Saints' names
Names carried by Ireland's saints and scholars, many of them in use for well over a thousand years.
- James
Boy · JAYMZ
The English form of Jacob, name of two apostles, in Ireland's top ten every year on record.
359 babies in 2025 - Cillian
Boy · KILL-ee-un
An old Irish saint's name, carried to Germany by the missionary Kilian.
276 babies in 2025 - Thomas
Boy · TOM-us
The apostle's name, from the Aramaic for "twin", in Ireland's top 25 every year on record.
211 babies in 2025 - Oliver
Boy · OL-iv-er
A Norman name borne by an Irish saint, and back in favour in Ireland since the 2000s.
208 babies in 2025 - Michael
Boy · MY-kul
The archangel's name, in Ireland's top three for most of the 1960s to the 1980s.
188 babies in 2025 - Luke
Boy · LUKE
The name of the Gospel writer, and a fixture of the Irish top 30 since the 1990s.
185 babies in 2025 - Patrick
Boy · PAT-rick
The name of Ireland's patron saint, a top-five boys' name through the 1960s and 1970s.
183 babies in 2025 - Lucy
Girl · LOO-see
From the Roman name Lucia, linked to the Latin for light, and a top-ten name for much of the 2010s.
179 babies in 2025 - John
Boy · JON
The name of two great saints, and Ireland's top boys' name for two decades.
164 babies in 2025 - Senan
Boy · SEN-an
The name of Saint Senan of Scattery Island, now a top-40 boys' name in Ireland.
150 babies in 2025 - Anna
Girl · AN-a
The Latin form of Hannah, given steadily in Ireland all through the CSO records.
143 babies in 2025 - Odhrán
Boy · OH-rawn
An early Irish saint's name built on odhar, dun-coloured, back in fashion since the 2000s.
110 babies in 2025 - Callum
Boy · KAL-um
The Scottish Gaelic form of Colm, from the Latin for dove, honouring Saint Columba.
107 babies in 2025 - Matthew
Boy · MATH-yoo
The name of the gospel writer, given steadily to Irish boys for over sixty years.
98 babies in 2025 - Ailbhe
Girl · AL-va
An old Irish saint's name, once a boy's name, now given in Ireland to girls.
95 babies in 2025 - Jude
Boy · JOOD
The apostle who became patron saint of lost causes, now rising fast in both parts of Ireland.
91 babies in 2025 - Joseph
Boy · JOE-sef
The name of Saint Joseph, in the Irish top 100 every year of the CSO records.
86 babies in 2025 - Aidan
Boy · AY-dan
The English form of Aodhán, "little fire", the name of the Irish monk who founded Lindisfarne.
72 babies in 2025 - Clara
Girl · KLAR-a
A Latin name meaning "bright" or "clear", made famous by Saint Clare of Assisi.
70 babies in 2025 - Iarlaith
Boy · EER-la
The name of Saint Iarlaith of Tuam, known in English as Jarlath.
68 babies in 2025 - Éanna
Boy · AY-na
The Irish form of Enda, the saint who founded a monastery on the Aran Islands.
66 babies in 2025 - Tomás
Boy · TOM-aws
The Irish form of Thomas, from the Aramaic word for twin.
65 babies in 2025 - Lorcan
Boy · LOR-kan
Lorcán, the Irish name of Saint Laurence O'Toole, patron of Dublin.
61 babies in 2025 - Mark
Boy · MARK
The name of the gospel writer, a top ten name for Irish boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
58 babies in 2025 - Martin
Boy · MAR-tin
A Roman name from Mars, and one of Ireland's top 10 boys' names in the 1960s.
56 babies in 2025 - Andrew
Boy · AN-droo
The fisherman apostle and patron of Scotland, a top-20 name in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s.
53 babies in 2025 - Ruadhán
Boy · ROO-awn
An old Irish name meaning "little red one", carried by the saint of Lorrha.
50 babies in 2025 - Ciarán
Boy · KEER-awn
"Little dark one", the name of two early Irish saints, including the founder of Clonmacnoise.
49 babies in 2025 - Gabriel
Boy · GAY-bree-el
The archangel of the Annunciation, a name coming back in Ireland after a long dip.
49 babies in 2025 - George
Boy · JORJ
The Greek word for a farmer, carried by a soldier saint and many kings.
49 babies in 2025 - Sebastian
Boy · seh-BAS-tee-an
The name of a Roman martyr, linked to a Greek word for venerable.
46 babies in 2025 - Christopher
Boy · KRIS-ta-fer
"Christ-bearer", the patron saint of travellers, a top-20 name in Ireland in the 1980s.
45 babies in 2025 - Fiachra
Boy · FEE-akh-ra
An old Irish name, borne by one of the Children of Lir and by Saint Fiacre.
45 babies in 2025 - Mary
Girl · MAIR-ee
The mother of Jesus, and Ireland's top girls' name every year from 1964 to 1982.
41 babies in 2025 - Anthony
Boy · AN-tho-nee
A saint's name that sat in the Irish top 20 for over two decades.
40 babies in 2025 - Kevin
Boy · KEV-in
The English form of Caoimhín, after the saint of Glendalough, a top 20 name for decades.
39 babies in 2025 - Killian
Boy · KIL-ee-an
The English spelling of Cillian, the name of Irish missionary saints in France and Germany.
38 babies in 2025 - Margaret
Girl · MAR-gret
The name meaning "pearl", one of Ireland's top two girls' names in the 1960s.
35 babies in 2025 - Peter
Boy · PEE-ter
The Greek for "rock", name of the leading apostle, a top-20 name in Ireland in the 1960s.
