So glad you enjoyed Ciarán's list Amena. It's always interesting digging into the origins and meanings of names. There are certainly plenty of McShea and OShea and other variations on that name here in Ireland.
24 Authentic Irish names for girls in 2025
Written by Ciaran on Mar 21, 2025 | 7 Comments
I became the proud uncle to a new niece a few weeks ago, with the little arrival being given a beautiful Irish name. A happy event that reminded me to share our list of Irish baby names.
Where to find authentic Irish baby names?
Many Irish names have topped the 2024 charts in popularity not just in Ireland but farther afield too! It seems names with gaelic and Celtic origins are on the radar for many prospective parents. Those on the hunt for an authentic and unique Irish moniker for their little one might search the archives of the library of Ireland.
Or simply check out our collection of popular and authentic Irish girls names below. We’ve included the origin and meaning of these lovely names as well as a helpful pronunciation guide. Some Irish names can be challenging for those not acquainted with the language!
Unique Irish names for Girls
1. Fiadh
How it's said in Ireland: Fee-ah
The Irish word for a deer, from the Irish word for wild, Fiadh has been in the top 10 most popular girls names in Ireland for the past few years running. With the taste for gaelic names rising in Ireland, Fiadh took the No 1 spot in 2021 on the list after rising to 10th in 2018 and held 5th spot in 2024. Variations on this name are also very popular - with Fíadh and Fia offering different spellings.
2. Éabha
How it's said in Ireland: Ay-va
The Irish for Eve meaning ‘life’ or ‘living’. Like the name Fiadh, Éabha has rocketed up the popularity charts in the past few years and is currently sitting at number 2! The english version of this name, Ava is also a very popular choice in Ireland as well as the similar sounding Aoibhe (pronounced Ee-va).
3. Saoirse
How it's said in Ireland: Seer-sha
From the gaelic for "freedom", this name became popular in Ireland in the 1920's with the establishment of the Irish state. Saoirse climbed to the top 100 in the 90's and is still climbing, no doubt helped by some famous namesakes!
It is one of the most popular girls names in Ireland, sitting at number 24 in Ireland in 2024, but it may take some time to catch on elsewhere. Dennis Quaid got Saoirse Ronan's name terribly wrong at the Golden Globe nominations a few years ago, but Ellen DeGeneres did try to help with that by making her a helpful sign to wear to the awards - unfortunately that was also with not quite right pronunciation!
4. Caoimhe
How it's said in Ireland: Kee-va or Quee-va depending on where you are
Another popular Irish name with lovely meaning - from the gaelic for “beautiful, gentle, or kind”. Easy to say but very confusing for non Irish speakers to read. This issue doesn't hurt Caoimhe's popularity for girls names in Ireland. Anglicized versions like Keeva are also increasingly popular in Ireland and farther afield.
5. Aoife
How it's said in Ireland: Ee-fa
Thought to derive from the gaelic word "aoibh" which means "beauty" or "radiance," Aoife has been a consistently popular name for girls in Ireland for decades. This is an ancient Irish name with several Aoifes cropping up throughout Irish mythology, including the great warrior Aoife who did battle with Cú Chullain.
6. Cara
How it's said in Ireland: Car-ah
Cara is another Irish name with lovey meaning, that we are very familiar with here at My Irish Jeweler. It features in a romantic Irish phrase, Mo anam cara featured in several one of our jewelry collections. Roughly translated as "friend" Cara has steadily grown in popularity in Ireland as parents search for monikers with Irish origins and global appeal. Cara is certainly one of the easier Irish names to pronounce and spell and we only expect to see it grow in popularity over the coming years!
7. Róisín
How it's said in Ireland: Ro-sheen
The famous poem "Róisín Dubh" has forever linked this name to that of Ireland itself. Perhaps as a result, Róisín has been a consistently popular girls name in Ireland for decades. Roughly translated it means “little rose”. This diminutive, botanical-inspired name is typically in the top 50 most popular names for girls in Ireland.
8. Sadhbh
How it's said in Ireland: Sigh-ve
Translated from gaelic as "sweet" "lovely" or "goodness," Sadhbh crops up in Irish mythology and history as the name of several princesses, including the daughter of Queen Medb of Connacht, and of the High King Brian Boru as well as the mother of the hero Oisín. The anglicised version of the name, Sive, was also the title of a famous John B. Keane play. A popular choice in Ireland in any form.
