50 Uncommon Irish Baby Girl Names With Beautiful Meanings
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Cailin is a less common spelling for names like Kaylin and Kaylen. Its similarity to other popular names like Jalen and Caitlin make the name feel familiar and unique at the same time.
CAILIN
Eileen is a name that exists in many different forms across many cultures. A modern version of the traditional Gaelic Eibhlín, Eileen means "bright" or "shining one."
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EILEEN
A throwback to the famous Goldie Hawn, Goldie is a sweet but relatively unpopular name that fell out of favor in the late 1950s. This name is perfect for anyone looking for something that feels both fun and timeless.
GOLDIE
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AOIFE
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Pronounced EE-fa, Aiofe is an incredibly popular name in Ireland. Aiofe in its traditional form has never been super popular in the US, but it did reach number 10 on the most popular girl names in the Republic of Ireland in 2014.
MOIRA
A more modern version of the Gaelic name Máire -- a version of Mary -- Moira is one of the most iconic Irish girl names ever. While Americans might recognize it from the popular The Handmaid's Tale television show and book, it has never been super popular in the US.
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ORLA
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Sweet, simple, and easy to pronounce, Orla is an Irish name that was popular in the Middle Ages and is making a resurgence now. Orla is a shortened version of the name Órlaith, both meaning "golden princess" in Gaelic.
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BRIGID
Brigid is the modernized version of the traditional Irish name BrÍghid.
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It's both a Latin and an Irish name, and the Gaelic version of Cara means "friend." While Cara has been incredibly popular in Ireland over the years, it didn't start gaining popularity in the United States until the 1960s, then again in 2012.
CARA
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Pronounced AWN-ya, Aine is a unique Irish spelling of a name that is already popular in the United States. The Gaelic meaning for Aine is "joy" and "praise," and it's the name of an ancient fairy queen in Irish legend.
AINE
Aisling is a feminine Irish name that gained popularity in the late 17th century. Derived from the Gaelic word for dream or vision, the name is often credited with being the origin of the name Ashley.
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AISLING
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Thought to mean "lamb" in Gaelic, Úna is a scarcely used classic Irish name that never feels old.
ÚNA
ANNABELLA
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Annabella is perfect for those who want a name that is popular but not too common. Surprisingly, Annabella is one of Hungary's most popular baby girl names, but it reached peak popularity in America in 2012.
MADIGAN
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Translated from Gaelic to mean "little dog," Madigan is a surname that has been repurposed.
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ALANNAH
Turning boy names into girl names -- and vice versa -- is nothing new. The name holds steady popularity in Ireland but peaked during the '90s and '00s in the United States.
CARRIGAN
Carrigan is a form of the Irish surname Corrigan.
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Simple, short, and surprisingly classic, Tara is a girls' name that means "rocky hill" in Gaelic.
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TARA
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BEVIN
Very little is known about the name Bevin, except for the fact that it is rarely used outside of Ireland and is commonly thought of as being drawn from the name Beverly.
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BREENA
Breena is a sweet, simplistic name that translates from Gaelic to mean "of the fairy place." It doesn't seem to be popular in either America or Ireland, but some do think it bears a striking similarity to the name Brynna.
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CARYS
Carys may be a name that is Welsh in origin, but its beautiful translation meaning "to love" has made it popular among the Irish.
Pronounced cloh-da, Clodagh is the name of a small river in Ireland that was named after a female deity. The name hasn't had much popularity in the United States yet, but it is still going strong inside of its origin country.
CLODAGH
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CORDELIA
The name of a moon on Uranus, a Shakespearean heroine, and a popular character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cordelia is a very is a well-known moniker.
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Thought to have origins in the names Clair and Clara, Clare is a unique Irish spelling of a moniker that means "bright" or "clear."
CLARE
EMLYN
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Emlyn is a name of Welsh origins that is actually more common for boys. In Ireland, however, it has been used as a variation of names like Emily and Amelia.
Another last name turned first name, Delaney is an Irish name that is well-known to most people in the US.
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DELANEY
For those looking for an Irish baby name that is just as unique as it is adventurous, Fiadh is perfect. Translated from Gaelic to mean "wild," it has never been popular among parents in American but it was among the most popular baby girl names in Ireland in 2014.
