Irish Girls Names:
- Aoife (ee-fa)
This name means beautiful, radiant or joyful, and likely derives from the Gaelic word ‘aoibh’ meaning ‘beauty’ or ‘pleasure.’ In Irish mythology, Aoife is known as the greatest woman warrior in the world. She gave birth to the mythological hero Cuchulainn’s only son, Connlach, and was the daughter of a king of Connacht. Legend has it, her marriage was arranged by St. Patrick himself.
- Caoimhe (kwee-va or kee-va)
From the Gaelic word “caomh,” this name means gentle, beautiful or precious.
- Saoirse (ser-sha)
This name means “freedom” or “liberty.” It has strong patriotic overtones and has only been in use since the 1920s.
- Ciara (kee-ra)
The feminine form of Ciaran, this name comes from the Gaelic word “ciar,” which means dark. It implies dark features, like hair or eyes. In history, St. Ciara was a distinguished figure who established a monastery in Co. Tipperary during the seventh century.
- Niamh (neev or nee-iv)
Meaning radiance, luster or brightness. In Irish mythology, Niamh was the daughter of Manannan, the god of the sea – she was known as ‘Niamh of the Golden Hair’ and was usually depicted riding on a white horse. She was the lover of poet-hero Oisin; together they lived in Tir-na-nOg, the land of eternal youth.
- Roisin (ro-sheen)
This name means “little rose,” and has been used in Ireland since the sixteenth century. When Irish patriotic poetry and song was outlawed in Ireland, Irish bands would disguise their nationalistic verses and love songs, and sing about Roisin Dubh (“Dark Rosaleen”) as the poetic symbol for their country.
- Cara
In Irish, Cara simply means “a friend.”
- Clodagh (cloda)
Named for the River Clodagh, or Clody River, which runs through Co. Tipperary and Co. Wexford. Like most Irish rivers, the name is associated with a female deity.
- Aisling (ash-ling)
This name means “dream” or “vision” from the Gaelic word ‘aislinge’ and refers to an “aisling,” which is a poetic genre of Irish language poetry from the late 17th century. It only started being used as a first name in the 20th century. The poetic genre has been personified in Ireland as a beautiful woman in peril.
- Eabha (ey-va)
This is the Irish form of Eve (Adam and Eve are Ádhamh agus Éabha in Irish). It means ‘life,’ but comes with all of the connotations of the name Eve, i.e. the mother of all the living.
- Aoibhinn (ee-van or ay-veen)
This name means pleasant, beautiful sheen of radiant beauty. It was a common name for princesses among the royal families of Ireland that has been revived in recent years.
- Aine (awn-ye)
This name comes from the noun aine, which means “radiance, splendor, brilliance.” The name is connected to fruitfulness and prosperity. In Irish legend, Aine, the Queen of the Munster fairies, was one of the wives of Fionn MacCool.
- Sadhbh (sive, sigh-v)
This name mean can either mean sweet and lovely, or wise.
- Aoibheann (ay-veen)
This name means “of pleasant, beautiful sheen” or “radiant beauty.” It is often interpreted as a diminutive for the word Eve, or, “little Eve.”
- Fiadh (fee-a)
Fiadh is an old Irish word meaning “wild,” in the sense of a wild animal. It comes from the word for “wildlife,” fiadhúrla.
- Aoibhe (ey-va)
This comes from the Gaelic word “aoibh,” which means beauty.
- Laoise (lee-sha)
This means “radiant girl,” and is often Anglicized as Louisa. It also refers to light.
- Eimear (ee-mur)
This name means “swift.” In the Irish legend, Eimear was the wife of warrior legend Cuchulainn, and was said to have possessed the six gifts of womanhood, which are beauty, a gentle voice, sweet words, wisdom, needlework, and chastity.
- Orla
Also spelled Orlaith, this name means “golden princess” or “golden sovereign” in Irish. Both the sister and daughter of Brian Boru were named Orla.
- Meabh (Maeve)
This name means “intoxicating.” In the Irish legend, Meabh was the warrior queen of Connacht.
- Shauna
As the feminine form of the popular Irish boys’ name Sean, this name means “God is gracious.” The name can also mean “present.”
- Shannon
This name means “wise river.” The Irish form is Sionainn and it has many spelling variations, but it comes from ‘sion’ (wise) and ‘abhainn’ (river).
