Irish Names
Irish names are used on the island of Ireland as well as elsewhere in the Western World as a result of the Irish diaspora. See also about Irish names.
496 names in our directory
Irish
496Macdara is an Irish male given name derived from the Gaelic Mac Dara, meaning “son of oak.” The name originally functioned as a patronymic—a directional identifier based on an ancestor’s name—but later became a given nam...
Madailéin is the Irish Gaelic form of the name Magdalene, used in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic contexts. It is derived from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene, whose epithet 'of Magdala' refers to a village on the Sea...
Maeve is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb, which means "intoxicating" or "she who intoxicates," possibly connected to mead. In early modern Irish, it was spelled Meadhbh or Maedhbh, with the pronunciation evolv...
Mághnus is the Irish form of Magnus, a Late Latin name meaning "great". The name Magnus was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany, and it gained popularity in Scandinavia after King Magnus I of Nor...
Mahon is an Anglicized form of Mathúin, a modern Irish name. The name traces its roots through Old Irish Mathgamain, which means "bear" and is composed of the elements math ("bear") and gamuin ("calf"). Mathgamain was bo...
Máighréad is the Irish Gaelic form of the name Margaret. It shares its roots with the Latin Margarita, derived from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs) meaning “pearl,” a term ultimately borrowed from an Indo-Iranian source. I...
Mainchín is an Irish name meaning "little monk", derived from Old Irish manach "monk" combined with a diminutive suffix. The name was borne by several early Irish saints, contributing to its historical significance. Etym...
Máire is the Irish form of Mary, derived ultimately from the Hebrew name Miryam. In Ireland, Máire has been historically popular and remains a widely-used feminine given name. Pronounced [ˈmˠaːɾʲə], it is often anglicize...
Mairéad is an Irish feminine given name, rendering the name Margaret through Gaelic phonology and orthography. As the Irish form of Margaret, it follows a pattern common to languages that adapted the name via Latin Marga...
Máiréad is the Irish form of Margaret, a name of enduring popularity across the Christian world. Derived ultimately from Greek margarites meaning "pearl," the name carries connotations of purity and preciousness. The Iri...
Máirín is the Irish diminutive of Mary, a name deeply rooted in Christian tradition. As a Gaelic pet form of Máire (the Irish cognate of Mary), Máirín reflects the intimate and affectionate use of the Virgin Mary's name...
Máirtín is the Irish form of Martin. The name Martin itself derives from the Roman name Martinus, which is a derivative of Martis, the genitive case of Mars, the Roman god of war. As such, Máirtín ultimately carries the...
Maitiú is the Irish form of Matthew, a masculine given name of biblical origin.EtymologyThe name Matthew derives from the Hebrew Mattithiah, meaning “gift of Yahweh.” In the New Testament, Matthew (also called Levi) was...
Majella is a feminine given name of Irish usage, derived from the surname of the Italian saint Gerard Majella (1726–1755), also known in Italian as Gerardo Maiella. The surname originates from the saint's association wit...
Malachy is an Anglicized form of either Máel Sechnaill or Máel Máedóc, with its spelling influenced by the biblical name Malachi. The name derives from Irish elements meaning "disciple of Sechnaill" or "disciple of Máedó...
Mallaidh is an Irish form of Molly, ultimately a diminutive of Mary. The name Mary itself has ancient roots, likely deriving from the Egyptian elements mry meaning "beloved" or mr meaning "love," though it passed into He...
Mannix is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Mainchín, meaning "little monk". The root is derived from Old Irish manach ("monk") combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by two early saints, contributing...
Manus is the Irish form of Magnus, a Latin name meaning "great". In Ireland, Manus (also spelled Mághnus) has been used as a Gaelic adaptation, with historical roots among medieval Irish nobility linked to Norse–Gaelic i...
Maolsheachlann is a modern Irish masculine given name, representing the evolved form of Máel Sechlainn and ultimately derived from the Old Irish Máel Sechnaill. The name is composed of the element máel (meaning 'disciple...
