Top 100 baby names in Ireland 1972
CSO figures for babies registered in 1972. See the latest list for 2025.
Number 1 girls
Mary
1,581 babies
Number 1 boys
John
2,506 babies
New to the top 100
Mairead, Aoife, Christine, Emma, Aileen, Roisin
Girls
| # | Name | Babies | vs 1971 | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 1,581 | · | |
| 2 | Catherine | 853 | · | |
| 3 | Margaret | 766 | · | |
| 4 | Fiona | 657 | · | |
| 5 | Sinead | 606 | · | |
| 6 | Elizabeth | 544 | ▲1 | |
| 7 | Ann | 533 | ▼1 | |
| 8 | Sharon | 525 | · | |
| 9 | Deirdre | 516 | ▲1 | |
| 10 | Anne | 510 | ▼1 | |
| 11 | Caroline | 488 | · | |
| 12 | Michelle | 444 | ▲1 | |
| 13 | Patricia | 398 | ▼1 | |
| 14 | Karen | 394 | ▲2 | |
| 15 | Linda | 379 | ▲1 | |
| 16 | Elaine | 365 | · | |
| 17 | Martina | 356 | ▲4 | |
| 18 | Sandra | 355 | ▼4 | |
| 19 | Jennifer | 330 | ▲10 | |
| 19 | Lorraine | 330 | ▲8 | |
| 21 | Susan | 320 | ▲2 | |
| 22 | Siobhan | 319 | ▼7 | |
| 23 | Bridget | 313 | ▼3 | |
| 24 | Helen | 301 | ▼2 | |
| 25 | Lisa | 290 | ▲3 | |
| 26 | Yvonne | 284 | ▲4 | |
| 27 | Maria | 281 | ▼2 | |
| 28 | Niamh | 278 | ▲4 | |
| 29 | Geraldine | 271 | ▼10 | |
| 29 | Marie | 271 | ▼3 | |
| 31 | Sarah | 258 | ▲3 | |
| 32 | Orla | 256 | ▲7 | |
| 33 | Louise | 250 | ▲5 | |
| 34 | Gillian | 239 | ▲2 | |
| 35 | Kathleen | 237 | ▲10 | |
| 36 | Bernadette | 228 | ▼12 | |
| 37 | Denise | 226 | ▼4 | |
| 38 | Eileen | 220 | ▼7 | |
| 38 | Jacqueline | 220 | ▲1 | |
| 40 | Paula | 215 | ▲11 | |
| 41 | Carol | 204 | ▼6 | |
| 42 | Suzanne | 201 | ▲2 | |
| 43 | Rachel | 200 | · | |
| 44 | Deborah | 198 | ▲2 | |
| 45 | Carmel | 185 | ▼8 | |
| 45 | Teresa | 185 | ▼3 | |
| 47 | Nicola | 182 | ▲12 | |
| 48 | Aisling | 180 | ▲10 | |
| 49 | Claire | 175 | ▲8 | |
| 50 | Amanda | 173 | ▲6 | |
| 51 | Angela | 166 | ▼12 | |
| 52 | Tara | 157 | ▲15 | |
| 53 | Grainne | 152 | ▲21 | |
| 54 | Barbara | 150 | ▼5 | |
| 55 | Anna | 148 | ▼3 | |
| 56 | Audrey | 147 | ▼8 | |
| 57 | Tracy | 146 | ▼3 | |
| 57 | Valerie | 146 | ▼7 | |
| 59 | Ciara | 144 | ▲4 | |
| 60 | Joan | 136 | ▼1 | |
| 61 | Christina | 135 | · | |
| 62 | Edel | 134 | ▲11 | |
| 62 | Ruth | 134 | ▲6 | |
| 64 | Alison | 129 | ▲12 | |
| 64 | Emer | 129 | ▲18 | |
| 66 | Ellen | 128 | ▲4 | |
| 66 | Nora | 128 | ▼19 | |
| 66 | Shirley | 128 | ▼2 | |
| 69 | Brigid | 126 | ▼14 | |
| 69 | Joanne | 126 | ▼4 | |
| 69 | Pauline | 126 | ▼4 | |
| 72 | Jane | 124 | ▲6 | |
| 72 | Tracey | 124 | ▼1 | |
| 74 | Josephine | 123 | ▼21 | |
| 75 | Sheila | 119 | ▼13 | |
| 76 | Colette | 118 | ▼7 | |
| 77 | Mairead | 113 | New | |
| 78 | Jean | 109 | ▲5 | |
| 78 | Noreen | 109 | ▲1 | |
| 80 | Aoife | 104 | New | |
| 81 | Clare | 103 | ▲5 | |
| 81 | Frances | 103 | ▼2 | |
