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Irish name generator

Generate random Irish names from a database of real first names and surnames used in Ireland, each with its meaning.

Add a surname

  • Ciar Brennan

    Ciar: black, dark. Brennan: Ó Braonáin, descendant of Braonán.

    UnisexIrish

  • Garbhán Murphy

    Garbhán: little rough one. Murphy: Ó Murchú (older Ó Murchadha), descendant of Murchadh, sea warrior. The most common surname among babies registered in Ireland in 2025 (CSO).

    BoyIrish

  • Patrick Moore

    Patrick: nobleman, patrician. Moore: for a family living on or by a moor.

    BoyIrish

  • Faoiltiarna Galvin

    Faoiltiarna: wolf lady. Galvin: Ó Gealbháin, from geal, bright or white.

    GirlIrish

  • Eavan Ní Dhubhghaill

    Eavan: fair beauty. Ní Dhubhghaill: the woman's form of Ó Dubhghaill, Irish-language form of Doyle.

    GirlIrish

  • Fionn Nolan

    Fionn: fair, white. Say it FYUN or FIN. Nolan: anglicized Ó Nualláin, descendant of Nuallán.

    BoyIrish

  • Bronagh Riordan

    Bronagh: sorrowful. Riordan: anglicized Ó Ríoghbhardáin, descendant of the royal bard.

    GirlIrish

  • Deasún Molloy

    Deasún: South Munster. Molloy: Ó Maolmhuaidh, proud chief.

    BoyIrish

  • Aoibhín Egan

    Aoibhín: little beauty. Egan: Mac Aodhagáin, from a pet form of Aodh, fire.

    GirlIrish

  • Malone McKenna

    Malone: devotee of Saint John. McKenna: Mac Cionaoith, son of Cionaodh.

    BoyIrish

  • Fearghal Murphy

    Fearghal: man of valor. Murphy: Ó Murchú (older Ó Murchadha), descendant of Murchadh, sea warrior. The most common surname among babies registered in Ireland in 2025 (CSO).

    BoyIrish

  • Rosheen Hickey

    Rosheen: little rose. Hickey: Ó hÍcidhe, descendant of the healer.

    GirlIrish

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Irish name tools

See an Irish surname the way a man, his daughter and his wife write it, hear how Irish first names are said, and build a traditional name chain or byname.

A surname for him, her and his wife

In English: O'Brien

A manÓ Briain
A daughterNí Bhriain
A wifeBean Uí Bhriain
A wife, short formUí Bhriain

Ó, descendant, becomes Ní for a daughter and Uí for a wife, and the next word takes an h where it can (lenition).

In Ulster, a woman who takes her husband's surname often just uses Ní or Nic with it.

How to say it

  • Saoirse SEER-shuh/ˈsˠiːɾˠ.ʃə/ · freedom · source

Name chain and byname

Seán Phóil ShéamuisSeán, child of Pól, grandchild of Séamus: each older name is in the genitive and takes an h where it can.
Máire BhánAfter a woman's name the byname takes an h, as in Máire Bhán.

How the Irish name generator works

Every name comes from our researched database of real names used in Ireland, each with its meaning. You get Irish Gaelic names in their native spelling, like Saoirse, Tadhg and Oisín, Irish forms of saints' names like Seán and Siobhán, and English names that are popular in Ireland today, like Jack and Grace.

Each result pairs a first name with an Irish surname at random, such as Aoife Walsh or Cian Murphy. Choose Irish spelling for Ó Briain and Ní Bhriain, Gaelic or Norman roots, or Ireland's 2025 top ten from the Central Statistics Office. Choose Female, Male or Unisex to filter first names, and turn off the surname toggle to get first names only.

Most Irish surnames began as clan names. Ó means descendant and Mac means son, so Ó Briain became O'Brien and Mac Cárthaigh became McCarthy; before a vowel Ó adds an h, as in Ó hAodha, Hayes. Women use other forms: a daughter of the Ó Briain family is Ní Bhriain and a Mac daughter is Nic, while a wife may be Bean Uí Bhriain or Bean Mhic, often shortened to Uí Bhriain. Choose Irish spelling to see these forms. Bh and mh often sound like v, and the fada lengthens a vowel, so Siobhán is shih-VAWN.

