Choosing a unique baby name can be challenging for parents. If you are on the search for a name that won’t be every child’s name in the primary school, here’s a list we’ve compiled of 50+ Irish names for your little boy as well as their meanings and origins!

Amhlaoibh

The Irish for ‘Humphrey’ and ‘Olaf’, the meaning of Amhlaoibh is ‘ancestors’ relic’, and is more commonly heard in Munster.

Aodán

Like the name ‘Aodh’, Aodán derives from the Old Irish, ‘Áedán’, which means little fire. Other variants of the name include Aodhán, Aodhagán, and Aogán. The English name ‘Aidan’ derives from Aodán.

Ardal

Ardal is a compound word of two Old Irish words, ‘ard’, meaning high, and ‘gal’, meaning courage – put together this means ‘of high courage. It can also be spelled as ‘Ardghal’.

Ascall

Ascall is a Gaelicised Viking name with origins in Old Norse ‘áss’, meaning god, and ‘ketill’, meaning helmet ‘cloigeann’. Ascall Mac Ragnaill was the last Norse-Gaelic king of Dublin.

Barra

An abbreviation ‘Fionnbharr’, which means ‘fair top’ or fair-headed. Another spelling variations is ‘Bairre’, and the English names ‘Barry’ and ‘Finbar’ originate from this.

Bréanainn

The name Bréanainn comes from the Old Welsh ‘Breenhin’, a word meaning ‘king; or ‘prince’.

Buadhach

Originating from the Old Irish ‘Buaidh’, meaning ‘victory’, Buadhach is often used to translate the English name ‘Victor’ into Irish.

Cairbre

Cairbre means ‘charioteer’.

Caolán

Caolán means ‘little slender one’.

Caoilte

Caoilte is a modernised variation of the name ‘Caílte’. Caílte was a member of the Fianna in Irish myhtology, and the name means ‘slender’.

Coinneach

The name Coinneach comes from the Old Irish ‘caín’, meaning ‘beautiful, handsome’.

Conán

Conán means little hound, originating from the word ‘cú’ (hound).

Connla

Coming from the Old Irish ‘Conláed’, it is possibly a compound word that means ‘eternal fire’, with ‘áed’, meaning fire in Old Irish, and ‘cunnail’, meaning ‘forever’.

Darach

The name Darach comes from the genitive form of the Irish word ‘dair’, meaning ‘oak’. Darach is commonly used to Gaelicise the English name ‘Derek’.

Deasmhumhain

Deasmhumhain means ‘South Munster’, and the English name ‘Desmond’ originates from this. An abbreviated variant of Deasmhumhain is the name Deasún.

Donnchadh

Donnchadh is a compound word of the words ‘donn’, meaning brown, and ‘cath’, meaning battle. Other spelling variants of the name include Donncha, Donnacha, and Donagh. The English name ‘Duncan’ originates from this.

Dubhán

The name Dubhán originates from the Old Irish name ‘Dubán’, meaning ‘little black-haired one’.

Éimhín

Originating from the Old Irish ‘éim’, Éimhín means ‘quick’ or ‘prompt’. There’s a connection between this name and its Welsh variant ‘Ifan’, and it is commonly used to Gaelicise ‘Evan’.

Fachtna

Fachtna is thought to come from the Old Irish ‘facht’, a meaning malice.

Faolán

Faolán originates from the Old Irish ‘fáel’, meaning wolf, and the name Faolán means ‘little wolf’.

Feidhlim

Feidhlim comes from the Old Irish ‘feidil’, meaning steadfast. Other spelling variants of the name include Feilim and Feidhlimidh. The name ‘Felix’ is Gaelicised to Feidhlim.

Flann

Flann means blood red in Irish. Flann O’Brien is the pen name of the famous Irish author, Brian O’Nolan, who wrote An Béal Bocht.

Garbhán

Garbhán means little rough one. Garbhán is the name of the monster in the Irish translation of the children’s book, ‘The Gruffalo’.

Gearalt

Gearalt is an Irish variant of the Germanic name ‘Gerald’, meaning ‘power of the spear’. Another variant of this name is Gearóid.

Iarlaith

Originating from the Old Irish ‘flaith’, meaning ‘sovereign’ or ‘ruler’. It can alse be spelled as ‘Iarla’ or ‘Iarfhlaith’. The English name ‘Earl’ can be translated to Iarla or Iarlaith in Irish and the name ‘Jarleth’ originates from this as well.

Íomhar

The name Íomhar originates from the Old Norse name ‘Ívarr’, and it is thought to mean ‘soldier of the yew bow’.

Labhrás

A Gaelicised variant of the Roman name Laurentius, which means ‘of the city Laurentum’, which was once a city during the Roman Empire. The names ‘Laurence’, ‘Lawrence’, ‘Larry’, and ‘Lorenzo’ can all be Gaelicised to Labhrás.

