Ailbhe

Ailbhe is an old Irish name whose meaning is not known for certain. It was first a man’s name, and in English it was often swapped for Albert, although the two are unrelated. Today it is mostly a girls’ name, and in the CSO figures it appears only for girls.

Its best-known bearer is Saint Ailbe, whose death is recorded in the early sixth century. Irish sources from the eighth century call him the first bishop of Emly, and he is honoured as one of the four great patron saints of Ireland, with a feast day on 12 September. Very little about his life is reliable, and later Welsh writers linked him with Saint David. Modern bearers include the poet Ailbhe Darcy and the campaigner Ailbhe Smyth.

Ailbhe was already given to a few girls when the CSO records begin. It grew steadily from the 1970s and had its biggest year in 2023, with 118 girls, at number 44 on the CSO list. It is much rarer in Northern Ireland, where it was 96th in 2025.