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Sometimes people are
looking for a name with a particular meaning. It can be a physical characteristic
(people are often looking for names meaning "blue" or "blackie"
for dogs), personality type (lots of authors like to ascribe characteristics
to a character within a name), places (good for naming houses) or anything
else. Here are Irish names sorted by their meanings to make it easier
to find the perfect one.
|
|
| Animals |
the
Land, Geographic Characteristics |
Religion,
saints |
| Art,
poetry, music |
Nobility,
leadership |
the
sea, ocean, water |
| Beauty |
People
and their tasks |
Sun,
radiance, fire |
| Colors |
Personality
traits |
warriors,
courage |
| Fairies,
elves, supernatural beings |
Physical
characteristics |
|
| Ireland,
and places in Ireland |
Plants,
flowers, trees |
Miscellaneous
things |
Names
Relating to Ireland and Specific Places in Ireland:
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
| Bébháil |
BAY
vawl |
Bé
Fáil |
woman
of Ireland |
| Dearbháil
(f) |
DER
val |
Derval,
Dervla, Deirbhile |
Daughter
of Fál (legendary name of Ireland) |
| Derval
(f) |
DER
val |
Dervla,
Dervila, Dearbháil |
Daughter
of Fál (legendary name of Ireland) |
| Desmond
|
DEZ
mund |
Deasún,
Deamumhnach |
Man
from Desmond (in Cork) |
| Desmumhnach
|
DAS
oon akh |
Deasún,
Desmond |
Man
from Desmond (in Cork) |
| Éire |
AY
reh |
Éiru |
"Ireland,"
also the goddess from which Ireland's name came. |
| Eireen |
Irene,
you could use Éirín. |
Irene,
you could use Éirín. |
Probably
a respelling of the Greek name Irene, based on Éire, the word for
"Ireland" + the common diminutive "een" |
| Erin
(f) |
Erinn,
Erynn etc. |
Erinn,
Erynn etc. |
poetic
word for Ireland |
| Ever
(m) |
Éibhear |
Éibhear |
Irishman |
| Ireland |
IRE
land |
Éire,
Erin |
Sounds
obvious, doesn't it? Alec Baldwin & Kim Basinger actually named
their daughter this! Since then it's been showing up regularly in
the USA |
| Juverna
(f) |
joo
VERN a, yoo VERN a |
- |
a Latin
name for Ireland |
| Laoiseach
(m) |
LEE
shach |
Lysagh,
Louis, Lucius |
man
of Laois |
| Laragh
|
LAR
a |
- |
place |
| Life
(f) |
LIF
yeh |
Liffey
|
Celtic
goddess name, gave name to river Liffey |
| Tara
( f, sometimes m) |
TAR
a |
Teamhair
|
assembly
place, named for a Celtic goddess. The Hill of Tara was the traditional
seat of the high king of Ireland. |
| Teamhair
(f) |
TA
wur |
Tara,
Teamair |
elevated
or assembly place. See Tara. |
| Ultán
(m) |
UL
tawn |
Ultan
|
Ulsterman |
Names
Relating to the Sea
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
| Loinseach
(m) |
LUN
shakh |
Loingsech |
sea-farer,
exile |
| Muireann
(f) |
MWIR
in |
Murren,
Maren, Mairenn, Muirfhionn, Marion, Madge |
sea-fair |
| Muirgheal
(f) |
MWIR
yal |
Muriel,
Muirgel |
sea-bright/
sea-white |
| Muircheartach
(m) |
MUR
er tach |
Briartach,
Murtagh, Mortimer, Maurice, Monty |
skilled
in seacraft; mariner |
| Muirín
(m&f) |
MIR
een |
Miren,
Muirghein |
born
of the sea |
| Murchadh
(m) |
MUR
a kha |
Murrough,
Morgan |
sea
battler |
| Muircheartach
(m) |
MUR
er tach |
Briartach,
Murtagh, Mortimer, Maurice, Monty |
skilled
in seacraft; mariner |
| Muirín
(m&f) |
MIR
een |
Miren,
Muirghein |
born
of the sea |
| Murchadh
(m) |
MUR
a kha |
Murrough,
Morgan |
sea
battler |
Murray
|
MUR
ree |
Ó
Muireadhach |
seaman
or master |
Names
Relating to Supernatural Entities and Abilities
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
| Ailill
(m) |
AL
yil |
Irial
|
elf |
| Aillén |
ALL
ayn |
Oillín,
Ailíne |
little
elf; sprite |
| Aislinn,
Aisling (f) |
OSH
leeng, ESH leeng |
Ashling,
Alice, Esther |
dream,
vision |
Dalbhach
|
DUL
vakh |
Dalbach |
guileful;
full of sorcery |
| Fionúir
(f) |
FYUN
oor |
Fennore,
Fionnbhair, Fionnabair |
white
ghost |
| Fítheal
(m) |
FEE
hul |
Fíthel |
sprite;
goblin |
| Oilleóg
(m) |
ILL
yoge |
Oilléog
|
dim.
