Most Beautiful Irish Names and What They Mean

The Irish language has a long history, and even though it’s not spoken much outside of the Gaeltacht regions, it’s often shown in the beautiful names of Irish people. Some of these stories have been told all over the world, from the well-known to the strange, magical, and old. Some of these stories come straight from Irish legends and folktales. But they all come from the Irish language. With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, let’s take a look at the names that come from the Emerald Isle and what they mean. Here’s a list of the names we think are the most beautiful in all of Irish.

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Saoirse – Irish Names

Saoirse is a girl’s name that became popular in the 1920s. It is pronounced “seer-sha.” Given that the word means “freedom,” it could have been a response to the Irish independence movement of the 1910s and 1920s. Saoirse Ronan, an Irish-American actress who has been in movies like Brooklyn (2015), Atonement (2007), and The Lovely Bones (2009), has helped people around the world recognize (and say) her name.

Caoimhe – Irish Names

Caoimhe is an Irish name for girls that is often used. It is pronounced “kee-va” and comes from the Irish word “caomh,” which means “dear” or “noble.” It comes from the same root as the name Caoimhn, which is a boy’s name (pronounced kee-veen).

Aoife – Irish Names

Aoife (eefa) is another name for a girl. It comes from the word aoibh, which means “beauty.” It comes from the same root word as the popular name Aoibheann (ay-veen or eve-een). In Irish mythology, Aoife is the name of several different people. She is the daughter of Airdgeimm, the sister of Scáthach, and the wife of King Lir.

Fionnoula – Irish Names

Fionnoula means “fair-shouldered,” which is an unusual meaning for a girl’s name. Like many of the other names on this list, it comes from mythology. In the story of the Children of Lir, Fionnoula was a child whose stepmother turned her into a swan. Finnola is a common name, and so is its shortened form, Nuala (noola), which is maybe even more common than its full name.

Dáithí – Irish Names

This is the first male name on the list. It can be said either as “dah-hee” or “daw-hee,” and it means “agile” or “fast.” During the 1960s, Dáith Lacha was similar to Donald Duck in many ways. It was a strange kids’ show that was like a comic strip that was shown one frame at a time and told in Gaeilge (in Irish).

Cara – Irish Names

This one is easy to say because it is pronounced just like you would expect. It means “friend” in Irish, but the name has also changed over time in other languages. In its Latin form, which means “beloved,” it’s a popular name. The word means “expensive” in Spanish, “diamond” in Vietnamese, and “to complain” in Hausa.

Ardál – Irish Names

This name for boys means “high courage,” which is a powerful thing to say. Like Cara, Ardál is pretty simple to say (ardal or awr-dahl). The sharp accent you see on a few of the letters on this list is called a fada. It makes the vowel sound longer when you say it. You might know the name Ardal O’Hanlon. He is Ireland’s national treasure and played Father Dougal McGuire in the TV show Father Ted.

Aisling – Irish Names

Aisling is a common name for girls. It has many different forms, such as Aislin and Aislinn, as well as the English versions Ashlyn and Ashlynn. This is also true of how the name is said, which can be anything from “ash-leen” and “ash-linn” to “ash-ling.” The name comes from the Irish word for “dream” or “vision.” It was once used to describe a type of poetry written in Irish that was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Odhrán – Irish Names

Like Aisling, this name can be spelled Odran, Odrán, Odhran, or Oran, which is how it sounds. Odhrán is a male name that means “dark-haired.” Several saints in Irish history were named Odhrán, including the first Irish Christian martyr who was St. Patrick’s friend.

Padraig – Irish Names

This one isn’t really Irish because it’s a Gaelic version of Patrick, which is the name of Ireland’s patron saint. Other ways to say it are Padraic (pronounced “pawd-ric”) and Paraic (paw-ric).

Deirdre – Irish Names

Deirdre, also called Deirdre a Bhróin or Deirdre of the Sorrows, is one of the best-known figures in Irish mythology. She is pronounced (deer-dra or deer-dree). Even though it has a sad name, it’s still on our list.

Topic: Most Beautiful Irish Names and What They Mean

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