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Irish Names
 

 

Davina



Daimhin, Davin and Davina pronounced 'daw+veen' come from damh "deer" and the diminutive which means "little deer."


Ailis


Ailis, Ailish, Eilis or Eilish pronounced 'ay + lish'.

Irish version of the Norman Alice or Alicia from Elizabeth "God is my oath."


Catriona



Catriona or Caitriona pronounced "ka + tree + na"

An Irish form of Catherine that derives from an older Greek name meaning "clear, pure."


Teagan



Teagan is the Irish form of the Welsh name Tegwin which means 'beautiful.'


Aideen



Aideen pronounced 'ay + deen'
Formed like Aidan from aed "fire." Aideen loved her husband Oscar, a grandson of Fionn Mac Cool, so much that when he fell in battle she died of a broken heart.


Daireann



Daireann pronounced 'dar + rawn' - the English being Darina.


Meaning "fruitful, bountiful." In legend, Daireann, a beautiful young woman, fell in love with Fionn Mac Cool, a man with many wives. She asked to be his only wife for a year - and then to have the half of his time after that.


Oonagh

Oonagh, Oona, or Una pronounced "ou + na"

From the Irish word uan "a lamb" or may come from the Latin una meaning "one," hence it is sometimes translated as "Unity."

In legend Oonagh was "Queen of the Fairies" who had long golden hair which reached to the ground and she was also the wife of Fionn Mac Cool.


Bronagh

Bronagh or Brona pronounced 'bro + nah'.

Though rooted in bronach - "sad, sorrowful" - St. Bronagh must have been a popular figure in her home area of County Down where her bell is venerated because so many girls in that area are named for her now, as they have been for over 1000 years.

Bronagh Mullan who represented Ireland in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest.


Sheenagh

Sheena EastonSheenagh or Sheena pronouned 'she + na'

An Irish form of Jane "God is gracious" and may be a shortened form of Sinead.


Keela


Keela or Kyla pronounced 'kee + la' or 'kie + la'

The word cadhla means beautiful and implies "a beauty that only poetry can capture."


Erin



The name Erin, Eryn, Erinne and Erina all come from the poetic name for Ireland.


Sorcha


Sorcha pronounced sor + aka or surk + ha

From sorcha meaning 'bright, radiant, light.' Popular in the Middle Ages, the name has become popular again in recent years partly due to the success of the Irish actress Sorcha Cusack. Incidentally, her actor sisters are named Sinead and Niamh.


Sorcha from Butterfly Explosion


Ita

Ide or Ida pronounced "ee + da"

In English:Ita

Ita means "thirst" as in "thirst for goodness or knowledge."

St. Ita and St. Brigid are considered the most influential woman saints of early Irish Christianity. Associated with education, Ita founded a monastery in Killeedy in County Limerick where a holy well is dedicated to her.

In an earlier legend she was the foster-mother of the infant Jesus.