Irish names are international stars, ranking near the top of popularity lists in Ireland and the US along with many other countries.
Liam is the top Irish boy name in the US, standing at Number 1, and Riley is the top Irish girl name. Many new Irish baby names are replacing old standards like Kathleen and Patrick.
Irish boy names popular in the US include Liam, Ryan, and all spellings of Aiden. Declan and Rowan are both gaining in popularity
Irish girl names in the US are dominated by surname names. They include Riley, Kennedy, and Quinn. Other popular Irish names for girls in the US are Nora and Maeve.
The top baby names in Ireland itself look rather different than they do in the US, though there are also several crossovers. Notably, not all of the top Irish baby names are actually Irish.
The most popular boy names in Ireland include the classic Hebrew James and Noah along with Irish names Conor, Finn, and Liam. The top ten girl names in the Emerald Isle include only one Irish-language name, Fiadh. Other popular girl names in Ireland are Grace, Emily, and Sophie.
Irish language names are a subset of Gaelic Names, which also include Scottish names and Manx names. Along with Finn and Fiadh, other Irish Gaelic choices among the popular names in Ireland include Eabha, Saoirse, and Aoife for girls; Darragh, Cillian, Oisin and Tadgh for boys.
Irish baby names enjoying international popularity include Liam, which ranks among the top names in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Norway as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Finn ranks among the top names in the Netherlands while variation Fynn is on Germany’s most popular list, and Nora is the second most popular girls’ name in Norway.
Many unique Irish baby names go far beyond the Old School Kevins and Kathleens. If you define unique baby names as names that break the rules on what's conventionally considered a name, then these nontraditional Irish surname names and place names may be ones you want to consider for your daughter or son.
Unique gender neutral Irish names that work for boys and girls include Bellamy, Brady, and Callahan.
Uncommon Irish baby names in the US and most places outside the Emerald Isle -- though some are among the Top 100 names in Ireland -- include Aoife, Cian, Oisin, and Tadgh. Correct Irish spelling and pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers.
Browse our complete list of Irish baby names both classic and modern, for girls and for boys, here, ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry.
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