165 Irish baby boy names, from popular to totally unique

Marisa LaScala
·5-min read
165 Irish baby boy names, from popular to totally unique


When you look at the list of the most popular boy names, the top name for close to a decade is Liam, the Irish diminutive of William. You might think that would make names of Irish origin feel played or overdone, but if you look at the upcoming baby name trends, if anything, they're only getting more Irish.

That doesn't mean that there isn't a vibe shift. "Liam is beginning to fall in usage," says Sophie Kihm, the editor-in-chief of baby-naming site Nameberry, which keeps lists of popular Irish names. "We expect it to slip in the rankings soon. Other Irish boy names now past their peak include Finn, Connor and Declan."

So, which names does Kihm see on the rise? "The most coveted Irish boy names right now are energetic choices that start with 'R.' Rowan and Rory lead the pack, but we’re also seeing once-obscure names like Rafferty and Redmond get the attention they deserve." Names that start with "C" and end with "N," like Cillian, Cian and Callahan, are also getting hot, Kihm says, along with surnames like Mac/Mack and Sullivan.

Whether you want to honour your Emerald Isle heritage or just like the way these sound, these top Irish boy names are certain to be high on your list of potential baby monikers

Most Popular Irish Boy Names With Meanings

Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) keeps track of baby names going back to 1964, if you're looking for a deep well of inspiration. While they're not all names of Irish origin, according to the CSO, these are the top baby boy names in Ireland at the moment, along with their meanings.

  1. Jack, diminutive of John,"God is gracious"

  2. Noah, "rest"

  3. James, "supplanter"

  4. Rían, "little king"

  5. Oisín, "little deer"

  6. Fionn, "fair"

  7. Tadhg, "poet"

  8. Liam, diminutive of William, "resolute protection"

  9. Cillian, "strife"

  10. Daniel, "God is my judge"

  11. Finn, "fair"

  12. Conor, "lover of hounds"

  13. Charlie, "free man"

  14. Seán, "God is gracious"

  15. Michael, "who is like God?"

  16. Leo, "lion"

  17. Theo, diminutive of Theodore,"gift of God"

  18. Thomas, "twin"

  19. Patrick, "noble"

  20. Luke, "man from Lucania"

  21. Tommy, diminutive of Thomas,"twin"

  22. Oliver, "olive tree"

  23. Adam, "son of the red earth"

  24. Harry, diminutive of Henry, "estate ruler"

  25. Luca, "man from Lucania"

  26. Darragh, "oak tree"

  27. Alex, diminutive of Alexander, "defending men"

  28. Bobby, diminutive of Robert, "bright fame"

  29. Cian, "ancient"

  30. Oscar, "God spear"

  31. John, "God is gracious"

  32. Max, "greatest"

  33. Ryan, "little king"

  34. Páidí, "noble"

  35. Jamie, diminutive of James, "supplanter"

  36. Ben, "son of"

  37. Kai, "sea"

  38. Ollie, diminutive of Oliver, "olive tree"

  39. Tom, diminutive of Thomas,"twin"

  40. Matthew, "gift of God"

  41. Dylan, "son of the sea"

  42. Callum, "dove"

  43. Sonny, "son"

  44. Sam, diminutive of Samuel, "told by God"

  45. Ethan, "strong"

  46. Alfie, Diminutive of Alfred, "wise counselor"

  47. David, "beloved"

  48. Alexander, "defending men"

  49. Mason, "stoneworker"

  50. Caelan, "thin"

As you can see, these run the gamut of popularity this side of the pond: Some — like Liam, Noah and Oliver — are also extremely popular in the United States. Others, like Darragh, Oisín (pronounced oh-SHEEN) and Tadhg (pronounced TI-guh, like the first syllable in the word "tiger"), didn't even make the top 1,000 names stateside, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), which keeps track of baby names in the United States. There are also quite a few names on this list that follow the recent trend of using a nickname over a full name, like Theo (over Theodore), Leo (over Leonardo), Harry (over Henry or Harold), Alex (over Alexander) and Bobby (over Robert).

Up-and-Coming Irish Boy Names

The SSA doesn't just keep track of the most popular names — they keep tabs on how that popularity is changing over time. These names haven't broken into the top 100 yet, but they increased in popularity over the last year (listed in order from the biggest jump in popularity to the least).

