Gaelic Names

Popular name in Ireland -- it's pronounced ee-mer -- from the legendary wife of Cuchulainn who was supposed to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and of course, needlework. Is found in the poetry of Yeats.

Iain, this authentic Gaelic form of John, has been well used in Scotland since the early twentieth century, used concurrently with the shortened Ian spelling, but is rarely seen in the US.

The name of an ancient Irish saint is in the contemporary Irish Top 50. While it's one of the rare Irish names for boys that hasn't immigrated to the U.S., it may follow brothers Aidan and Declan to our shores. The t is not pronounced.

One of many Irish names that, despite pronunciation challenge, are beginning to be taken into consideration here as authentic Celtic versions of familiar English names.

In early, pre-Norman Ireland, this name was borne by both a sister and a niece of high king Brian Boru. Now, the English form Orla is more commonly used.

Parents of Irish heritage are increasingly looking for more authentic Gaelic names, and this is a native spin on Patrick. Pronunciation will be confusing for many Americans, though: It's POR-rick. Golf champ Padraig Harrington has brought it into the sports spotlight.

Sometimes spelled Emer and pronounced "EE-mer," the legendary wife of Cuchulainn possessed the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and needlework. A fresh alternative to Emma, but the two have the potential to be frequently confused.

Authentic Gaelic name with pronunciation problems in the US. In Scotland Eachann has been anglicized as Hector, not because of its sound, but because the Trojan hero Hector had the reputation as a mighty horseman.

Edin is a variant on the name Edwin from the Isle of Man. It may get confused as a misspelling of Eden in the US, but the pronunciation is different..

Bronagh, along with Anglicized form Brona, is a popular name in Ireland. It's the name of a sixth century mystic as well as a modern television character on Penny Dreadful.

Old Irish spelling of Dermot / Diarmaid. This spelling is commonly used in the legend of Diarmuid and Gráinne, a love story from Irish legend.

Very common in early Ireland and still in use there today, it was the name of an eighth century high king and also a saint. Not as well known in this country as Fergus, Fergal is currently appearing as a character on the TV series Catastrophe.

Gormlaith was the wife of the 11th century ruler of Ireland Brian Boru. The name is also used in Scotland. Despite its beautiful meaning, many will find the hard "gorm" sound too much to get past.

Aoibhinn and its twin name Aoibheann may be popular in Ireland but most English-speakers would find the spelling baffling and the pronunciation impossible to divine. It's ee-van, or se-vin, fitting with the Irish popularity of many names -- Aoife, Eabha, Ava -- with this similar sound.

Originally a nickname for Viking invaders, it gained fresh impetus in the 18th century when James Macpherson made Fingal the central character in his Ossianic poems. An offbeat addition to the Fin- family of names.