of Oillil ("sprite; elf") |
| Oillill
(m) |
AHL
yil |
Aillill,
Elias |
sprite;
elf |
| Oillín |
ULL
een |
Oillín,
Ailíne, Aillén |
little
elf; sprite |
Orthanach
(m)
|
UR
han ach |
- |
potent
in prayers or charms |
Scáthach
(m)
|
SKAW
hokh |
- |
shadowy;
ghostly; frightening |
| Sheelin
|
SHEE
lin |
- |
lake,
lake of the fairies, a place name. |
| Síofra
|
SHEE
fra |
- |
sprite,
changeling, precocious child |
Names
Coming from the Arts
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
Aimirgin
(m)
|
AV
er yin |
Amargein |
born
of song |
| Bardán
(m) |
BAR
dawn |
Bardan |
poet |
Binne
(f)
|
BIN
yeh |
Binn,
Bind |
melodious;
sweetness |
| Duana
(m/f) |
DOO
uh na |
- |
poem;
song |
| Ealadha
(m) |
Elatha |
Elatha |
art;
craft |
| Easnadh
(f) |
AS
na |
Esnad |
musical
sound |
| Laoidheach
(m) |
LEE
ach |
Laídech
|
songful;
poetical |
| Ríordán
(m) |
REE
ur dawn |
Reardan
|
royal
poet |
| Tadhg
(m) |
TYG
|
Teague,
Tadc, Tadg, Tad, Thaddeus, Theodosius, Theophilus, Tim |
poet |
| Teague
(m) |
TAIG
|
Tadhg
|
poet |
Names
from Nature
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
| Abhlach |
AV
lakh |
Ablach |
apple-tree,
having apple trees |
| Ailín
(m) |
AH
leen |
Alan/Allen
|
possibly
from Celtic, "Rock" |
| Bláthín
(f) |
BLAW
heen |
- |
little
flower |
| Bláthnaid
(f) |
BLAW
nid |
Blánaid,
Bláthnait, Flora, Florence |
flower |
| Cullen
|
CUL
len |
O/Mac
Cuilinn |
holly |
| Draighean
(f) |
DRAY
un |
Draigen |
blackthorn |
| Eascrach
(f) |
AS
krakh |
Escrach |
blooming;
blossoming |
| Eithne
(f) |
EN
yeh |
Enya,
Etna, Anna, Annie |
either
"kernel" or "gorse" |
| Enya
(f) |
EN
ya |
Eithne |
either
"kernel" or "gorse" |
| Eoghan
(m) |
OH
un |
Owen,
Eógan, Eugene |
born
of the yew |
| Fina
(f) |
FEE
na |
Fíona |
vine |
| Fínscoth
(F) |
FEEN
skuh |
|
wine-blossom |
| Fraoch
(m) |
FRAYKH |
|
heather
plant |
| Fraochán
(m) |
FRAYKH
awn |
Fráechán,
Broichanus |
heather
plant |
| Labhrás
(m) |
LAV
raws |
Labrás
|
laurel
bush |
| Líle
(f) |
LEE
leh |
Lily
|
form
of Lily-lily flower |
| Mealla
(f) |
MYAL
a |
Mell,
Mella |
lightning |
| Meallán
(m) |
MEL
awn |
Mellan
|
lightning |
| Nóinín
|
NOE
neen |
- |
Irish
word for "daisy." sometimes used as a pet form of Nóra. |
| Owen
(m) |
OH
in |
Eoin,
Eoghan |
from
Hebrew- God is good, Irish- yew-born |
| Peadar
(m) |
PAD
ar |
Peter |
from
Hebrew- rock |
| Piaras
(m) |
PEE
a rus |
Peter |
from
Hebrew- rock |
| Pierce/Pearse
(m) |
PEERS
|
Piaras |
from
Hebrew- rock |
| Quillan
|
KWIL
lin |
Ó Cuileann
|
holly |
| Scoithín
(m) |
SKUH
heen |
- |
blossom,
bloom |
| Scoithniamh
(f) |
SKUH
nyee uv |
Scothniam
|
shining;
radiant blossom |
| Scoth
(f) |
SKUH
|
- |
blossom,
bloom |
| Scothnait
(f) |
SKUH
nit |
- |
blossom,
bloom |
| Vaughan
|
VAW
han |
Ó Beacháin
|
beech
tree |
Place
Names
Name
|
Pronunciation