That is Quick mode: instant and unlimited. For something more specific, switch to Custom mode, set a few options and add a sentence of details. An AI language model picks up to 10 real names from our database that fit, each with its meaning from our records and a note on why it fits, and More like this gives you variations on any name you like.

Irish names with meanings

Hand-picked by our editors. Copy one, or use them as a starting point.

NameMeaning or note
Rían MurphyRían (REE-an): the Irish form of Ryan, Ireland's top boys' name in 2025. Murphy: Ó Murchú in Irish, from Murchadh, sea warrior
Lily Ní BhriainLily: the top girls' name in Ireland in 2025. Ní Bhriain: the daughter's form of Ó Briain, O'Brien
Éala Nic MhathúnaÉala: swan, the fastest-rising girls' name of 2025. Nic Mhathúna: the daughter's form of Mac Mathúna, McMahon
Saoirse ByrneSaoirse (SEER-sha): freedom. Byrne: from Ó Broin, descendant of Bran, raven
Niamh FlanaganNiamh (NEEV): bright, radiant. Flanagan: from flann, red or ruddy
Aoife WalshAoife (EE-fa): beauty, radiance. Walsh: from Old English wælisc, a Welshman or foreigner
Caoimhe SheehanCaoimhe (KEE-va): gentle, beautiful. Sheehan: from síodhach, peaceful
Róisín DuffyRóisín (ro-SHEEN): little rose. Duffy: from dubh, black or dark
Siobhán DunneSiobhán (shih-VAWN): Irish Joan, God is gracious. Dunne: from Donn, brown
Aisling KeaneAisling (ASH-ling): dream, vision. Keane: from cath, battle
Ciara QuinnCiara (KEER-a): dark one. Quinn: from Ó Cuinn, descendant of Conn
Fiadh WhelanFiadh (FEE-a): wild, deer. Whelan: from faol, wolf
Éabha CaseyÉabha (AY-va): Irish Eve, life. Casey: from Cathasach, watchful
Orla KennedyOrla: golden ruler, from Órlaith. Kennedy: from Ó Cinnéide, armoured head or misshapen head
Bláthnaid MoriartyBláthnaid (BLAW-nid): little flower. Moriarty: from Ó Muircheartaigh, descendant of Muirchertach, mariner
Muireann TierneyMuireann (MWIR-in): fair one of the sea. Tierney: from tighearna, lord
Sorcha LynchSorcha: bright, radiant. Lynch: from Loingseach, mariner
Áine MahonyÁine (AWN-ya): radiance, splendor. Mahony: from mathúin, bear
Sinéad FitzpatrickSinéad (shi-NAYD): Irish Jane, God is gracious. Fitzpatrick: son of the servant of Saint Patrick
Grace DoyleGrace: grace, divine favor. Doyle: from dubh gall, dark stranger
Emily BurkeEmily: rival, striving to equal. Burke: Norman de Burgh, from a fortified town
Fionnuala GarveyFionnuala (fin-NOO-la): white shoulder. Garvey: from garbh, rough, and síth, peace
Ríona FinneganRíona: queenly one. Finnegan: from fionn, fair
Síofra KavanaghSíofra (SHEE-fra): elf, sprite. Kavanagh: follower of Saint Caomhán, gentle
Cian MurphyCian (KEE-an): ancient, enduring. Murphy: from Murchadh, sea warrior
Oisín KeoghOisín (uh-SHEEN or OSH-een): little deer. Keogh: from each, horse
Tadhg O'SullivanTadhg (TYG): poet. O'Sullivan: from a name based on súil, eye
Ciarán McNamaraCiarán (KEER-awn): little dark one. McNamara: son of the hound of the sea
Darragh O'ConnorDarragh (DARR-a): from Dáire, or Darach, of oak. O'Connor: from Conchobhar, lover of hounds
Eoin DalyEoin (OH-in): Irish John, God is gracious. Daly: from dáil, assembly
Pádraig SweeneyPádraig (PAW-drig): the Irish Patrick, of the patrician class. Sweeney: son of Suibhne, pleasant
Séamus FlynnSéamus (SHAY-mus): Irish James, supplanter. Flynn: from Flann, ruddy
Conall McCarthyConall: from cú, hound or wolf, and fal, rule. McCarthy: son of Cárthach, loving
Ruairí DonovanRuairí (ROO-ree): red king. Donovan: from donn, brown, and dubh, dark
Lorcan DempseyLorcan: little fierce one. Dempsey: from díomasach, proud
Fionn McMahonFionn: fair, white. McMahon: son of the bear
Cathal KeeganCathal (KA-hal): battle ruler. Keegan: from Aodh, fire
Ronan PowerRonan: little seal. Power: Norman le Poer, the poor man
Mícheál BarryMícheál (MEE-hawl): who is like God. Barry: Norman de Barri, after Barry Island in Wales
Peadar CollinsPeadar (PAD-er): Irish Peter, rock. Collins: from Ó Coileáin, from coileán, a whelp or young hound
Tiernan WardTiernan: little lord. Ward: Mac an Bhaird, son of the bard
Dónal FitzgeraldDónal (DOE-nal): world ruler. Fitzgerald: son of Gerald, from Norman fitz
Aodh O'DonnellAodh: fire, flame. O'Donnell: from Domhnall, world ruler
Jack MadiganJack: from John, God is gracious. Madigan: from a name meaning little dog
Fergus HayesFergus: man of vigor. Hayes: from Ó hAodha, from Aodh, fire; also anglicised as Hughes
Rowan CassidyRowan: little red one. Cassidy: from cas, curly-haired
Casey O'BrienCasey: vigilant, watchful. O'Brien: descendant of Brian, as in Brian Boru

