There’s a lot more to Irish names than just Mary and Sean!
Those are good strong Irish names! But the Irish influence has spread far and wide in the US, showing up in places you might not expect it. There are names you hear every day that you might not guess have Irish roots. Met someone called Brayden? Morgan? Guess what – their name is totally Irish!
Read on and discover the secret Irish meanings of 13 of the most popular first names in the US. Irish first names are everywhere!
- 1. Colin
- The name Colin is pronounced “koh-lin” in Ireland. It comes from the native Irish or Gaelic word “Cailean” or “Coileáin”, meaning “whelp”, “cub”, or “young pup”. So if you know a Colin, tell him Ireland says to grow up!
- 2. Kaitlyn
- Kaitlyn sounds as American as apple pie. But Kaitlyn is actually a modern form of the Irish baby name Caitlin, which derives from Catherine and means “pure”.
- 3. Austin
- Austin is an American form of the Irish name Oistin, meaning “august”, “dignified” and “holy” – three things both Austins and the Irish are famous for.
- 4. Brandon
- Opinions about the meaning of the Irish name Brandon are divided. Some scholars claim the Irish name means “prince” or “brave”. Less kind souls say Brandon derives from the Irish words for “stinking hair.” Either way, the name is totally fitting for 1990s teen heartthrob, Brandon Walsh
- 5. Brenda
- Who knew that Brandon’s sister Brenda also had an Irish first name?! It seems the Walsh parents of Beverly Hills gave their boy and girl twins the same name! The Irish girls’ name Brenda is a female variant of Brendan or Brandon and can also mean either “brave” or “stinking hair.”
- 6. Kyle
- The popular US baby name Kyle has beautiful and mysterious Irish roots. In Gaelic, the baby name Kyle derives from a place name describing “the narrows” – a forest or a church.
- 7. Shannon
- US girls with the name Shannon might be surprised to learn they have an airport named after them in County Clare in Ireland. Shannons also share their name with the “wise river” that runs through Ireland – the origins of the popular American girls’ name.
- 8. Ryan
- America loves Ryans – Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling .. but first, there was Ryan’s Daughter. The Irish name Ryan translates from the Gaelic “Ó Ríain” or “little king”.
- 9. Ciara
- Ciara is a very popular Irish first name, pronounced “Kee-rah”. The Irish name Ciara means “dark-haired”.
- 10. Kayla
- OK, Kayla? An Irish first name? Really? Yes, Kayla is an Irish name! US Kaylas wll be happy to hear their name is translated from the Irish words for “slim and fair”. Sounds like Kayla to us!
- 11. Aidan
- Remember Aidan, Carrie’s boyfriend from Sex and the City? Aidan is also a really popular Irish name! The name Aidan comes from the Celtic word for “fire”.
- 12. Megan
- Names don’t get any more American that Megan, right? Wrong, kinda! Megan, or more often “Meghan” in Ireland is an old Irish name that means “brave warrior.”
- 13. Corey
- The 1980s was a healthy time for Irish names in the US, with Coreys Haim and Feldman breaking hearts all over Hollywood. No wonder, with their Irish charm! Corey is an Irish boys’ name translated from the Gaelic place name for a “hill hollow” or ravine. Weird. But that’s Coreys for you!
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17 comments
Megan is a Welsh name.
‘Meghan’ is a pseudo-Irish spelling of ‘Megan’ which is not an Irish name at all. In Irish (not ‘Gaelic’) names ‘gh’ is silent, hence ‘Clodagh’ and ‘Geoghegan’ being pronounced ‘clo-da’ and ‘gay-gun’, although the ‘gh’ letter combination is used in Native American names, like ‘Alleghany’.
Hi Ken. Many thanks for your feedback and the correction.
My mother’s maiden name is Collins it is believed there is someone who came over but we don’t know who I have found out through 23andme DNA that I am 52 percent British Irish. I have always loved Ireland and the people.
Hi Angela,
Yes Collins is quite a popular name here, the most notable being the iconic Michael Collins. Let’s just say you’re 52% Irish! Thanks so much for reading the blog.
Regards,
Lulu
I just happened across this site, my brother and I are named Ryan and Meghan. We know our grandparents came to the USA in the early 1900s from Ireland. What is also funny is that my husband is named Micheal and his gparents also came over here in the early 1900s also. So our son is very irish we named him sean tristin. I love finding things about were i came from!
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the blog. I just love sharing stories!
Kind regards,
Lulu
My kids are also named Ryan and Meghan. He waited 17 years for a sibling, so we let him suggest names, this was my favorite, so at 17, he got an adoring little sister named Meghan Noel…born on Christmas Eve.
Bonjour ! Mon arrière grand-mère, Elisabeth Mahoney est arrivée au Québec lors de la famine en Irlande . Son père s’appelait Patrick Mahoney et sa mère Éléonore Kelly. Elisabeth a marié mon arrière grand-père Joseph St-Pierre à Rimouski . J’aimerais savoir l’endroit où
ils vivaient exactement en Irlande ? Merci !
Salut Michaud, Ravi de vous entendre. Voir plus d’informations ci-dessous sur les noms Mahony et Kelly. J’espère que cela vous aidera dans vos recherches.
Cordialement, Lulu.
https://irelandroots.com/kelly.htm
https://irelandroots.com/mahony.htm#:~:text=The%20surname%20Mahony%20comes%20from,descendants%20can%20still%20be%20found.
Bonjour,
J’ai aussi Elizabeth Mahoney comme ancêtre, Ses parents Patrick Mahoney et Eleonore Kelly venaient de la ville de Coolmeen dans le comté de Cork en Irlande.
Luv this! Son:Colin! (Of course). Me: Steafan Mac an Ghaill (née: Steven Gill). Boston , by way of Donegal, Galway, , maybe Sligo, etc,etc.
Hello! My name is Patricia Adair Bennett. My great grandmother was Josephine Ryan, who came to the U.S. in the late 1800’s, during the famine. My grandmother and mother, and then I were told they came from County Cork, but when I went to Ireland with my daughter and grandchildren, I was told there were no longer any Ryan’s in County Cork. I long to make a connection before I leave this life.
Hi Patricia,
Well your grandmother certainly had one of the most popular Irish names. I can across this site-see link below- some more interesting facts about the Ryan name.
Take care and thanks for reading!
Lulu
https://irelandroots.com/ryan.htm
What a nice thing you and yours have going. Im American born. Mom from donegal dad from down. Love what you do.
Thanks so much Kevin. I really appreciate your very kind comments. Donegal and Down-two very beautiful counties!
Kind regards,
Lulu
My kids are also named Ryan and Meghan. He waited 17 years for a sibling, so we let him suggest names, this was my favorite, so at 17, he got an adoring little sister named Meghan Noel…born on Christmas Eve.