The Irish language is rich with poetic meaning. Ask anyone with a traditional Irish name, and they’re likely to regale you with an enchanting origin story.
With a baby on the way, you may be on the search for a unique name. Why not keep our enchanting language alive with a traditional Irish name?
Your child may spend their life explaining the pronunciation to anyone outside of Ireland, but you can guarantee that they will be proud to wear their heritage in their title with these popular Irish baby names.
If you’re on the hunt for an adorable name with a beautiful meaning hidden behind it, fear not.
We’ve compiled a list of the cutest Irish baby girl names to help with the brainstorming, with phonetic pronunciations and some definitions to help sell the idea to you.
20. Clodagh (cloe-dah)
This name stems from the River Clodagh, which runs through Tipperary and Wexford. It is thought that the river was named after a goddess of the same name.
19. Niamh (neev)
Meaning ‘radiant’ or ‘bright’, Niamh was the daughter of the Sea God Manannan. In Irish mythology, Niamh fell in love with Oisín and lived with him for 300 years in Tír na nóg.
18. Saoirse (seer-sha)
Saoirse is the Irish word for ‘freedom’ or ‘liberty’. The name rose in popularity in the 1920s when Ireland was fighting for its own freedom.
17. Cara (car-ah)
The Irish word for ‘friend’. This name became popular in the 1950s. It can be a shortened down version of the name Carolina, but we think Cara is sweet enough as it is.
16. Áine (awn-ya)
This name means ‘radiance’ and is the Irish version of the name Ann. Áine was also the name given to the Queen of the fairies and was the Irish goddess of wealth and summer. It is one of the most popular Irish girl names.
15. Gráinne (grawn-ya)
Gráinne is the Irish version of the name Grace. Irish legends state that Gráinne was the Celtic goddess of the harvest. The shortened down Grá (graw) is the Irish word for love. How cute is that?
14. Aoife (ee-fa)
Aoife means ‘beauty’ and ‘radiant’. In Irish mythology, Aoife was a female warrior princess, which is precisely what every little girl should strive to be.
13. Eimear (ee-mur)
Eimear, or Emer, was the wife of Cuchulainn in Irish mythology. She possessed the six gifts of womanhood: voice, speech, wisdom, beauty, needlework and chastity.
While they may not all be considered gifts to the modern woman, we think it’s a beautiful back story.
12. Róisín (roe-sheen)
This beautiful name means ‘little rose’ and is dated back to the 16th-century poem ‘Róisín Dubh’.
Many writers used female names as personifications of Ireland to voice their nationalist opinions in the open air, and Róisín Dubh (dark little rose) is said to be an early example of this.
11. Éiru (ay-roo)
This is an old Irish word for Ireland and is related to the name Érin. Éiru was one of the goddesses of Ireland and is another personification of the country in Irish literature.
10. Banba (bann-va)
Banba, sister of Éiru, was another goddess of Ireland and has also been used to personify Ireland in literature.
9. Bláthín (blaw-heen)
Bláthín is a gorgeous name for a baby girl, meaning ‘little flower’. We can’t help but dote on the sheer cuteness of a little flower baby.
8. Síofra (she-uh-fra)
Meaning ‘elf’ or ‘fairy’, this name stems from when the Irish believed that fairies could steal their newborn baby, leaving a changeling, or ‘Síofra’, in its place.
We’ve since gotten over that fairytale and have embraced it as one of the cutest Irish baby girl names on the market.
7. Aleannah (al-anna)
This Irish name comes from the Irish word ‘leanbh’, meaning baby. Aleannah is a word for ‘beauty’ or ‘serenity’.
6. Aoibheann (ay-veen)
Aoibheann means ‘radiant beauty’. She was the mother of Saint Enda of Aran, who is known to have established the first Irish monastery around the year 484.
5. Teagan (tea-genn)
This name means ‘beautiful’, ‘perfect’, and ‘little poet’. An adorable name if you’re a creative family and want your little one to follow in your footsteps.
4. Béibhínn (bay-veen)
The literal translation of Béibhínn is said to be ‘melodious woman’. In mythology, Béibhinn is the goddess of birth.
3. Réiltín (rail-teen)
This had to make it to our top three of the cutest Irish baby girl names. Réiltín translates to ‘little star’. Baby Réiltín, bless!
2. Fiadh (fee-ah)
Fiadh was considered one of the most popular names last year, and we’re not surprised. It translates to ‘wildness’, ‘deer’ and ‘respect’. Fiadh also makes this list for the top 50 most adorable and unique Irish girl names.
1.Tiarna (teer-na)
Tiarna, meaning ‘lord’, derives from Tír na nÓg (land of the youth), which heavily features in Irish mythology.
We think it’s simply gorgeous, and we’re delighted to name it the LORD of the cutest Irish baby girl names. We’ll let ourselves out.
Other notable mentions
Laoise: Laoise is the Irish form of the name Elizabeth or Alice. It means ‘radiant girl’.
Ciara: Ciara is the feminine form of Ciaran, this name comes from the Gaelic word ‘ciar’, which means ‘dark’.
Deirdre: We know that Deirdre is now an older Irish girl’s name, but the meaning behind it is beautiful. In Celtic mythology, Deirdre was the most beautiful woman in Ireland.
Creidne: Creidne is a very unique Irish girl’s name. In Irish folklore, he was a god of arts and metal, but the name can be given to both genders.
FAQs about Irish baby girl names
What name means Queen in Irish?
Looking to name your baby girl after royalty? If so, you should consider the names Morgan, Riognach, or Rainey. These are all Irish names that mean ‘queen’.
What Irish name means beauty?
If you want to name your baby girl something to represent beauty, Aleannah comes from the Irish word for ‘beauty’ or ‘serenity’.
What Irish name should I choose for my baby?
We think we’ve compiled a list of some really beautiful names for baby girls here. Any one of them would be cute, but try a few of them out and see how they sound!