Tips for choosing a good name

Learn the pronunciation first

Gaelic spelling follows its own rules. Saoirse is SEER-sha and Caoimhe is KEE-va, so practice a name out loud before you pick it.

Keep the fada

The accent mark, called a fada, changes the word: Seán is the name John, while sean means old. Ireland's statistics office counts Seán (23rd in 2025) and Sean (141st) as two different names.

Go fully Irish for an Irish-speaking character

Choose Irish spelling, so Murphy becomes Ó Murchú for a man and Ní Mhurchú for a woman, and pair it with a Gaelic first name like Tadhg or Aoibheann.

Balance a long name with a short one

Fionnuala Byrne flows more easily than Fionnuala Fitzpatrick. Say the full name out loud before you commit.

Ó, Mac, Ní and Nic: one surname, three forms

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 22, 2026 · How we research names

In English, a whole family is O'Brien. In Irish, the surname says how each person is related. Ó means descendant and Mac means son, so a daughter uses Ní or Nic and a wife Bean Uí or Bean Mhic, often shortened to Uí or Mhic. The next word usually takes an h, which softens its sound, except for a c or g after Nic. The h that Ó puts before a vowel goes in the women's forms: Ó hEidirsceóil's daughter is Ní Eidirsceóil. Norman names with de stay the same, and a name without Ó or Mac can simply take an h: Breathnach becomes Bhreathnach.

