On the hunt for the perfect baby name? Irish girls names are both beautiful and meaningful. Often based on historical events like Scottish girl names, Irish words and Irish legend, or desired attributes for your wee one, the culture and heritage of each name shines through.
Traditional Irish names and Gaelic forms of names transport you to the cinematic landscapes and the beauty of green Ireland. So, if you're keen to revive a little bit of history and give your daughter a name that reflects your own family's heritage that will go well with an Irish surname, or you just love the accent, or the gorgeous meanings behind these names, read on for our pick of the best Irish baby girl names with meanings and pronunciation.
50 popular Irish girl names and their meanings
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Aislinn - alternative spellings Aislin, Aisling, Aislyn, Alene, Allene Irish Gaelic, meaning ‘dream’.
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Brea - Irish version of Bree, Bria Shortened form of Brianna, meaning ‘strong’, but used in its own right. Also the name of a god in ancient Irish mythology.
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Clodagh - meaning ‘river’, from the River Clodiagh in Ireland.
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Elva - meaning ‘noble’. Also the name of a British sports car manufacturer.
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Keira - meaning ‘dark’. A rise in popularity of the name followed the success of actress Keira Knightley.
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Maeve - meaning ‘intoxicating’. Famous Maeves include Queen Maeve from Irish mythology, author Maeve Binchy and writer Maeve Brennan.
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Meryl - meaning ‘sea-bright’. Actress Meryl Streep has made a string of Popular film appearances including Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice and The Iron Lady.
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Nola - meaning ‘white shoulder’. Also a city and area in Italy. Fictional heroine of Spike Lee's breakout film 'She's Gotta Have It' which resurfaced as a Netflix TV series.
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Orla - meaning ‘golden lady’. Orla Kiely is an Irish fashion designer.
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Shayla - meaning ‘blind’. Shayla Worley is an American gymnast.
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Tara - meaning ‘rocky hill’. Famous Taras include socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and actresses Tara Fitzgerald and Tara Reid.
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Una - Latin, meaning ‘one’. Famous Unas include enduring British actress Una Stubbs and Irish singer Una Healy of The Saturdays.
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Cara - This Irish feminine name means friend and also pure, cherished and beloved one
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Ailise - meaning 'noble' pronounced 'ay-lees'
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Bree - meaning 'strength' pronounced 'BRiy' is the Irish form of Brie.
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Callie - meaning 'from the forest' pronounced 'cal-lie'
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Kera - meaning 'pure' pronounced 'ke-ra'
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Lana - meaning 'little rock' pronounced 'Lar-na'
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Neve - meaning 'bright' or 'radiant' pronounced 'Neev'
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Riley - meaning 'Valiant, Courageous, Lively, Brave' pronounced 'RY-lee'
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Aoife - meaning 'beauty' or 'radiance' pronounced 'EE-fa'
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Saoirse - meaning 'freedom' pronounced 'Sur-sha' growing in popularity thanks to actress Saoirse Ronan.
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Imogen - meaning 'maiden' pronounced 'Im-oh-gen'
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Niamh - meaning bright, radiant, it's pronounced 'neev'
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Roisin - This adorable name means little rose and is pronounced 'row-sheen'.
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Aine - It means "radiance" and was the name of the Irish Celtic goddess of wealth and summer. It's pronounced Awn-yah.
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Laoise - meaning radiance, this name is pronounced 'lee-sha'.
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Emer - Pronounced 'ee-mer', this name means swift.
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Mairead - We love that this name means Pearl and is pronounced 'mur-rayd'
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Nuala - meaning fair shoulder, you pronounce this name 'noo-la'
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Oonagh - Pronounced 'oo-na', this name has a number of meanings including lamb (irish meaning), one and unity (latin meaning).
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Ciara - Pronounced 'keer-ah' it means black or dark-haired.
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Eabha - Interpreted as living, it's pronounced 'ay-va'.
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Eimear - Pronounced 'ee-mer', meaning 'swift' or 'ready' and is a variation of Emer.
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Shauna - Meaning God is gracious, it's pronounced 'shaw-na' and is the female variation of Shaun.
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Shannon - This is an Irish name meaning 'old-river'.
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Fiona - Meaning white or fair, it's derived from the name Fionn.
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Ailbhe - Meaning white, noble and bright, this name is pronounced 'al-va'.
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Aoibh - Pronounced 'ee-v', this name means beautiful and radiant.
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Bronagh - Pronounced 'braw-na', this name means sorrow.