|
Other Forms
|
Meaning
|
| Adare
|
uh
DAIR |
Ath
Dara |
oak
tree grove. |
| Alleen
|
al
EEN |
- |
little
cliff |
| Altan
|
AWL
tin |
- |
hillock,
gorge |
| Aran
|
AHR
in, |
Arainn,
Arann |
name
of islands off the western coast of Ireland |
| Ardeen
|
AR
deen |
Airdín
|
little
height |
| Bantry
|
BAN
tree |
- |
descendants
of Beann. Bantry is a famous bay in Ireland. |
| Bellaghy
|
bel
AH hee, bel EYE |
- |
mouth
of the slough or "Eachadh's townland" |
| Beltany
|
|
Bealtaine
|
May,
place where May festivities were held |
| Bree,
Bray |
BREE,
BRAY |
Ó Breaghdha
|
from
Bregia in Co. Meath |
| Cabra/Cabragh
|
CAB
ra |
- |
poor
land |
| Caiseal
|
CASH
ul |
Cashel
|
castle |
| Caislín
|
CASh
leen |
Cashlin,
Cashleen |
little
castle |
| Camlin
|
CAM
lin |
- |
crooked
line |
| Carragh
|
CAR
ra |
an
cora |
weir |
| Carrick
|
CAR
rick |
an
Carraig |
rock |
| Carrigan
|
CAR
I gan |
Kerrigan,
Carigan |
little
rock |
| Cashel
|
CASH
ul |
Caiseal
|
Castle |
| Cashlin
|
CASH
lin, CASH leen |
Caislín
|
little
castle |
| Cavan
|
CAV
in |
- |
the
hollow |
| Cillén,
Cillian (m) |
KIL
ee an |
Killian,
Cillín, Cilléne |
church |
| Clady
|
CLAY
dee |
- |
ground
hardened from trampling/muddy place |
| Clare
|
CLAIR
|
an
Clar |
flat
place |
| Cliffony
|
CLIFF
o nee |
- |
grove
of the hurdles |
| Clodagh
(f) |
KLO
da |
- |
river
in Co. Tipperary |
| Corr
|
COR
|
corr
|
round
hill |
| Corroy
|
cor
ROY |
corr
ruadh |
russet
round hill |
| Dara
(m & f) |
DAR
a |
Mac
Dara, Darach |
son
of the oak |
| Deasún
(m) |
DYA
soon |
Desmond
|
Man
from Desmond (in Cork) |
| Donegal
|
dun
ee GAL |
Dun
na nGall |
fort
of the stranger |
| Ennis |
Inis |
Inis |
island |
| Kilkelly |
kil
KEL lee |
cill
ceallach |
Ceallach's
church |
| Kilkenny |
kil
KEN nee |
Cill
Ciannach |
St.
Ciannach's church |
| Killashandra |
kill
a SHAN dra |
|
church
of the old fort--town in Co. Cavan. Used for a character in an Anne
McCafferey novel. |
| Killeen |
kul
EEN |
coillín |
little
woods |
| Killian
(m) |
KIL
ee an |
Cillian,
Cillén |
church |
| Kilrea |
kil
RAY |
cill
ruadh |
russet
church |
| Liffey
|
LIF
fee |
Life
|
Celtic
goddess name- river running through Dublin |
| Lisburn
|
LIS
burn |
- |
ring-fort
of the gamblers |
| Lislea
|
LIS
lee |
Lios
liadh |
grey
ring-fort |
| Lucan
|
LOO
kin |
- |
place
of the marsh hollows |
| Newry
|
NEW
ree |
- |
yew
tree at the head of the strand |
| Ross
(m) |
RAWS
|
Ros
|
headland |
| Rossin
|
ROS
sin |
roisin
|
little
woods |
| Sheelin
|
SHEE
lin |
- |
lake,
lake of the fairies |
| Slaney
|
SLAY
nee |
Sláine
|
a river,
from a Celtic Goddess name |
| Tory
|
TOR
ee |
tor
|
tower-like
rock. Island off NW coast |
| Tulla
|
TUL
la |
Tulloch
|
little
hill |
| Tyrone
|
tur
OAN |
Tir
Eoghan |
Eoghan's
land |
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