The forms of an Irish surname for a man, a daughter and a wife
FamilyA manA daughterA wife
Ó, descendantPól Ó MurchúGráinne Ní MhurchúMairéad Bean Uí Mhurchú
Mac, sonSeán Mac MathúnaAoife Nic MhathúnaMáire Bean Mhic Mhathúna
Mag, before a vowelTomás Mag UidhirRóisín Nig UidhirSiobhán Bean Mhig Uidhir

The five most common surnames of babies registered in Ireland in 2025, in Irish:

Ireland's most common baby surnames in 2025 and their Irish forms
SurnameBabiesIn Irish, a manA daughter
Murphy557Ó MurchúNí Mhurchú
Kelly455Ó CeallaighNí Cheallaigh
O'Brien354Ó BriainNí Bhriain
Walshtop fiveBreathnachBhreathnach
Byrnetop fiveÓ BroinNí Bhroin

Ireland's favourite names in 2025

According to the Central Statistics Office, Rían was the top boys' name in 2025, the first time it has led since the series began in 1964, and Lily replaced Sophie at the top for girls. The top five, with the counts the CSO published:

Ireland's most given baby names in 2025
RankGirlsBoys
1Lily (302)Rían (490)
2ÉabhaJack
3FiadhNoah
4GraceJames
5Sadie (258)Oisín (331)

Fionn and Liam came 6th and 7th for boys and Leo 10th, with 261 babies; Sophie and Emily shared 6th place for girls, ahead of Olivia and Croía. Éala rose by 95 babies, more than any other girls' name, and 10,336 different names were registered in all. In 1975 the favourites were John and Mary.

The fada, and how to say the names

The fada marks a long vowel and can change a word: Seán is a name, sean means old. The CSO has recorded fadas since 2018 and counts each spelling as its own name, so in 2025 Seán ranked 23rd and Sean 141st. Computer systems have not always kept up: in 2019 a man complained that a Galway hospital could not record the fada in his name. Since 21 December 2024, section 9A of the Official Languages Act requires the public bodies the Minister names to record names in Irish correctly, fada included.

How to say popular Irish first names
NameSay itIPAMeaning
TadhgTYG, like the start of tiger/ˈtˠəi̯ɡ/poet
Oisínuh-SHEEN/ɔ.ˈʃiːnʲ/little deer
RíanREE-un/ˈɾˠiənˠ/the Irish form of Ryan
CianKEE-un/ˈciənˠ/ancient, enduring
PádraigPAW-drig/ˈpˠaː.dˠɾˠəɟ/the Irish form of Patrick
EoinOHN/ˈoːnʲ/the Irish form of John
CaoimheKEE-vuh/ˈkiː.vʲə/dear, beloved, gentle
SaoirseSEER-shuh/ˈsˠiːɾˠ.ʃə/freedom
AoifeEE-fuh/ˈiː.fʲə/beauty
SadhbhSYVE, rhyming with five/ˈsˠəi̯vˠ/the modern form of Sadb
NiamhNEEV or NEE-uv/ˈnʲiəvˠ/, /ˈnʲiːvˠ/bright
Siobhánshih-VAWN or shih-WAWN/ʃə.ˈvˠaːnˠ/, /ˈʃɪ.waːnˠ/the Irish form of Joan

Lost and found: the O' and the Mac

Anglicised surnames often dropped the prefix altogether. Some changes were forced: under Henry VIII's policy of surrender and regrant, the Mac Giolla Phádraig chief had to take the surname Fitzpatrick. Many families took back their O' and Mac from the 19th century, especially during the Gaelic revival of the 1890s, yet Murphy, Kelly, Kennedy and Doyle are still rarely written with an O', and nobody has a settled explanation why.

Mór, Óg and name chains

Where many people share a name, Irish adds a byname. After a woman's name it takes an h, so Máire Bán becomes Máire Bhán. In Irish-speaking areas people are also known by a chain of names: Seán Phóil Shéamuis is Seán, son of Pól, son of Séamus, with the older names in the genitive.

Irish bynames and what they mean
BynameMeaning
Mórbig, the elder: the parent
Ógyoung, the younger: the child
Beaglittle, used instead of Óg
Ruared-haired: Pádraig Rua
Bánfair-haired: Máire Bhán

How to name an Irish character

  1. 1

    Pick the language

    Decide whether your character uses the English form, O'Brien, or the Irish form, Ó Briain, in daily life. Many Irish speakers use both.

  2. 2

    Match the surname to the person

    A man is Ó Briain, his daughter Ní Bhriain and his wife Bean Uí Bhriain. Anglicised names like O'Brien stay the same for everyone.