9. Clodagh
How it's said in Ireland: Clo-dah
Clodagh is the name of a river that runs through Co. Waterford. One of the first people to bear this lovely name was Lady Clodagh Anson. She was so taken with it that she gave her daughter the same name. Her daughter later wrote "She called me Clodagh too and hoped, in vain, that we'd be the only two." A vain hope indeed as it is typically in the top 100 most popular names in Ireland.
10. Erin
How it's said in Ireland: Erin
According to Irish mythology, the Irish word for Ireland "Éirinn" was originally given to the island after the goddess Ériu. Variants include "Eirinn" or "Éire." Poets in the 19th century popularised Erin as a romantic name for Ireland but it wasn't until the 20th century that the name became a popular given name. Today this unisex name is most typically given to girls and is popular in Ireland, the UK and the US.
11. Croía
How it's said in Ireland: Cree-ya
A gaelic name from the Irish croí, meaning heart. The word croí crops up in all sorts of romantic gaelic phrases like Grá Geal Mo Chroí which means bright love of my heart. The addition of the "a" to the end of this word makes it a very affectionate and diminutive term that roughly translates as little heart. A lovely and relatively new gaelic name in Ireland that has been rocketing up the popularity charts of late.
12. Méabh
How it's said in Ireland: May-ve
An ancient moniker straight out of Irish mythology - Méabh was the fierce warrior Queen of Connacht as well as the name of the queen of the fairies. The name translates from gaelic as “she who intoxicates” from the old Irish Medb. After a long time outside the top 100, Méabh and the anglicized Maeve have roared back in popularity of late both here in Ireland and farther afield.
13. Éala
How it's said in Ireland: Ay-la
With a first appearance in Irish charts in 2018 at spot number 411, this new name shot to 93 in 2023, and jumped again up to 40 in 2024! Despite the meteoric rise this name splits opinion. You see the Irish name for swan is eala, and this has perhaps lead to the rapid rise in popularity for parents looking for an alternative to the very popular girls name Fiadh. Who wouldn't like to give their child such a graceful and pleasant sounding moniker?
Swans crop up quite a bit in Irish mythology
Photo Credit: Yvonne Wakefield (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The trouble comes with the missing fada, the accent, on the letter E meaning eala is pronounced A-la. Adding the fada to the E makes the first syllable of the name sound like ‘ay’ rather than 'a' in the same way as the name Éabha is pronounced Ay-va... but now it's no longer the Irish for swan! This niggle doesn't seem to have bothered the 114 families that picked the name in 2024 however and we expect it will continue to grow in popularity in Ireland if not farther afield.
14. Ailbhe
How it's said in Ireland: Al-vah
A gender neutral name given to girls or boys in Ireland that translates as "noble" or "bright". Ailbhe is one of the few recorded banféinní, the female warrior-hunters of the Fianna and was the one time flame of the leader of the Fianna, Fionn Mac Cumhaill. The spelling of this one is sure to confuse non-Irish speakers, so despite it being a popular name for girls in Ireland, it may not travel so easily. But if you like the meaning and sound of this name, the anglicized version, Alva may be for you.
15. Ciara
How it's said in Ireland: Kir-ah
The feminine version my own name Ciarán, both translate from gaelic as "little dark one." A consistently popular name in Ireland and farther afield ranking in the top 100 girls names in Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, and Australia. It has been anglicized to Keira, Kira, and Keara. Not to be confused with the name Sierra, which is how the artist 'Ciara' pronounces the name.
16. Aoibhín
How it's said in Ireland: Ee-veen
Derived from the old Irish Oébfinn or Aíbinn meaning beauty and finn meaning fair, this was the name of the mother of Saint Enda and several Irish princesses. And it is still popular in Ireland today. There are also several variations including Aoibhinn, Aoibheann, and the anglicized Eavan.
17. Niamh
How it's said in Ireland: Neev
Niamh is one of the oldest and most popular Irish girls names. In Irish mythology Niamh was the beautiful princess of Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth, and the partner of Oisín, all described in the WB Yeats epic, The Wanderings of Oisin. Roughly translated, Niamh means “bright” or "radiant" and anglicized versions including Neve, Nieve, Neave, Neavh or Neeve are popular in several countries around the globe.
