Naming your baby is a big deal. Seriously. Once you've locked the title in, there's no going back. Unless you're Kylie Jenner, that is. Which means new parents or parents-to-be often spend ages going back and forth on potential ideas, trying to agree on the perfect name for the newest addition to their family.
These days, picking a name isn't as simple as it was when your mum, gran, or great-gran were naming their kids, either. There's less pressure to pass down titles to keep them in the family, and more of a focus on creativity. From seasonal to traditional to vintage to geographical, it's also popular to give a nod to your heritage, too.
With that being said, if you're looking for the perfect Irish baby name, we've got you. Whether popular in Ireland or traditionally Irish, we scoured the data provided by the Central Statistics Office to see which names, for both boys and girls, are big hitters right now.
The list of most popular baby names in Ireland is currently a mix of names with English origins, Irish origins, and Latin origins, so we've also sought out some well-known and more unique Irish names for you to browse for inspiration too.
Good luck!
Top Irish baby names for boys in 2024
- Jack
- Noah
- Rían
- Cillian
- James
- Liam
- Finn
- Ryan
- Aiden
- Declan
- Rowan
- Lorcan
- Phelan
- Cashel
- Fionn
- Conor/Connor
- Oisín
- Cormac
- Rafferty
- Rory
- Brody
- Sullivan
- Ronan
- Cian
- Patrick
- Oscar
- Nolan
- Quinn
- Casey
- Flynn
Top Irish baby names for girls 2024
- Sophie
- Éabha
- Grace
- Emily
- Fiadh
- Bonnie
- Lily
- Saoirse
- Riley
- Nora
- Sloane
- Reagan
- Maeve
- Fia
- Eilish
- Tierney
- Una
- Niamh
- Aoife
- Caoimhe
- Molly
- Erin
- Quinn
- Tallulah
- Delaney
- Orla
- Darcy
- Keira
- Alana
- Enya
How to pronounce some of the most-loved Irish names
Some Irish names can be a challenge for people to pronounce if they're unfamiliar with Gaelic (and, as we all know, there's nothing worse than having somebody butcher your, or your child's, name).
So, with that in mind, we asked our good pal Brooke Scullion, a bona fide Derry girl, to lend a hand with how to correctly say some traditional Irish names (which are also listed below).
- Aoife: This typically feminine name means 'beautiful' or 'radiant'.
- Saoirse: This girl's name has seen a resurgence in recent years, possibly thanks to a certain actress, Saoirse Ronan. It means 'freedom' or 'liberty'.
- Oisín: A typically male name meaning 'little deer' (it can be spelled with or without a fada, the diacritic mark/acute accent, depending on personal preference).
- Aisling: Meaning 'dream' or 'vision'.
- Ailbhe: Some say this one means 'white', others 'bright' or 'noble'.
- Cillian: Another name which has seen a recent spike in popularity (Peaky Blinders, anyone?), this typically male name means 'church'.
- Aoibheann: This name means 'beautiful sheen'.
- Caoimhe: A girl's name meaning 'beautiful'.
- Dearbhla: This feminine name means 'daughter of the poet' and can also be spelled 'Dervla'.
- Eoghan: A male name meaning 'born of the yew tree'.
- Gráinne: A traditionally female name meaning 'grain' or 'love'.
- Éibhear: A male name meaning 'yew wood' or 'archer' (this name is a rare one, so could be a good choice for any parents wanting to give their child a unique moniker).
- Niamh: This female name (which was especially popular in the 90s) means 'bright'.
- Fiadh: The third most popular baby girl's name in Ireland in 2019, meaning 'wild'.
- Tadhg: A boy's name meaning 'poet' or 'bard'.
Sophie Williams is a Freelance Journalist and Copywriter, covering everything from Fashion to Entertainment to music, Lifestyle and Features. She has interviewed a range of musical artists and authors including Alyssa Edwards, Courtney Barnett, Confidence Man, The Vaccines, Loyle Carner, Gabrielle, and John Niven, and has written for publications like Metro, Reader's Digest, ITV's Woo! and Vice’s NBGA. She is also working on a book for HarperCollins about Taylor Swift, due to be published in 2024.