Marcas is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Mark, which itself ultimately derives from the Latin name Marcus. The name Marcus is of uncertain etymology, but may be related to the Roman god Mars, or to the Latin word...
Mathúin is a Modern Irish form of the Old Irish name Mathgamain, which means "bear". The name's etymology reflects the compound math (meaning "bear") and gamuin (meaning "calf"), an interesting example of how personal na...
Maura is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Máire, the Irish version of Mary. It also has been associated with the Irish word mór meaning "great." This name has been used in both English-speaking countries and Ireland....
Maureen is a female given name of Irish and English origin. It is an anglicized form of Máirín, the Irish diminutive of Mary. The name Máirín, often affectionately used, was rendered as Maureen by English speakers, event...
Mave is a modern Irish name, a variant of Maeve, which itself derives from the ancient Irish name Medb. The root Medb means "intoxicating" in Irish, a name that carries powerful mythological weight. In Irish legend, Medb...
Mavourneen is a Irish-origin feminine name derived from the Irish phrase mo mhúirnín, meaning "my darling." It is a term of endearment that has been Anglicized into a given name, reflecting the poetic and affectionate na...
Méabh is a modern Irish form of the ancient name Medb (see also Maeve). The name is pronounced roughly "MAYV" in Irish and is deeply rooted in Irish mythology and history. Etymology and History The original Old Irish nam...
Meadhbh is a modern Irish form of the ancient name Medb, from which the Anglicized Maeve also derives. The name means "intoxicating" and is deeply rooted in Irish mythology and history.Etymology and HistoryMeadhbh (prono...
Meallán is an Irish masculine given name with early medieval origins. Derived from Old Irish Mellán, it is formed from mell, meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball," combined with a diminutive suffix. The n...
Meave is a variant of Maeve, an Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb, meaning "intoxicating" in Irish. This name is deeply rooted in Irish mythology, associated with the legendary Queen Medb (anglicized as Maeve) of Co...
Mellan is an Irish masculine given name, primarily known as an Anglicized form of Meallán. The name has its roots in Old Irish, where it appeared as Mellán, a diminutive formed from the element mell. The meaning of mell...
Mícheál is a masculine given name and the modern Irish form of Michael. Stemming from the Hebrew name Mikha'el (מִיכָאֵל), meaning “who is like God?”, it carries the same biblical and religious significance as its root n...
Moira is a feminine given name used in English, Irish, and Scottish contexts. It has two distinct origins. Primarily, it arose as an Anglicized form of Máire, the Irish version of Mary, which ultimately derives from the...
Móirín is a feminine Irish name, functioning as a diminutive of Mór. The suffix -ín, common in Irish, conveys smallness or endearment, so Móirín essentially means "little great one" or "dear great one," derived from Mór'...
Mona is a feminine given name with multiple origins and associations. In English and Irish contexts, it is primarily an anglicized form of the Irish name Muadhnait, which itself derives from the Old Irish poetic word mua...
Monat is an English and Irish Anglicized form of the older Irish name Muadhnait. Muadhnait derives from the Old Irish poetic word muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix, giving it the meaning "littl...
Moreen is an Irish and English feminine given name with roots in the Irish language. It is an anglicized form of Móirín, itself a diminutive of Mór 1 (meaning "great"). Moreen is also sometimes considered a variant of Ma...
Moyna is a feminine given name of Irish origin, considered a variant of Mona. The name Mona itself is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Muadhnait, which derives from muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a dimi...
Moyra is a variant of Moira, itself an Anglicized form of the Irish name Máire, which is the Irish version of Mary. This feminine given name is used primarily in Irish and Scottish contexts. The name draws from a rich li...
Muadhnait is an Irish feminine name meaning "little noble one," derived from the Old Irish word muad ("noble, good") combined with a diminutive suffix. It is associated with a 6th-century saint, the sister of Saint Mo La...
