690+ Irish Names (With Meanings and Popularity)

Undiscovered Irish surname with a lot more bounce and masculine dash than Shannon.

Gary Sinise chose this Mc name for his late son McCanna, called Mac, in 1990, before Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with Mc or Mac became common as first names. Mac Sinise passed away from a rare form of cancer at the age of 33.

A really unusual choice that could be used to honor Grandpa Will.

Kaitlynn seems to be trying too hard to make its pronunciation plain. At this point, everyone knows that the name however you spell it is pronounced like Kate plus Lynn, so why go all the way to Kaitlynn? This spelling has been stumbling down the charts since its peak in 1998 and may not be around much longer.

Clear and strong, if a little heavy.

Same problem as Eóin -- squared.

This Celtic surname is familiar but barely used at all as a first name.

McCabe is an Irish patronymic surname that originated with Scottish mercenaries in Ireland who wore distinctive hats -- or cabas, which is also the name for capes.

Obscure and quirky, but not without some appeal.

There are many dynamic three-syllable Irish surnames; this is one of the rarer two-syllable ones. Molloy is the title of a 1951 novel by Samuel Beckett, initially written in French. Another Beckett novel of naming interest is Malone Dies.

A long shot, but it could join the crop of dashing Irish surname names.

Perfect as an updated namesake for Great-Uncle Neal (or Neil).

Bridget variation that's the root of the unattractive nickname Biddy. Bedelia is another spelling.

Infrequently used relic of the Maureen-Colleen-Kathleen era, though it does seem to have a bit more energy than the others.

Fogarty has the Old Fogey problem.

Donovan is on the rise, so why not this sequel?

The famous Battle of the Boyne, in Ireland, vanquished the Catholic king.