Irish Names for Boys

Irish surname derived from the name Gairbhín, a diminutive of garbh, "rough". It's barely been used as a first name, but could be a similar-yet-different alternative to names like Nolan and Sullivan.

Corky was a sitcom moniker of the fifties, Corcoran a better fit for these times.

This now-popular name has spawned several different spellings. Many parents choose it solely for its style and sound, but we like the history behind this version: the bradan feasa is the "Salmon of Knowledge" in the legend of Finn McCool.

An attractive ancient Irish saint's name that conjures up a beacon of light, this Irish name for boys is well-used in Ireland but rarely heard in the US.

One of the jauntiest o' the O' names, the birth name of actor/ rapper Ice Cube.

The fashion for using surnames as firsts has extended beyond the familiar Morgan and Parker to choices such as Cohen and O'Brien to -- why not? -- this quintessentially Irish name with the friendly o ending.

A common Irish surname that's seldom heard as a first name, but has an appealing meaning.

Compact, to-the-point surname name. Bear in mind the stock-market association - it may be a bit much with the last name Jones.

Despite pronunciation, looks a bit like an airline or -- worse still -- a hair dryer name.

Loman is one of those rare names that is at once simple and very unusual, with fewer than five baby boys given the name in the US in the most recent year.

Despite its virtuous meaning, Fergall - along with the more standard spellings Fergal, Ferghal and Fearghal - has never made it across the ocean. In the States, Fergall is a rare yet pronounceable name with strong ties to Ireland. In its native land, it's been worn for over a thousand years by everyone from chieftains to poets to sportsmen, and still appears steadily in birth records.

The use of O-prefixes could create the next wave of Irish-inflected names, offering an innovative way of honoring a relative with the old-fashioned moniker Brian. On Downton Abbey, the surname O'Brien was heard so often, it began to seem like a first.

The O'Haras are descended from Eaghra -- pronounced and phonetically spelled Ara -- the lord of Luighne, the modern Leyney in County Sligo. As a name, this makes a satisfying new twist on Harry.

Variation of Cluny best only if you're a major George fan. And even then, better go with George, Georgia, or Georgiana.

Unusual and attractive entry to the growing Irish name canon.

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.

One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, St. Ruadan was a follower of St. Finian and founded an abbey in Tipperary. Other versions include Ruadhain or Ruadhan.

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

Irish name with an intriguing lilt.