- Sinead (shin-ade)
This is the Irish form of the name “Jane” or “Jeannette,” and means “God is gracious.”
- Grainne (grawn-ye)
From the Irish word “gran,” meaning grain or corn. In ancient Ireland, Grainne was the goddess of the grain or harvest. There is also a famous legendary Irish narrative, “The pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne,” which is about the love triangle between Fionn MacCool, princess Grainne and Fianna member Diarmuid O’Dyna.
- Kayleigh (kay-lee)
This name means “slim and fair” or “slender,” deriving from the Gaelic word for slender, which is ‘caol.’
- Fiona
This name means fair, white, beautiful. It is the feminine form of Fionn.
- Emer (eemer)
This name means “swift.” In the Irish legend, Eimear was the wife of warrior legend Cuchulainn, and was said to have possessed the six gifts of womanhood, which are beauty, a gentle voice, sweet words, wisdom, needlework and chastity.
- Siobhan (shiv-on)
Siobhan is another form of the name “Joan,” and means “God has been gracious” or “God’s grace.” It can also mean “full of charm.”
- Ailbhe (alva)
This name is likely derived from the Gaelic word “albho” which means ‘white.’ In Irish legend, this was the name of a female warrior in the Fianna.
- Mairead (mi-rade)
This is the Irish form of Margaret. It means “pearl.”
- Cliodhna (clee-na)
This name comes from the word “clodhna,” meaning “shapely.” In some Irish myths, Cliodhna is the goddess of love and beauty. In some myths, she is the Queen of the Banshees.
- Imogen (imma-jen)
This name means “maiden” or “daughter” from the Gaelic word “inghean” It can also be translated as “innocent” or “blameless.”
- Orlaith (orla)
This name means “golden princess” or “golden sovereign” in Irish. Both the sister and daughter of Brian Boru had this name.
- Caragh (kara)
This name means “friend” and “beloved.”
- Aoibh (eve)
The Irish variant of “eve,” this name means beautiful and radiant.
- Blathnaid (blaw-nid)
In Irish, “blath” means flower or blossom. It is the Irish version of Florence, derived from the Latin word Florentia, which means blooming or blossoming.
- Cadhla (ky-lah)
This name means beautiful, comely, and graceful.
- Dearbhla (durv-la)
In Irish, ‘dearbh’ means truth, and ‘ail’ means loveliness or desire. This name implies “true desire.”
- Bronagh (brona)
This name is rooted in the Irish word bronach, which means sad or sorrowful. Saint Bronagh is a venerated figure in Co. Down, where the name is popular.
- Riona (ree-ona)
This comes from “rionach,” and means “queenly.”
- Sorcha (sur-ka)
As the Gaelic form of the name Sarah or Sally, this name means “brightness” or “radiant.”
- Nuala (noo-lah)
This is the diminutive of the name Fionnuala, which means “fair shoulder.” Sometimes used as an alternate for the name “Una,” which means lamb.
- Eireann (erin)
This name means Ireland, as the genitive case of the word Eire. Commonly Anglicized as Erin.
- Oonagh (Una)
This name means lamb, from the Gaelic word uan. Sometimes the name is translated as “unity,” from “una,” the Latin word for “one.”
- Sile (shee-la)
This is the Irish form of the Latin name Cecilia, the patron saint of music, and implies ‘pure and musical.’
- Muireann (mweer-in)
This name means “sea white, sea fair.” In Irish mythology, this was the name of a 6th century mermaid caught by a fisherman in Lough Neagh. He brought her to St. Comghall, who baptized her, transforming her into a woman.
- Nessa
This name can mean “rough” or “not gentle.” In Irish mythology, she was the powerful and ambitious mother of Conchobar (Conor) MacNessa, King of Ulster.
- Fionnuala (fi-noola)
A variation of the name Finnguala, which means ‘fair shoulder’ or ‘white shoulder,’ from “fionn” meaning white and “guala” meaning shoulder.
- Deirdre (deer-dra)
This name comes from the older Gaelic form “Derdriu.” The meaning is possibly derived from the Celtic word for woman. In Irish legend, Dierdre was the name of a tragic character who died of a broken heart after Conchobar, the King of Ulster, killed her lover Naoise.
- Eithne (enya)
In Irish this name means “kernel of a nut or seed.” There were at least nine Saint Eithnes. It is also associated with the name Aidan, which means “little fire.”
Courtesy of Irish Central
