Today's Picks>

Irish Names

 

 

McDonagh

Today's name is McDonagh.

The name McDonagh in Ireland is derived from the native Gaelic MacDonnchadha. They were mainly located in Counties Cork and Sligo where the majority of descendants can still be found. Variants include MacDonogh, Donaghy and McDonough.


Rosaleen

Rosaleen comes from the Latin name Rosa and means 'little rose'. The Irish form is Roisin. Records show that the name has been in use in Ireland since the sixteenth century.

When the expression of Irish patriotic poetry and song was outlawed during Ireland's troubled and turbulent past, the Irish bards would disguise their nationalistic verse as love songs. In the figure of Roisin Dubh ("Dark Rosaleen"), a Gaelic poem translated by James Clarence Mangan in 1835, the name became a poetic symbol of Ireland, reflecting the Irish tradition of disguising outlawed patriotic verse as love songs.

"O my Dark Rosaleen, Do not sigh, do not weep! The priests are on the ocean green, They march along the deep. There 's wine from the royal Pope, Upon the ocean green; And Spanish ale shall give you hope, My Dark Rosaleen!"


Bernadette

Bernadette means brave bear and is the feminine form of Bernard.

Bernadette is a popular name in Irish communities around the world.