34 babies in 2025 - Lucia
Girl · loo-SEE-a
The Latin form of Lucy, name of a Sicilian martyr, usually linked to lux (light).
33 babies in 2025 - Dominic
Boy · DOM-in-ik
A Latin name meaning "of the Lord", best known through Saint Dominic.
32 babies in 2025 - Pádraig
Boy · PAW-drig
The Irish form of Patrick, after the saint who brought Christianity to Ireland.
31 babies in 2025 - Barra
Boy · BAR-a
The short form of Finbarr, the name of the saint who founded Cork.
29 babies in 2025 - Helena
Girl · HEL-e-na
The Latin form of Helen, and the name of the saint linked with the True Cross.
28 babies in 2025 - Caoimhín
Boy · KEE-veen
The Irish original of Kevin, the name of the saint of Glendalough, and at its best in 2025.
26 babies in 2025 - Micheál
Boy · MEE-hawl
The Irish form of Michael, the archangel's name, and climbing in Northern Ireland.
26 babies in 2025 - Nicolas
Boy · NIK-o-las
The French and Spanish spelling of Nicholas, given steadily in Ireland since 1980.
25 babies in 2025 - Nicholas
Boy · NIK-o-las
The Greek name meaning "victory of the people", borne by the saint behind Santa Claus.
24 babies in 2025 - Cecilia
Girl · sih-SEE-lee-a
The name of the patron saint of music, and the root of the Irish name Síle.
22 babies in 2025 - Bridget
Girl · BRIJ-it
The English form of Brigid, one of Ireland's patron saints, and a top 10 name in the 1960s.
20 babies in 2025 - Peadar
Boy · PAD-er
The Irish form of Peter, from the Greek for "rock", and growing again in recent years.
20 babies in 2025 - Stephen
Boy · STEE-ven
The name of the first Christian martyr, and in Ireland's top 10 through the 1980s.
20 babies in 2025 - Aodhán
Boy · AY-dawn
"Little fire": the Irish original of Aidan, after the saint of Lindisfarne.
19 babies in 2025 - Simon
Boy · SY-mon
The first name of the apostle Peter, and a top 50 Irish boys' name in the 1980s.
19 babies in 2025 - Bronagh
Girl · BROH-na
The name of a 6th-century saint of County Down, strongest in the north of Ireland.
18 babies in 2025 - Rocco
Boy · ROCK-oh
The Italian form of Saint Roch, carer of plague victims, with a punchy modern sound.
18 babies in 2025 - Catherine
Girl · KATH-rin
The name of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and a top Irish girls' name in the 1960s.
15 babies in 2025 - Colm
Boy · KUL-um
"Dove": the name of Colm Cille, the Donegal saint who founded Iona.
15 babies in 2025 - Fionnán
Boy · FIN-awn
An old Irish name shared by several early saints, written in English as Finnian or Finan.
15 babies in 2025 - Paul
Boy · PAWL
The apostle's name, and one of Ireland's top boys' names through the 1970s.
15 babies in 2025 - Vincent
Boy · VIN-sent
A Latin name meaning "conquering", carried by Saint Vincent de Paul and common in 1960s Ireland.
15 babies in 2025 - Francis
Boy · FRAN-sis
The name of Saint Francis of Assisi, once a top 20 name for Irish boys.
14 babies in 2025 - Philip
Boy · FIL-ip
A Greek name meaning "fond of horses", borne by an apostle and a staple of 1970s Ireland.
14 babies in 2025 - Timothy
Boy · TIM-uh-thee
A Greek name meaning "honouring God", once a regular Irish choice and a partner of Tadhg.
12 babies in 2025 - Declan
Boy · DEK-lan
The name of St Declan of Ardmore, a Waterford saint said to have preached before Patrick.
11 babies in 2025 - Gerard
Boy · JER-ard
A Germanic name meaning "brave spear", in Ireland's top 10 boys' names in the mid-1960s.
11 babies in 2025 - Kieran
Boy · KEER-an
The English spelling of Ciarán, "little dark one", a top 50 name in Ireland for decades.
11 babies in 2025 - Martha
Girl · MAR-tha
A New Testament name for the busy sister of Lazarus, given steadily in Ireland for decades.
11 babies in 2025 - Bríd
Girl · BREED
The Irish form of Brigid, the name of Ireland's best-known woman saint and of an older goddess.
10 babies in 2025 - Malachy
Boy · MAL-a-kee
An Irish name borne by a twelfth-century saint of Armagh and a high king of Ireland.
10 babies in 2025 - Brendan
Boy · BREN-dan
The name of Saint Brendan the Navigator, and a top 20 boys' name in 1960s Ireland.
9 babies in 2025 - Dominik
Boy · DOM-in-ik
The Central European spelling of Dominic, well used in Ireland around 2010.
9 babies in 2025 - Íde
Girl · EE-da
The name of Saint Íde of Killeedy, the "foster mother of the saints of Ireland".
9 babies in 2025 - Calum
Boy · KAL-um
The Scottish Gaelic form of Columba, cousin of the Irish Colm, meaning dove.
8 babies in 2025 - Ruán
Boy · ROO-awn
A short form of Ruadhán, "little red one", the saint who cursed Tara.
8 babies in 2025 - Raphael
Boy · RAF-ay-el
The name of the archangel of healing, given steadily in Ireland since the 1960s.
7 babies in 2025 - Ultan
Boy · UL-tan
"Ulsterman": the name of St Ultan of Ardbraccan, patron saint of children.
6 babies in 2025 - Deaglan
Boy · DAG-lawn
The Irish-language form of Declan, the name of the saint of Ardmore.
0 babies in 2025
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