  1. Eiden

  2. Kyren

  3. Kylian/Cillian

  4. Callahan

  5. Bowen

  6. Casey

  7. Callan

  8. Kieran

  9. Madden

  10. Grady

The last-names-as-first-names trend is showing no signs of abating, but if there's one name that looks poised to take on Liam in the future, it looks like it'll be the contender Kihm noted earlier: Cillian/Kylian. Could this be the Peaky Blinders effect, a nod to Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy?

cillian murphy at the 'free fire' closing night gala 60th bfi london film festival
Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy. Cillian is a fast-climbing boys’ name in the United States. John Phillips - Getty Images

Unique Irish Boy Names

Irish Central has its own list of out-of-the-box choices that haven't yet hit the SSA list — and also helpfully provided the pronunciations.

  1. Aodhan (aidan)

  2. Caolan (keelin)

  3. Carraig (Craig)

  4. Cathal (ka-hal)

  5. Ciarán (kee-ran)

  6. Colm (collum)

  7. Dáithí (da-hee)

  8. Diarmuid (deer-mid)

  9. Donnacha (done-acka)

  10. Eoghan (owen)

  11. Eoin (owen)

  12. Fergal (fergal)

  13. Odhrán (orin)

  14. Ruairí (rory)

  15. Senan (sennin)

Mythological Irish Boy Names

Fantasy names are in for boys, so these names have an element of otherworldly power to them.

  1. Ailill (husband of Queen Maebh)

  2. Aodh (god of the underworld)

  3. Aonghus (god of love, poetry and youth)

  4. Balor (a giant king who weilded an evil eye)

  5. Dagda (god of life and death, fertility and agriculture)

  6. Goibniu (god of smithing)

  7. Lugh (supernatural being associated with light)

  8. Manannán (god of the sea)

  9. Nuada/Nuadha (king of the Tuatha Dé Danann)

  10. Sláine (as in Sláine Mac Dela of the Fir Bolg, the first High King of Ireland)


Irish Names from Popular Culture

Whether from music, movies or TV shows, famous folks have put these Irish names on the map.

  1. Colin (actor Colin Farrell)

  2. Damien (actor Damien Molony)

  3. Keoghan (actor Barry Keoghan)

  4. Naoise (member of the Irish rap group Kneecap)

  5. Niall (One Direction member Niall Horan)

  6. Pierce (James Bond portrayer Pierce Brosnan)

  7. Roy (footballer Roy Keane)

  8. Shane (Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan)

  9. Wolfe (famed Irish revolutionary Wolfe Tone)

  10. Yeats (poet William Butler Yeats)

glastonbury festival 2024 day four kneecap performs
Naoise "Móglaí Bap" Ó Cairealláin (left) and Liam Óg "Mo Chara" Ó Hannaidh (right), two members of the Irish group Kneecap, perform at Glastonbury. Luke Brennan - Getty Images

More Irish Boy Names to Consider

If you're still looking for inspiration, here are more Irish boy names.

  1. Aibhne

  2. Amon

  3. Auley

  4. Banning

  5. Barry

  6. Bellamy

  7. Brady

  8. Brannon

  9. Brendan

  10. Brian

  11. Caelin

  12. Ceallach

  13. Cedric

  14. Comhghall

  15. Cormac

  16. Dara

  17. Darren

  18. Derry

  19. Desmond

  20. Donal

  21. Ea

  22. Eamon

  23. Fallon

  24. Faolán

  25. Ferris

  26. Finian

  27. Finnegan

  28. Fitz

  29. Flynn

  30. Gobán

  31. Gulliver

  32. Iarlaithe

  33. Keegan

  34. Kellen

  35. Kennedy

  36. Kieve

  37. Laoise

  38. Lorcan

  39. Maguire

  40. Malone

  41. Mccoy

  42. Murphy

  43. Nevan

  44. Nollaig

  45. Paddy

  46. Padraic

  47. Pauric

  48. Phelim

  49. Raghnall

  50. Quill

  51. Quinn

  52. Rafferty

  53. Riordan

  54. Ronan

  55. Rooney

  56. Ruaidhrí

  57. Saeran

  58. Seamus

  59. Seoras

  60. Shay

  61. Suibhne

  62. Sullivan

  63. Teagan

  64. Tiernan

  65. Tigernach

  66. Torin

  67. Troi

  68. Tynan

  69. Uaine

  70. Verlin

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