400+ Irish Last Names (With Meanings and Popularity)

Too close to baloney.

Fogarty has the Old Fogey problem.

Fogarty has the Old Fogey problem.

This kind of authentic Irish surname makes a memorable first name for either sex, following in the path of all the Mac and Mc names recently popular.

McCarthy is one of the most common Irish surnames, all fair game as first names for American babies, especially baby girls!

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.

Despite its appearance, McGill is not related to any of the Gil- names, including Gilbert, Gilford, and Gilson. The "gill" piece is derived from the Gaelic word gall, meaning "foreigner." Yet, it could still be used to honor a Gil in your life.

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

See DALEY.

One of the most usable of the fashionable O'Names.

If you love the venerable Southwestern painter but feel Georgia's gotten too overheated, you might want to go all the way to this Irish surname in the fashionable O' family.

Fresh choice in the vein of Carly and Harley.

Fallon has gone feminine, but this puts it back in the boys' camp.

Beyoncé's surname could be considered for a less-obvious honorific.

Sheenan updates the longtime Irish favorite Shannon, which ranked in the US Top 100 through much of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Shanon fell off the Top 1000 about ten years ago, but Sheenan is a worthy substitute. You might also consider it a form of Sheena, itself a form of Jane or John, with the meaning "God is gracious".

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of of such other Irish surnames as Finnegan and Flanagan. It can also be spelled Morrisey.