FIADH
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GRÁINNE
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Gráinne, phonetically pronounced gran-ya, means "grain" and "corn" and is derived from an ancient goddess of grain in Gaelic legend. A slightly more complex spelling of the name Grania, Gráinne is a strong name with a cool backstory.
ROWAN
A name for both boys and girls in Scotland and Ireland, Rowan is another one that started off as a surname.
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Fiona is probably one of the first names Americans think of when talking about Irish names. While the name is popular in Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland, it's still considered to be pretty unique by US standards.
FIONA
IONA
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While Iona is the name of a group of small islands off the coast of Scotland, it has taken off as a sweet Irish girls' name.
SAOIRSE
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Pronounced SEER-sha, the name Saoirse may be recognizable because of the popular young action Saoirse Ronan.
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RÓISÍN
Róisín, pronounced ROH-sheen, is an Irish name that means "little rose." While most parents use the English version of the name in the US, the traditional form remains in the list of the top 100 girls' names in Ireland.
MCKENNA
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McKenna is a name that is derived from the Irish Mackenzie. In Gaelic, the name means "son of the handsome one" even though it is traditionally used for girls.
MEGAN
Another traditional Irish name that has long since found its way to the United States, Megan means "pearl" in Gaelic. Megan is still widely used in both Ireland and America, but it has become a little less popular since 2016, making it perfect for parents who want something classic but not too common.
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Keeva isn't super common in the United States, but the traditional Irish spelling of the name -- Caoimhe -- has risen in the ranks of popular names in Ireland since 2014.
KEEVA
NORA
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Nora is a name common in Italy, Scotland, England, and Scandinavia in addition to Ireland. Often spelled Norah, the name has had consistent popularity over the years but seems to be a little less common these days.
LOGAN
Logan is a unisex name commonly given to both boys and girls in the United States. Logan gained popularity in the 1990s and hasn't faltered much; the name is perfect for any parent who wants a traditional Irish name that is still pretty common.
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Many parents in the US have been using the name Reagan completely unaware of its Irish origins. With nicknames options like Rae and Rhea, it's no wonder the name has remained in the top 100 baby names America since 2012.
REAGAN
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KIRA
The feminine version of the boys' name Kiernan, Kira is translated from Gaelic to mean "little dark one."
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NIAMH
Derived from the Gaelic term meaning "bright" or "radiant," Niamh is the name given to the daughter of the God of the sea in Irish mythology.
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Mirren is a beautiful Irish name that has some pretty mysterious origins. It's thought to have come from the sixth century Irish Saint Mirin, but doesn't seem to have a deeper meaning in Gaelic.
MIRREN
Parents who grew up in the '90s will recognize the name Sinead due to the famed Irish singer Sinead O'Connor.
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SINEAD
MAEVE
Maeve is one of the most popular Irish girl names out there. While the traditional spellings of Maebh and Meadhbh are a little more common in Ireland, this more recent spelling of Maeve has gotten increasingly popular since 2015.
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A name of English origins that is commonly used throughout Ireland, Tamsin is thought of as the feminine version of Thomas. The name means "twin" and has yet to make it on any list of popular girls' names in America.
TAMSIN
Surprisingly, Murphy is an Irish surname meaning "of the sea."
MURPHY
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Shannon is a modern version of the name Seanán, which is an even older version of the name Sean. In Gaelic, Shannon means "old" or "wise" and is mostly attributed to the name of the longest river in Ireland.
SHANNON
Another quintessential Irish name, Molly was originally used as a nickname for the name Mary.
MOLLY
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Makenzie is a modern spelling and carryover from the Gaelic surname Coinneach. The name translates to "fair one" or "handsome" and has become increasingly popular all over the world since the '80s.
MAKENZIE
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SIOBHAN
Siobhan is the Gaelic version of the name Joan. Pronounced sheh-vahn, it translates to mean "God is gracious."
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NESSA
Originally spelled Neasa, Nessa is derived from the name of the mother of an ancient Irish king. While actual Gaelic translations of the name are scarce, many believe it to mean "not gentle."
TIERNEY
Tierney is a relatively uncommon Irish surname that has been repurposed as girl's name. The name isn't super popular in the US or in Ireland in recent history, but it is often chosen by parents who want their daughters to have a strong, unique name.