Muire (Irish: [ˈmˠɪɾʲə]) is the Irish form of Mary, derived from the Latin Maria and ultimately from Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is uncertain but includes theories such as "sea of bitterness," "rebelliousness," and "wis...
Muireann (Irish pronunciation: [ˈmˠɪɾʲən̪ˠ]) is an Irish-language feminine given name. It is a variant of Muirenn, which derives from Old Irish elements meaning "sea" (muir) and "white, blessed" (finn). The name is deepl...
Muirgheal is a modern Irish female given name, representing a contemporary spelling of the Old Irish name Muirgel. The name is composed of two elements: muir, meaning "sea," and gel, meaning "bright" or "shining." Thus,...
Muirín is a modern Irish feminine name, a variant of Muirgen. The name Muirgen itself means "born of the sea" in Irish, composed of the elements muir "sea" and gein "birth". According to Irish legend, Muirgen was origina...
Muiris is the Irish Gaelic form of Maurice, a name of Latin origin ultimately derived from the Roman family name Mauritius. The root Maurus means “Moor; dark, swarthy,” reflecting the name's early association with North...
Muriel is a feminine given name of Goidelic origin, primarily used in English, French, Irish, and Scottish contexts. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall, both deriving from elements meanin...
Murna is an anglicized form of the Irish name Muirne, which itself derives from the Irish word muirn, meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance." In Irish mythology, Muirne was the mother of the le...
Murrough is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Murchadh, which itself means "sea battle," derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and cath "battle." This name was historically popular among medieval Irish chieftains and...
Murtagh is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Muirchertach. It is commonly used as both a first name and a surname, particularly in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.EtymologyThe original Irish name Muirchertach is...
Myrna is the Anglicized form of the Irish Muirne, derived from the Irish word muirn meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance." In Irish mythology, Muirne was the mother of the legendary hero Fionn...
Nainsí is the Irish form of Nancy, a name with a rich and layered history. While Nancy originates as a medieval diminutive of Annis (a form of Agnes), since the 18th century it has been primarily associated with Ann and...
Naoise (⫽ˈniːʃə⫽) is a name of Irish origin whose precise meaning remains unknown, though it is deeply rooted in Irish mythology. He is best known as the tragic lover of Deirdre in the Ulster Cycle. Naoise, a young warri...
Naomh is a feminine Irish given name meaning "holy" in the Irish language. Created in the 20th century, it directly derives from the Irish adjective naomh meaning "holy" or "sacred," which itself comes from the Old Irish...
Naomhán is an Irish given name for boys, derived from the Irish word naomh meaning "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix, thus meaning "little saint." This name reflects the early Christian tradition in Ireland of na...
Neasa is a feminine name of Irish origin, derived from the Old Irish name Ness, meaning "uncertain" (possibly a short form of a longer name). In Irish mythology, Neasa is better known as Nessa or Ness, a princess of the...
Neassa is an Irish feminine given name, a variant of Neasa. It is derived from the Old Irish name Ness, whose meaning is uncertain. In Irish mythology, Ness (or Neasa) is a legendary figure, best known as the mother of C...
Neil is an English, Irish, and Scottish masculine given name, ultimately derived from the Irish name Niall. The origin of Niall is debated: it may stem from the Old Celtic root nītu- meaning "fury, passion" or be related...
Nessa 3 is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Neasa.EtymologyNeasa itself derives from Old Irish Ness, a name of uncertain meaning. According to Irish legend, the figure originally bore the name Assa (meaning "gentle"...
Nevan is an Anglicized form of Naomhán, an Irish name meaning "little saint", derived from Irish naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.EtymologyThe name Nevan comes from the Irish Naomhán, which itself is a dim...
Neve is an Anglicized form of Niamh, an Irish name deeply rooted in mythology and Gaelic tradition. While the spelling Neve adapts the name to English orthographic conventions, its connection to the original Irish Niamh...
Niall is an Irish given name of ancient origin, derived from the Neil name lineage. Its meaning has been debated for centuries, with scholars such as John Ryan arguing that "its meaning was lost before records began." Co...