Trends come and go, and some Irish names are on the way out. With many under threat of disappearing altogether, has your name stood the test of time?
What’s in a name? For some, it’s just a sound that’s associated with them, but for others, it’s their entire identity. Whilst it’s clear that nothing lasts forever, sometimes it can be hard to believe that it can cease to exist at all.
Recently, it’s been uncovered by several outlets that some beloved Irish names are under threat of disappearing.
Following studies of centuries-old Irish names and identities, we now know that their are some Irish names that we may never see or hear of again.
Patterns throughout the century – the Irish names that are disappearing
Several companies have recently studied Irish names’ patterns throughout the last century, and have been surprised at what they’ve discovered.
Whilst it’s understandable that many names which were once popular have had their hay day pass, the results revealed that many Irish names are now on the verge of disappearing.
Names under threat in the UK – no newborn Kierans in 2021
As reported by RSVP Live, Mynametags analysed 1.5 million Irish names within the UK. They revealed that the Irish name Kieran is under serious threat of disappearing altogether.
It’s a surprising finding for the company considering the huge number of people of Irish descent living within the UK.
However, in 2020, it was found that only four Kierans were born in the UK. Even more shocking, last year, there were none at all.
Irish names disappearing – change of trends in Ireland
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for 2020, even many parents in Ireland are turning away from traditional Irish names, meaning they are disappearing quickly.
Irish girl’s names like LÃadh, CaitrÃona, ClÃona, SÃle and RóisÃn are all under threat in Ireland, as in 2020 just newborn girls were given those names. To compare, RóisÃn was once the 23rd most popular name in Ireland.
Meanwhile, Irish boy’s names like ÓisÃn, Dónall, Éamon, RÃan and Pádraic were given to just three newborn boys in 2020.
Out of fashion – some Irish names lost to time
As popular trends and celebrity icons come and go, it’s easy to see how some names fall out of popularity. According to genealogy company Ancestry, there are a few traditional Irish names that are disappearing.
Here are some other names that you might not have heard for a while.
Several Irish girl’s names fading into the past are Gertrude, Edna, Gladys, Ethel, Muriel. Sheila, Letitia, Fanny and Doreen, to name but a few.
On the boy’s side, Irish names such as Norman, Cecil, Cyril, Reginald, Sylvester, and Donald are all under threat of disappearing.
Which Irish names are still popular? – the names on the top
However, it seems that not all is lost. Out of the top 10 most popular girls’ names in Ireland in 2020, a third of them are Irish. Niamh was second, Aoife was third, and Ciara came in at sixth.
The Irish boys’ names that came out on top were Finn, being sixth, Liam at seventh, and Fionn at eighth.
You can check out how popular your name is in Ireland on the CSO website HERE.
