn
|
bright
red
|
|
Gillan
|
Ó
Giollain
|
lad
|
|
Gowan
|
Ó/Mac
Gabhann
|
|
|
Grady
|
Ó
Grádaigh
|
illustrious
|
|
Hagan
|
Ó
hAgain
|
young
|
|
Hanlon
|
Ó
hAnluan
|
champion
|
|
Hayes
|
Ó
hAodha
|
fire
|
|
Hogan
|
Ó
hOgain
|
young
|
|
Kavanagh
|
Caomhanach
|
descendant
or follower of St. Caomhan
|
|
Kearney
|
Ó
Catharnaigh/Ó Cearnaigh
|
fox/victorious
|
|
Keegan
|
Mac
Aodhagain
|
fire
|
|
Keenan
|
Ó
Cianáin
|
?
|
|
Kelly
|
Mac
Ceallach
|
bright-headed?
|
|
Kennan
|
Mac
Fhionnan
|
fair
one
|
|
Kennedy
|
Ó
Cinnéde
|
ugly
head
|
|
Kerrin
|
Ó
Ceirin
|
?
|
|
Kiley/Kiely
|
Ó
Cadhla
|
graceful
|
|
Kinsella
|
Cinnsealach
|
?
|
|
Kirby
|
Ó
Ciarmhaic
|
dark
son
|
|
Lacy
|
deLeis
|
norman
name-- probably from a place name in France
|
|
Larkin
|
Ó
Lorcáin
|
rough
or fierce
|
|
Lavery/
Lowery
|
Ó
Labhradha
|
?
|
|
Leary
|
Ó
Laoghaire
|
?
|
|
Lennon/Lennan
|
Ó
Leannain
|
cloak
|
|
Madigan
|
Ó
Madagáin
|
little
dog
|
|
Maguire
|
Mag
Uidhir
|
dun
colored
|
|
Malone
|
Mal
Eoin
|
servant
of St. John
|
|
Malinn,
Milynn
|
Maoilfhinn
|
fair
chief
|
|
MacKenna
|
Mac
Cionaith
|
?
|
|
Meara,
Mara
|
Ó
Meadhra
|
merry
|
|
Meegan
|
Ó
Miadhagáin
|
honorable
|
|
Murphy
|
Ó
Murchu
|
hound
of the sea
|
|
Murray
|
Ó
Muireadhach
|
seaman
or master
|
|
Nolan
|
Ó
Nualláin
|
shout
|
|
Pierce/Pearse
|
Ó/Mac
Piarais
|
descendant
of Peter
|
|
Quillan
|
Ó
Cuileann
|
holly
|
|
Quinn
|
Ó
Cuinn
|
?
|
|
Quinlan
|
Ó
Caoinlean
|
beautiful
shape
|
|
Regan/Reagan
|
Ó
Riagáin
|
either
king or furious
|
|
Reilly
|
Ó
Raghallaigh
|
valiant?
|
|
Ryan
|
Ó
Riain
|
king
|
|
Scully
|
Ó
Scolaighe
|
town
crier
|
|
Shannon
|
Seanáin
|
old
one
|
|
Sheridan
|
Ó
Siridean
|
?
|
|
Sullivan
|
Ó
Suileabháin
|
?
|
|
Tracy
|
Ó
Treasaigh
|
war-like
|
|
Vaughan
|
Ó
Beacháin
|
beech
tree
|