The stats are in for the most popular first names new Irish parents are choosing all over the country. But there may be a few surprises. Here are the 32 most popular first names in every county of Ireland.
Word on the street is Irish first names are all the rage. With celebrities like Saoirse Ronan making it big, traditional Gaelic names are sweeping the globe. Travel to anywhere in the world, and there’s a chance you’ll run into a Liam or Aoife, probably neither with any Irish heritage.
But what are people calling their kids nowadays in the Emerald Isle itself?
Judging from the most recent statistical data, you may be surprised at some of the names that made it to the top spot.
There are some clear overall winners. The Irish boys’ name, Jack, has swept up a whopping 21/32 counties as the most popular baby boy name of 2019.
Other counties seemed to prefer a more traditional touch, such as Kerry with its fondness for baby girl name “Fiadh”. The northern counties shake it up a bit with “Charlie” coming through as a popular choice.
What have new Irish parents been naming their little ones where you live? Check out the results below!
The most popular first names for every county of Ireland: Leinster
1. Carlow
This county just can’t seem to make up its mind.
Boy: Charlie/Fionn/ Thomas (Joint winners)
Girl: Emily/Grace/Ruby/Isabelle (Joint winners)
2. Dublin
Boy: Jack (Dublin City saw the name “James” reach the hotspot)
Girl: Sophie (city dwellers preferred “Emily”)
3. Wicklow
You may start to see a trend here…
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
4. Wexford
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
5. Louth
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
6. Kildare
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily/Sophie (Joint winners)
7. Meath
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
8. Westmeath
This county shook things up a bit this year, starting the trend of sending the name “Grace” to the top spot, which other counties in Leinster followed.
Boy: Jack / Conor (Joint winners)
Girl: Grace
9. Kilkenny
Kilkenny seemed to agree with the city dwellers in Dublin’s metropolitan area, with the name “James” beating out the hugely popular “Jack”.
Boy: James
Girl: Emma
10. Laois
Boy: Jack
Girl: Grace
11. Offaly
Boy: Jack/James/Conor/Daniel (Joint winners)
Girl: Anna
12. Longford
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily/Grace
The most popular first names for every county of Ireland: Munster
13. Clare
Clare sees the worldwide climber “Ava” reach the top spot for most popular girl name in the county. This name has seen a surge in popularity, particularly in the US, since 2000.
Boy: Jack
Girl: Ava
14. Cork
Boy: Jack
Girl: Grace
15. Kerry
Kerry saw one of the only Gaelic Irish names to reach the top spot, with Fiadh taking the prize of the most popular name for baby girls in the county in 2019. The name is pronounced “Fee-ah” and comes from the old Irish word for “wild”.
Boy: Jack
Girl: Fiadh
16. Limerick
While Limerick followed the trend of many of its neighbours with its most popular boy name, a girl’s name of German origin, “Amelia” proved most popular for baby girls. It means “work” or “industrious”.
Boy: Jack
Girl: Amelia
17. Tipperary
Boy: Jack
Girl: Grace
18. Waterford
The most popular name for baby boys in Waterford also happens to be one of the most notoriously difficult names for non-Irish folk to pronounce. This name is pronounced “Tige,” like tiger, but without the R.
Boy: Tadhg
Girl: Emily
The most popular first names for every county of Ireland: Connacht
19. Galway
Galway took a leaf from Kerry and Waterford’s books in their most popular girl names with the Gaelic Irish “Fiadh”.
Boy: Jack
Girl: Fiadh
20. Leitrim
There were certainly no clear winners in some counties and Leitrim seems especially confused. We can see the rise in Irish language names in this county.
Boy: Jack/James/Oisin/Senan (Joint winners)
Girl: Mia/Aoife/Éabha (Joint winners)
21. Mayo
Boy: Jack
Girl: Grace
22. Roscommon
A break from “Jack” in Roscommon. “Luke” is an English form of the Latin “Lucas” and means “light”.
Boy: Luke
Girl: Lucy/Chloe/Katie (Joint winners)
23. Sligo
“Noah” (meaning “rest” or “repose”) appears twice on the top spots on our list, while traditional Irish girls name “Caoimhe” (meaning “noble”) was the most popular girl’s name.
Boy: Noah
Girl: Caoimhe
The most popular first names for every county of Ireland: Ulster
24. Cavan
Boy: Rian
Girl: Emily/Grace (Joint winners)
25. Donegal
Boy: James
Girl: Emily/Ella (Joint winners)
26. Monaghan
Boy: James/Thomas (Joint winners)
Girl: Ella
27. Antrim
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
28. Armagh
Boy: Noah
Girl: Sophie
29. Down
Charlie, an English name short for “Charles”, appears twice on this list, and both in the Northern counties of Ireland. Sophie remains a popular choice in the north also, meaning “wisdom”.
Boy: Charlie
Girl: Sophie
30. Derry
Boy: Jack
Girl: Olivia
31. Fermanagh
Boy: Charlie
Girl: Emily
32. Tyrone
Boy: Jack
Girl: Emily
While the majority of the most popular baby names on this list are more recent trends, an enduring love for more traditional Irish names remains in some counties.
But whatever your thoughts on the emerging popular Gaelic names across the Emerald Isle, in twenty years there sure will be a lot of Jacks and Emilys in your workplace!
