50 stunning Irish boys names

and their meanings

In search of an Irish name for a baby boy? Here are the
top 50 and their meanings!
IrishCentral Staff @IrishCentral Dec 21, 2020

Do you have a baby boy on the way? Check out these Irish language baby names!
ISTOCK

Irish language names for boys are the perfect way to

honor your Irish roots!

There's no shortage of beautiful Irish language names

for baby boys - here are just 50 of them!

50 Irish Boys Names

1. Conor
Usually translated as “lover of hounds.” It can also mean
“high desire,” as derived from the Irish word
“coachuhhar.” Conchobhar MacNessa was the king of
Ulster; according to the legend, he was born on the
same day as Christ.

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2. Sean
Sean is the Irish cognate of the name John, and means
“God is gracious.” It can also mean “wise, old.”

3. Oisin (uh-sheen or o-sheen)

Meaning “little deer.” In Irish mythology, Oisin was a
poet-hero, son of legendary warrior Fionn MacCool
and the goddess Sive. His mother was turned into a
deer by the Dark Druid, and she raised him in the forest
for seven years; when his father found him while
hunting, he recognized the boy as his own son and gave
him the name “little deer.”

4. Patrick
Patrick is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Padraig,
from the latin Patricius which means “nobly born.” The
patron Saint of Ireland.

5. Cian (kee-an)
This name means “ancient,” or “enduring.” In the Irish
legend, Cian Mac Mael Muad was the son-in-law of
Brian Boru, both of whom were killed in the Battle of
Clontarf.

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6. Liam
Liam means a strong-willed warrior and protector. It is
the short form of the Irish name Uilliam, which comes
from the Frankish Willahelm. It is also the Irish cognate
of the name William.

7. Darragh (darra)
Some translate Darragh into “fruitful” or “fertile,” and
some translate the name into “dark oak” or “oak tree.”
According to the Irish legend, Daire Mac Fiachna
owned the Brown Bull of Cooley, and his refusal to sell
it to Queen Maebh was part of the cause for the fight
between Ulster and Connacht.

8. Cillian (kill-ee-an)
This name has several known meanings, including “war,”
“strife,” and “bright-headed.” The word cille also means
“associated with the church,” so the name is often
associated with the word “church” or “monastery.”

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9. Fionn (finn, fee-in or fyon)

Meaning “fair-headed,” “white” or “clear.” Other
translations include “small blonde soldier” and
“handsome.” Fionn MacCool was a central character in
Irish folklore and mythology - he was the leader of the
warrior band “The Fianna.” Known for being brave,
handsome, wise, and generous.

10. Finn
Finn is the Anglicized version of Fionn. Meaning fair,
blonde, or “small blonde soldier.”

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11. Rian (ree-an)

This name means “little king” or “kingly.” Diminutive of
the Irish word for “king,” which is “rí.”

12. Eoin (owen)

This name means “young.”

13. Oscar
Meaning “deer lover” or “friend of deer” as derived
from the Gaelic “os” (deer) and “cara” (friend). In Irish
mythology, Oscar was the son of the poet Oisin, and the
grandson of the hero Finn MacCool.

14. Callum
The Gaelic form of the Latin “columba,” which means
“dove.” It can also be translated as “the servant or
disciple of Columba.”

15. Aidan
The Anglicized form of Gaelic “Aodhan,” which means
“little fiery one.”

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16. Tadhg (tige)

This name means “poet” or “bard” in Irish. It was the
name of an 11th century King of Connacht.

17. Cathal (ka-hal)

Meaning “strong in battle.” Derived from Gaelic “cath”
(battle) and "val" (rule). It was the name of a 7th
century Irish saint.

18. Shane
“Gift from God.” Anglicized form of Sean.

19. Senan (sennin)

This name means “little wise person,” “old” or “ancient.”
Derived from Sean with a diminutive suffix.

20. Ronan
This is a very old name meaning “little seal,” derived
from the diminutive form of “ron” (seal). There were
twelve saints named Ronan as well as an ancient king of
Leinster.

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21. Eoghan (owen)

“Born of the yew tree.” Often associated with the
Greek name “Eugenes.”

22. Rory
Meaning “red” or “rust-colored.” Borne by Rory
O’Connor, the last high king of Ireland, who reigned
from 1166-1170.

23. Cormac
This name means “son of defilement,” from Gaelic
“corb” (defilement) and “mac” (son). This was the name
of a 3rd-century king of Ireland. Some think it means
“charioteer.”