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Riona - We love that this name means 'Queen', it can be pronounced in a number of ways including 'ree-na' or 'ri-oh-nah'.
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Eireann - Pronounced 'air-in' this name means Ireland.
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Eithne - Meaning kernel or grain, this name is pronounced 'eth-na' or 'en-ya'.
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Fiadh - Meaning wild deer, this pretty name is pronounced 'fee-ya'.
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Alana - Pronounced 'ah-lah-nah, it has a number of meanings including precious, child, beauty and serenity.
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Brianna - Meaning resolute and strong, it's pronounced 'bree-yana'.
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Caitlin - Meaning pure, we love this pretty name.
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Erin - This is a name for the archaic form of Ireland.
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Mona - Meaning desires and wishes, this name was made famous and iconic by the famous Mona Lisa painting.
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Muriel - Meaning sparkling or shining sea, it's pronounced 'mur-ey-al'.Unique and Rare Irish Girl Names
15 unique and rare Irish girls names
If you're after a more unusual baby girl name to help your little one stand out, check out these unique Irish girl names.
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Caoimhe - Derived from the Irish word 'caomh,' meaning 'gentle' or 'beautiful.'
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Daireann - Meaning 'fruitful' or 'fertile.'
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Fiadh - Meaning 'wild' or 'untamed.'
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Étaín - Meaning 'shining' or 'radiant.'
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Grainne - Derived from the Irish word 'gráinne,' meaning 'grain' or 'love.'
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Máirín - A diminutive of 'Máire' (Mary), meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved.'
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Meadbh - Meaning 'intoxicating' or 'she who makes drunk.'
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Orlaith - Derived from the Irish word 'ór' meaning 'gold,' symbolising wealth or beauty.
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Ríonach - Meaning 'queenly' or 'royal.'
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Tadhgín - A diminutive of 'Tadhg,' meaning 'poet' or 'philosopher.'
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Beibhinn - Derived from 'beo' meaning 'life' and 'fionn' meaning 'fair,' symbolising a bright life.
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Eilís - Irish form of 'Elizabeth,' meaning 'pledged to God.'
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Fionnuala - Meaning 'fair shoulder' or 'white shoulder,' symbolizing beauty.
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Lasairfhíona - Meaning 'flame wine,' representing enthusiasm and vitality.
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Sadhbh - Meaning 'sweet' or 'goodness.'
10 old-fashioned Irish girl names
Old-fashioned girl names will never go out of style. Here's 10 for you to consider...
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Bridget - Meaning 'exalted one' or 'strength.'
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Maureen - A variant of 'Máirín,' derived from 'Máire' (Mary), meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved.'
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Sheila - Derived from 'Síle,' an Irish form of 'Cecilia,' meaning 'blind' or 'seer.'
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Nora - A diminutive of 'Honora' or 'Eleanor,' meaning 'honour' or 'light.'
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Kathleen - An Anglicized form of 'Cáitlín,' derived from 'Catherine,' meaning 'pure' or 'clear.'
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Colleen - Meaning 'girl' or 'young woman,' often used as a term of endearment.
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Moira - A variant of 'Máire,' meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved.'
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Siobhán - Derived from 'Jeanne' or 'Joan,' meaning 'God is gracious.'
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Deirdre - Meaning 'sorrowful' or 'broken-hearted.'
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Maura - A variant of 'Maureen,' meaning 'bitter' or 'beloved.'
Famous people with Irish girl names
Celebrities with Irish names include the likes of Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women, Hana) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter). Saorise means 'freedom' and became particularly popular in Ireland in the 1920s. Evanna comes from Eoghan, meaning "born of the yew tree".
Whether you're looking for an Irish baby girl name that would make a lovely middle name for your daughter, or you love the sound of one of these Irish names as a first name, we've rounded up some of our favourites in our top picks with their meanings and pronunciations.
Choosing an Irish girl name
There are lots of beautiful Irish girls' names to choose from in our list, many that you would have heard of before such as Niamh and Orla and others that are more unique.
If you're not settled on an Irish girl's name, what about a French girls name for a stylish moniker? Or alternatively, if you want to steer clear of international names, you can't go wrong with a cute girl name!
Don’t worry if your due date is fast approaching and you still haven’t found a name that feels like the one. Head to our baby name generatorwhere you’ll find thousands of names to fall in love with, from more traditional sounding names, to unique baby names from all around the world.
Lorna White is the Senior Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.