Irish Names that Start With P

Phelan, pronounced FAY-lan or FEE-lan, is an appealing Irish surname name, with a rich history in Irish myth and religious and secular life. One bearer was a fiercely loyal follower of the legendary warrior Finn MacCool, another was a missionary saint.

Because it's a generic (and often derogatory) term for an Irishman, Paddy fell out of use as a diminutive or given name, though actress Mare Winningham used it not long ago.

Authentic Irish choice, easy to spell, tricky to pronounce.

It may be a longshot – especially since it was given to less than 5 boys in the US in 2021 – but Piran could conceivably be a future Kieran, which is shaping up to being the next Kevin. Piran is the patron saint of miners and of Cornwall.

Julia Roberts's choice of Phinnaeus gives a boost to all Ph forms. Or should we say, phorms.

As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name. Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.

Peadair is one way to reinvent a classic, though insisting on the authentic pronunciation could cause problems.

Patsy has been rarely heard for half a century, for either gender, and we're not expecting that to change in the near future..

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

Familiar in Ireland, strange here.

Pathalan is a rare Irish name derived from the somewhat-less-rare Bartholomew. Nearly 30 baby boys were named Bartholomew in the US last year, but none were named Parthalan.

This form, common in Ireland, could create confusion.