Names by meaning
Color Names
It's common to call your grey cat "Cinders" or your black dog "Midnight." Some Irish names reflect this as well for people, based on hair color, skin's tone, or something else.
| Black, dark-haired | White, yellow, fair-haired | red, orange, red-haired | brown, brunette | everything else (blue, purple, green, grey) |
Black/Dark
Name |
Pronunciation |
Other Forms* |
Meaning |
| Blake | BLAIK | de Blaca | Norman name, derived from "black" |
| Canavan | CAN ah vun | Ó Ceanndubháin | black head? |
| Carey | CAIR ee | Ó Ciardha, Mac Fhiacra | either "dark" or " son of Fiachra" |
| Ciar (f) | KEE ir | Keir, Kira, Ciara | black; dark |
| Ciara (f) | KEE a ra, KEER a | Kiera, Kira | dark |
| Ciarán (m) | KEE a rawn | Kieran | black |
| Dougal (m) | DOO gal | Dubhgal | dark foreigner |
| Doyle | DOI ul, DOIL | Ó Dubhghaill | descendant of Dubhgall (dark stranger) |
| Duane/Dwayne | DWAIN, DWAHN | Ó Dubhan | dark haired |
| Dubhaltach | DOO ul takh | Doalty, Dudley | dark-limbed, black-jointed |
| Dubhgall (m) | DU gal | Dougal, Dubgall | dark foreigner |
| Dubhghlas
(m) |
DU las | Douglas | blue black |
| Dublin | DUB lin | Dubh linn, Baile Atha Cliath | black pool/town of the ford of the hurdles |
| Duff | DUF | Dubh | dark |
| Duffy | DUF fee | Ó Dubhthaigh | dark |
| Dugan | DU gin | Ó Dubhgáin | little dark lad |
| Dwyer | DWY er | Ó Duibhir | black |
| Feardorcha | far DUR a kha | Frederick, Ferdinand | dark man |
| Gormán (m/f) | GUR mawn | Gorman | dark, swarthy |
| Kerry | KEH ree | an Ciarrai | descendants of Ciar (dark) |
| Kiera (f) | KEER a | Ciar, Ciara | black |
| Kieran (m) | KEER an | Ciarán | black |
| Kirby | KIR bee | Ó Ciarmhaic | dark son |
| Muiris (m) | MWEER ish | Maurice | from Latin- dark-skinned |
| Teimhnín (m) | T'YEV uh neen, T'YEN een | Temnén | dark |
Brown
Name |
Pronunciation |
Other Forms* |
Meaning |
| Donagh (m) | DUN a | Donnchadh, Donncha | "brown" or "lord" |
| Donegan | DUN i gin | Donnagán | descendant of Donnagán, "brown" or "lord" |
| Donn (m) | DUN, DOWN | - | "brown" or "lord" |
| Donnchadh (m) | DUN a kha | Donagh, Donnacha, Donncha, Dennis, Dionysus | "brown" or "lord" |
| Donovan | DUN a vin, DON a vin | Donnabhán | dark brown |
| Dunfhlaith (f) | DUN a la | Dunla, Donnfhlaith, Dunflaith | brown princess |
| Maguire | ma GWY er | Mag Uidhir | dun colored |
| Oran (m) | OR an | Odhrán | dun-colored |
Red
Name |
Pronunciation |
Other Forms* |
Meaning |
| Ceara (f) | KYAR a, KA ra | Cara, Carra | fiery red |
| Clancy | CLAN see | Mac Fhlannchaidh | possibly, "red warrior" |
| Coccán
(m) |
KUK awn | - | red |
| Corc (m) | KUR uk | Corcc | crimson; heart |
| Corcán
(m) |
KUR uh kawn | Corccán | either "crimson" or "heart" |
| Flanagan | FLAN a gan | Flannacán | fiery red |
| Flann (m/f) | FLAN | Flannacán, Florence | fiery red |
| Flannery | FLAN ner ee | Ó Flannabhra | red eyebrows |
| Flynn | FLIN | Ó Floinn | bright red |
| Rory (m, sometimes f in USA) | ROR ee | Ruadhrí | red king |
| Rowan (m) | RO an | Ruadhán, Rohan | red-haired |
| Rúadhán (m) | ROO awn | Ruan, Rowan, Rohan, Rúadán | red haired |
| Rúadhnait (f) | ROO uh nit | Rúdnat | red-haired |
| Ruaidhrí (m) | RU a ree | Rory, Ruairí, Ruaidrí, Roderick, Roger | red king |
White/Blonde/Fair/Golden
Name |