18. Áine
How it's said in Ireland: Awn-ya
The name of the Celtic goddess of wealth and summer and the queen of the Munster fairies, this lovely name also has a beautiful meaning. Roughly translating from gaelic as radiance or brightness, Áine is a consistently popular name in Ireland, as is the anglicized version, Anne or Ann.
19. Laoise
How it's said in Ireland: Lee-sha
The female form of the name of one of Irish mythology's most famous gods, Lugh. Laoise is another lovely gaelic name that is associated with light and brightness that has been a consistently popular choice for girls in Ireland for decades.
20. Cadhla
How it's said in Ireland: Kay-la or Ky-la
The Irish for handsome or beautiful, this unisex name was more common as second name prior to the middle of the 20th century. It has been steadily growing in popularity as a first name ever since.
21. Tara
How it's said in Ireland: Tar-ah
The Hill of Tara was the seat of Irish kings and has been a consistently popular choice for baby girls in Ireland since the 1960's. It also enjoyed a peak of popularity in the US in the 1970's and is a Celtic name with global reach, cropping up as Sanskrit for "star".
22. Aisling
How it's said in Ireland: Ash-ling
The title of a poem by Seamus Heaney and a traditional form of Irish poetry and singing, Aisling is an Irish name with a strong literary and artistic pedigree. Roughly translated the name means "dream" or "vision" and it has been a consistently popular choice in Ireland for much of the 20th century.
23. Síofra
How it's said in Ireland: Sheef-rah
Síofra was the top riser in baby girl’s names in Ireland in 2023, rising from 157th place in 2022 to 100th in 2023, an impressive jump of 57 places in rank! Síofra is a name rooted in Irish mythology and means elf or sprite. We think this light and breezy name reflects the association with otherworldly creatures, a name that calls to mind beauty and magic.
24. Íde
How it's said in Ireland: ‘Ee-dah’
The pretty short and sweet name Íde was given to 14 baby girls in Ireland last year. An old Irish name it translates as "thirst" as in a thirst for goodness and knowledge, and is the name of one of Ireland's beloved female saints - a cousin of the famous Brigid and fostermother to Brendan the navigator. The name has been slowly increasing in popularity over the last few years and with the renewed interest in Irish monikers may climb higher still.
Honorable mentions
There are countless other Irish girls names that don't make the top 500 most popular names but deserve a mention including:
- Réiltín - said "rail-teen." it's the Irish word for ‘little star’
- Nóinín - said "no-neen." it's the Irish word for ‘little daisy’.
What is your favorite Irish baby name?
Do you have a favorite? Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments below. Looking for a name for a boy - check out our Irish names for boys.
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to see what's new and upcoming. Join our Email list for early offers and special features.
Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
Comments
My favorite Irish name is Siobhan, because it’s my name in Irish!
Siobhán is a lovely Irish name alright and a quietly popular choice here in Ireland for centuries. It probably doesn't get the recognition on baby names lists because there are so many different ways to spell it with and without the fada (accent on the a).
John Hughes. What is your middle name? Try familysearch.org. Worldwide information for free. Amazingly useful and helpful site.
My middle name was given to me because the story was our family (Coleman on my mother's side was supposedly from county Kerry. Yet I find no evidence of that. also my great grandfather, Patrick Coleman came to th United States and fought in the c American civil war yet I can find no info on when born or when he left Ireland. Any resources you know of to check passenger lists on ships leaving Ireland that went to New York?? Sorry to bother tracked as far as I could on ancestry. Com but hit a wall thank you for any suggestions
Hi John, thanks for stopping by. There are outbound passenger lists for boats leaving Ireland from 1890 in the UK Board of Trade. But given your ancestor fought in the American Civil War I imagine he travelled well before that! I believe that prior to 1890, the port of arrival is the best bet for identifying passengers. So perhaps arrivals to the port of New York in your own National Archives are worth a look if you haven't tried that? Official arrival records of immigrants were kept from 1820 apparently.
Ask Gemma
What lovely names and descriptions.
I was given the name of Amena. My understanding is that this spelling is Irish for “one of incorruptible truth.”
I was also told that my last name of “McShea” means “from the fort of the fairies.” I’d like to think it so. I believe my clan is from the County Tipperary and County Kilkenny area. 😊