Lachtna

From the Old Irish ‘Lachtnae’ meaning milk-coloured, this is a loan word from the Latin ‘lacht’, meaning milk.

Lochlainn

Lochlainn originates from the Old Irish for viking, ‘Lochlann’. It can also be spelled as ‘Lochlann’, and the English name ‘Lockie’ comes from this.

Lomán

Lomán means ‘little bare one’ and derives from the Irish word ‘lom’.

Lonán

Lonán means little blackbird, and it derives from the Old Irish ‘lon’, meaning ‘blackbird’.

Lorcán

The meaning of Lorcán is ‘little fierce one’ and it originates from the Old Irish ‘lorcc’, meaning fierce.

Macdara

Macdara means ‘Son of Darach’ and is more commonly heard in Connemara.

Mainchín

Coming from the Old Irish ‘manach’ (monk), Mainchín means ‘little monk’. The name ‘Mannix’ derives from this.

Manus

Manus derives from the Latin ‘Magnus’, meaning huge.

Maolsheachlann

Maolsheachlann is a compound word from the Old Irish ‘máel’, meaning ‘follower’ or ‘disciple’ and it means ‘a disciple of Saint Seachnall’. Other spelling variants of the name include Maeleachlainn, Leachlann, and Maolcholaim. The name ‘Malachy’ derives from this and Maolcholaim can be used to Gaelicise ‘Malcolm’.

Mathúin

Deriving from the Old Irish name ‘Mathgamain’, this is a compound word made from the two words ‘math’, meaning bear, and ‘gamuin’, meaning calf.

Meallán

Originating from the Old Irish ‘Mellán’, Meallán means ‘little.

Murchadh

Murchadh is a compound word of the two words ‘muir’ (sea) and ‘cath’ (battle).

Naomhán

Naomhán derives from the word ‘naomh’ (saint), and it means little saint. The English name ‘Nevan’ originates from this.

Odhrán

Originating from the Old Irish ‘odar’ to describe a greyish brown or tan colour, Odhrán ‘little tanned one’. The English variants Oran and Odran come from this, agus cloistear é níos minice i gCúige Uladh.

Piaras

Piaras is an Irish variant of the Medieval name ‘Piers’, meaning rock.

Pilip

Pilib is an Irish variant of the Ancient Greek name ‘Philippos’, meaning ‘friend to horses’.

Raghnall

The name Raghnall originaes from the Old Norse name Ragnvaldr, meaning chief counsellor.

Riagán

Deriving from the Irish word ‘rí’, the meaning of Riagán is ‘little king’. Other variants of the name include Ríoghán and Riacán.

Ruadhán

Ruadhán comes from the Old Irish ‘rúad’, meaning ‘ginger’, and the meaning of the name is ‘little ginger one’.

Ruarc

Deriving from the Old Irish name ‘Ruarc’, it is thought that root is the Old Irish word ‘rúad’, which means ‘ginger’, or it could possibly come from the Old Norse ‘Hrǿríkr’, meaning ‘glorious ruler’.

Seachnall

Seachnall is thought to be the Irish variant of the Roman name Secundinus, and it means ‘the second one’. Another variant of this name is Seachlann.

Séaghdha

Séaghdha cames from the Old Irish word ‘ségda’ to describe somebody noble, favoured, and educated. Other variants of the name include Sé, Séada, and Séadhna.

Seathrún

Seathrún comes from the Norman name ‘Geoffrey’, and it means ‘divine peace’. Other variants of the name include Siothrún, Sioffraidh, and Séathra. Seathrún can also be used to Gaelicise ‘Jeff’ or ‘Jeffrey’.

Senán

Coming from the Old Irish ‘sen’, meaning ‘old’, Senán means ‘little old one’.

Tiarnán

Tiarnán derives from the Old Irish word for lord, ‘tigerna’, and this name means ‘little lord’. Other variants of the name include ‘Tighearnán’ and ‘Tiarnach’.

Toirdhealbhach

Toirdhealbhach comes from the Old Irish word ‘tairdelb’, which means ‘instigating’. Other variants of the name include Tairdelbach, Traolach, and Tarlach. The English name ‘Turlough’ derives from this as well, and Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin was the name of one of the most famous harpists and composers in Irish music.

Túathal

Túathal is a compound word of the two Old Irish words, ‘túath’, meaning ‘countryside’, and ‘fal’, meaning ‘rule’ – ergo put together this means ‘ruler of the common folk’.

Ultán

The name Ultán means ‘little Ulsterman’.

If you have an interest in all things folklore, Gaelchultúr has cultural courses for fluent speakers and for beginners starting in September. From pre-Christian traditions to the art of storytelling, superstitions to the dark underworld, these courses discuss some of the most fascinating elements of Gaelic folklore. You can learn more or register your place on a cultural course with us at Gaelchultur.com