Pronunciation |
Other Forms* |
Meaning |
| Ailbhe (m/f) | AL vyeh | Alvy, Ailbe, Albert, Bertie | either "white king" or " world king" |
| Báine (f) | BAWN yeh | - | Whiteness; paleness |
| Bairrfhionn (m) | BAR in | Berrin | fair haired |
| Bannon | BAN an | Ó Banáin | meaning is obscure, possibly white or derived from "woman" |
| Bébhinn (f) | BAY vin | Bevan, Bébhionn, Vivian | fair lady |
| Bevan (f) | BEV an | Bébhinn | white (or fair) lady |
| Caoilfhionn (f) | KEE lin, KWAY linn | Keelin, Kaylin, Caoilinn, Caoileann | fair and slender |
| Ceallach (m/f) | KAL ukh | Kelly | bright headed |
| Céibhionn
(f) |
KEEV yun | Céibfhionn | blonde-haired lady |
| Crónán (m) | KROW nawn | Cronan, Croney | yellow; swarthy |
| Dairinn (f) | DAWR inn | Derinn, Doreen, Dorind, Doireann Doreen, Dorothy, Dolly | possibly, "daughter of Fionn [white; fair-haired]" |
| Fenella (f) | fen ELL a | Fionnghuala | fair shoulders |
| Finbar (m) | FIN bar | Fionnbharr | fair haired |
| Finian (m) | FIN yan | Finnén | fair, pale |
| Finn (m) | FIN | Fionn | fair, pale |
| Finnegan | FIN nig in | Ó Fionnagáin | fair |
| Finnén (m) | FIN yain | Finnian | fair-haired |
| Finnseach (f) | FIN shakh | Finsha, Finnsech | blonde lady |
| Finola (f) | fin O la | Fionnghuala | white shoulders |
| Fintan (m) | FIN tan | Fiontán | white ancient, or white fire |
| Fionn (m) | FYUN | Finn | fair, white |
| Fionnait (f) | FYUN at | Finnat, Fennat | fair; blonde lady |
| Fionnbharr (m) | FYUN var | Finbar | fair haired |
| Fionnghuala (f) | fyun OO la, fyun YOO la | Fenella, Finola Fionnuala, Nuala, Flora, Penelope | fair shouldered |
| Fionntán (m) | FYUN tawn | Fintan, Fiontan | white ancient/fire |
| Fionúir (f) | FYUN oor | Fennore, Fionnbhair, Fionnabair | white ghost |
| Kennan | KEN nin | Mac Fhionnan | fair one |
| Lachtna (m) | LACHT na | Lucius | milk-white, milk-like |
| Lachtnán (m) | LACHT nawn | Lawton | dim. of Lachtna |
| Muireann (f) | MWIR in | Murren, Maren, Mairenn, Muirfhionn, Marion, Madge | sea-fair |
| Muirgheal (f) | MWIR yal | Muriel, Muirgel | sea-bright/ sea-white |
| Nuala (f) | NOO uh la | Fionnuala, Penny, Penelope | short of Fionnuala (white shoulders) |
| Orla (f) | OR la | Órfhlaith, Órlaith | golden princess |
| Órlaith (f) | OR la | Orla, Órla, Orfhlaith | golden princess |
| Uainionn (f) | OO in yin | Uanfind | foam-white complexioned |
Green/Blue/Purple/Grey
Name |
Pronunciation |
Other Forms* |
Meaning |
| Corcoran | COR cor an | Mac corcráin | purple |
| Dubhghlas (m) | DU las | Douglas | blue black |
| Glaisne (m) | GLAS nyeh | Glasny, Gelasius | green, grey, grey-blue |
| Gormghiolla (m) | GURM yu la | Gormgiolla | grey servant |
| Gormlaith (f) | GUR um la | Gormley, Barbara, Barbary | blue or illustrious princess |
| Gormley (f) | GORM lee | Gormfhlaith | blue or illustrious princess |
| Líadan (f) | LEE a din, LEE din | Liadan, Líadáin, Líadain | grey lady |
| Roslea | ros liadh | grey woods | |
| Uaine (f) | OO in yeh, WAN yeh | - | green |
| Uaithne (m) | OO in yeh, WAN yeh | Owney, Hewney, Anthony | greenish, from a tribal name |
* names in italics represents names that have no etymological connection to the Irish name, but were used as English "translations" based upon the fact that they have similar sounds or meanings.