There are a handful of Irish names Americans love to give their babies, while they’re rarely used at home on Irish soil.
With the number of people living in the US with Irish citizenship or heritage, it’s no surprise that our culture has infiltrated the country at a deep level.
Interestingly, Irish names that are really popular in the US much more so than at home tend to be more commonly used as surnames at home but preferred as first names in America.
Let’s take a look at the top five Irish baby names Americans love but Irish people rarely use.
5. Quinn – a first name for both boys and girls in the US
In Ireland, Quinn is a relatively common surname. However, in the United States, Quinn is frequently found as a name for both baby girls and boys.
The anglicised version of the name comes from the Irish O’Cuinn or Mac Cuinn, meaning descendant of Conn.
In popular culture, some people you might have heard of with this name include Quinn Fabray from Glee, played by Dianna Agron, and the English actor Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson in Stranger Things.
4. Reagan – another gender neutral first name in the US
Meaning “little king” or “sovereign”, the name comes from the Irish word rí, which means king, and the diminutive suffix ín, which means child.
Like Quinn, the name Reagan is also used as a first name as well as a surname in the States, whereas in Ireland, you’re more likely to hear it as a surname.
The most famous face with the surname Reagan is the 40th President of the US, Ronald Reagan, as well as being the first name of the central character in the horror classic The Exorcist.
3. Riley – there aren’t many Riley first names in Ireland
Riley, as a first name or second name, derives from the Irish Raghallach, which is anglicised to O’Reilly. Interestingly, O’Reilly is one of top Irish surnames in the States.
This is an Irish name you wouldn’t really hear as a first name in Ireland, but is quite common in the United States.
Actress Riley Keough is one example of this first name, as well as the main character in the hit animation Inside Out, Riley Andersen.
2. Sloane – more of a surname in Ireland
Interestingly, most of the Irish names that are preferable to Americans but not to the Irish are usually gender neutral, and Sloane is no exception.
You would rarely bump into someone with the first name Sloane in Ireland. The name comes from the Irish Ó Sluaghadháin, meaning warrior or raider.
There are several TV characters in American shows with the first name Sloan, including Sloan Hargreeves from The Umbrella Academy, as well as Sloan McQuewick from HBO’s Entourage.
1. Nolan – Irish surnames as first names is popular around America
Finally on our list of Irish baby names Americans love but Irish people rarely use is Nolan. Nolan comes from the Irish Ó Nualláin, meaning champion.
Again, Nolan is found in Ireland as a surname; it would be quite rare to find someone in Ireland with the first name Nolan.
However, in the States, it is not uncommon to hear this Irish name used as a given name. For example, American actor Nolan Gould, who plays Luke Dunphy in Modern Family.