24. Odhran (orin)

Means “little pale green one,” derived from the Irish
“odhra” (pale green, sallow), plus a diminutive suffix.

25. Ciaran (kee-ran)

Meaning “little dark one.” Diminutive of Gaelic word
“ciar,” which means black.

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26. Dara
This name comes from "daire" and means “fruitful” or
“fertile.” In the Irish legend, Daire Mac Fiachna, who
owned the Brown Bull of Cooley, refused to sell the bull
to Queen Maebh, which was thought to be the reason
for the fight between Ulster and Connacht.

27. Shay
In Irish, Shay means hawk or hawk-like and noble.

28. Donnacha (done-acka)

This name means "brown-haired warrior." Derived from
the Gaelic “donn” (brown) and “cath” (battle). Brian
Boru’s son Donncha was a High King of Ireland until his
death in 1064.

29. Killian
Derived from Gaelic “cille” and means “associated with
the church.” Borne by several Irish saints.

30. Niall (nye-al or niel)

This name can either mean “champion, passionate, or
vehement” from the Gaelic "niadh," or “cloud” from the
Gaelic word "neall." Niall of the Nine Hostages was a
4th-century king of Tara.

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31. Ruairi (rory)

This name means “red-haired king,” from “ruadh”
meaning red, as in the red-colored hair of foxes.

32. Brian
This name means high, noble, and strong. From Gaelic
‘brigh.’ The name has been incredibly widespread in
Ireland, in honor of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland.

33. Oran
This name means white, light, or pale. Some believe it to
mean sallow, pale green, or “little pale green one.”

34. Darren
Likely derives from the Gaelic name Darragh, meaning
‘little oak.’ The oak tree is a powerful symbol to the
Celts, representing nobility, strength, vitality, and
wisdom.

35. Brandon
This name derives from the Irish “Bréanainn” which
comes from the word “brenhin” meaning prince.

36. Craig
This popular name comes from the Gaelic word
“carraig” which means rock or crag.

37. Colm (collum)

This is the Gaelic variation of the Latin “columba”
meaning dove.

38. Padraig (paw-drig, Patrick)

Gaelic form of the Latin “Patricius” meaning “nobly
born.” Patron Saint of Ireland.

39. Donal
“Ruler of the world” is the implied definition of this
name, from “domhan” (world) and “all” (mighty).

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40. Diarmuid (deer-mid)

This name means “without enemy.” It has been the
name of kings, heroes, and saints. In Irish legend,
Diarmuid was the lover of Grainne, and the most
beloved member of the warrior band the Fianna.
“Dermot” is the Anglicized version.

41. Lorcan
This name can mean either “silent” or “fierce.” Lorcan
was the name of Brian Boru’s grandfather as well as
two kings of Leinster. It was likely used as the nickname
for a “brave warrior.”

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42. Barry
Meaning “fair-haired,” this name is associated with
Saint Finbar, the patron saint of Cork.

43. Collin
This name means cub or puppy from the Gaelic word
“cailean.” It can also be used as a diminutive of the name
Nicholas, which means victor or victorious people.

44. Brendan
At least 17 saints bear the name Brendan, but perhaps
the most famous would be Saint Brendan the
Navigator. One of the rumors about the Navigator is
that he was the first European to set foot on American
soil, a thousand years before Columbus. Anglicized
form of the Irish Breandan, meaning prince.

45. Conan
From the word “con” meaning hound or wolf. Some say
the meaning can also be “swift-footed warrior.” With
the suffix “-an,” it means “little warrior.” According to
Irish legend, Conan Maol (‘Bald Conan’) was part of the
Fianna warrior band.

46. Caolan (keelin)

This name means "slender" from the Gaelic word "caol."

47. Aodhan (aidan)

As a diminutive form of “Aod” which means fire, this
name implies the meaning "born of fire" or "fiery."
Popularized by Saint Aidan of Iona.

48. Tiernan
This name means “little lord.” Tiernan O’Rourke was a
12th C. Irish king.

49. Daithi (da-hee)

This is an old Irish name that means “swiftness” or
“nimbleness.” Daithi, the last Pagan king of Ireland who
ruled from 405-426 AD, had 24 dons.

50. Fergal
This name comes from Fearghal, and means brave,
courageous and valorous.

Read More: The most popular Irish baby names in

America

What's your favorite Irish name for boys? Let us know

in the comments, below!

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* Originally published on Aug 13, 2020.

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