  3. 3

    Keep every fada

    Seán, Siobhán and Oisín need their accents; without one, Seán becomes sean, old.

  4. 4

    Choose the generation

    Rían, Lily, Fiadh and Oisín are 2025 babies; John and Mary topped the list in 1975.

  5. 5

    Add a byname

    Mór and Óg tell father and son apart, and in Irish-speaking areas people are known by name chains like Seán Phóil Shéamuis.

Next door: the Scottish name generator and Irish last names.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Are these real Irish names?

Yes. Every first name and surname is a real name used in Ireland, picked from our researched database with its meaning. Only the pairings are random, so any match with a real person is a coincidence.

How do you pronounce Irish names like Saoirse and Niamh?

Saoirse is SEER-sha and Niamh is NEEV. In Irish spelling, bh and mh often sound like v, and aoi sounds like ee, which explains Caoimhe (KEE-va) and Aoife (EE-fa).

What do O' and Mac mean in Irish surnames?

Ó means descendant, or grandson, and Mac means son. O'Brien is a descendant of Brian, and McCarthy a son of Cárthach. Many families dropped the O' and Mac during anglicisation, and many took them back from the late 19th century, during the Gaelic revival.

What are the most common Irish last names?

Among babies registered in Ireland in 2025, Murphy was the most common surname (557 babies), then Kelly (455) and O'Brien (354), with Walsh and Byrne also in the top five, according to the Central Statistics Office. Murphy is Ó Murchú in Irish, older Ó Murchadha, from Murchadh, sea warrior.

What is the female version of Ó and Mac?

A daughter uses Ní instead of Ó and Nic instead of Mac, and the next letter usually takes an h: Ó Briain's daughter is Ní Bhriain, Mac Mathúna's is Nic Mhathúna. A wife can be Bean Uí Bhriain, or simply Uí Bhriain. Anglicised names like O'Brien do not change.

Does this work as a Gaelic name generator?

Yes. Many first names keep their Irish Gaelic spelling, like Saoirse, Tadhg and Oisín, and most surname notes give the Gaelic original. Names like Jack and Grace are English names that are popular in Ireland.

What are the most popular Irish names right now?

In 2025 Rían was Ireland's top boys' name for the first time, with 490 babies, ahead of Jack, Noah, James and Oisín. Lily led the girls, ahead of Éabha, Fiadh, Grace and Sadie, according to the Central Statistics Office.

Why do Irish women have different surnames from their brothers?

Because in Irish a surname says how you are related. Ó Briain means descendant of Brian, so his daughter is Ní Bhriain, daughter of a descendant, and a woman who marries into the family is Bean Uí Bhriain, wife of a descendant. In English all of them are O'Brien.

Is Seán with a fada a different name from Sean?

Ireland's statistics office counts them separately: in 2025 Seán ranked 23rd and Sean 141st. In Irish the fada matters, since sean without it means old, and since December 2024 the public bodies named under the law must be able to record names in Irish with the fada.

Why do some Irish surnames have no O'?

Many families dropped O' and Mac during anglicisation, and many took them back from the late 19th century. Some names, such as Murphy, Kelly and Kennedy, are rarely seen with an O' today, and no one has a settled explanation why.

What do Mór and Óg mean after an Irish name?

Mór means big and Óg young, and they tell a parent and a child with the same name apart, much like Senior and Junior. Hair colour works too: Pádraig Rua is red-haired Patrick and Máire Bhán is fair-haired Mary.

What is Custom mode?

Custom mode lets you set a few options and add a sentence of details, such as a surname or sibling names. An AI language model then picks up to 10 real names from our database that fit, each with its meaning from our records and a note on why it fits, and you can ask for more like any name you like.

Does the AI make up names or meanings in Custom mode?

No. The AI can only choose from the real names in our database, and every meaning shown comes from our own records. It adds a short note on why each name fits what you asked for.

More name generators and lists