| 81 | Laura | 103 | ▲5 | |
| 84 | Christine | 101 | New | |
| 85 | Anita | 97 | ▼10 | |
| 86 | Emma | 96 | New | |
| 87 | Annette | 95 | ▼16 | |
| 88 | Helena | 93 | ▼9 | |
| 89 | Samantha | 92 | ▼6 | |
| 90 | Pamela | 91 | ▲4 | |
| 91 | Aileen | 90 | New | |
| 91 | Clodagh | 90 | ▼6 | |
| 91 | Miriam | 90 | ▲7 | |
| 91 | Roisin | 90 | New | |
| 95 | Julie | 89 | New | |
| 96 | Irene | 87 | New | |
| 97 | Michele | 85 | ▼7 | |
| 98 | Una | 84 | ▼4 | |
| 99 | Brenda | 83 | ▼22 | |
| 99 | Veronica | 83 | ▼10 |
Boys
| # | Name | Babies | vs 1971 | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John | 2,506 | · | |
| 2 | Michael | 1,639 | · | |
| 3 | Patrick | 1,523 | · | |
| 4 | David | 1,253 | · | |
| 5 | James | 1,128 | · | |
| 6 | Paul | 1,061 | ▲1 | |
| 7 | Thomas | 942 | ▼1 | |
| 8 | Mark | 824 | · | |
| 9 | Brian | 684 | · | |
| 10 | William | 677 | · | |
| 11 | Alan | 646 | ▲2 | |
| 12 | Martin | 612 | ▼1 | |
| 13 | Stephen | 593 | ▲1 | |
| 14 | Anthony | 571 | ▲1 | |
| 15 | Declan | 526 | ▼3 | |
| 16 | Gerard | 503 | · | |
| 17 | Joseph | 474 | ▲2 | |
| 18 | Robert | 472 | ▲2 | |
| 19 | Kevin | 462 | ▼1 | |
| 20 | Peter | 447 | ▼3 | |
| 21 | Edward | 349 | ▲2 | |
| 22 | Derek | 346 | ▲2 | |
| 23 | Brendan | 345 | ▼2 | |
| 24 | Niall | 331 | ▲11 | |
| 25 | Jason | 311 | ▲12 | |
| 26 | Kenneth | 304 | ▲5 | |
| 27 | Noel | 297 | ▼5 | |
| 28 | Richard | 289 | ▼3 | |
| 29 | Francis | 282 | ▼1 | |
| 30 | Dermot | 280 | ▲11 | |
| 31 | Shane | 277 | ▲17 | |
| 32 | Darren | 276 | ▲3 | |
| 33 | Sean | 274 | ▼6 | |
| 34 | Raymond | 272 | ▲5 | |
| 35 | Denis | 269 | ▼5 | |
| 36 | Daniel | 257 | ▼8 | |
| 37 | Colm | 256 | ▲6 | |
| 38 | Andrew | 251 | ▼12 | |
| 39 | Keith | 248 | ▲1 | |
| 40 | Barry | 246 | ▲5 | |
| 41 | Kieran | 241 | ▼9 | |
| 42 | Philip | 237 | ▼9 | |
| 43 | Christopher | 229 | ▼9 | |
| 44 | Timothy | 222 | ▼6 | |
| 45 | Aidan | 218 | ▼1 | |
| 46 | Ronan | 201 | ▲3 | |
| 47 | Damien | 200 | ▼1 | |
| 48 | Ian | 189 | ▲5 | |
| 49 | Colin | 187 | ▼2 | |
| 50 | Adrian | 184 | ▲2 | |
| 51 | Ciaran | 183 | ▼1 | |
| 52 | Conor | 171 | ▼10 | |
| 53 | Fergal | 170 | ▲6 | |
| 54 | Donal | 159 | · | |
| 54 | Gary | 159 | · | |
| 56 | Gavin | 158 | ▲30 | |
| 57 | Liam | 154 | ▲4 | |
| 58 | Seamus | 146 | ▼2 | |
| 59 | Vincent | 140 | ▼1 | |
| 60 | Bernard | 138 | ▼9 | |
| 61 | Cornelius | 136 | ▼4 | |
| 62 | Desmond | 134 | ▲1 | |
| 63 | Trevor | 128 | ▼1 | |
| 64 | Damian | 126 | ▼4 | |
| 64 | Jonathan | 126 | ▲3 | |
| 66 | Karl | 120 | ▲2 | |
| 67 | Cathal | 119 | ▲13 | |
| 68 | Matthew | 116 | ▲10 | |
| 69 | Simon | 113 | ▲20 | |
| 70 | Jeremiah | 112 | · | |
| 70 | Maurice | 112 | ▲6 | |
| 72 | Enda | 110 | ▼6 | |
| 73 | Eoin | 109 | ▼8 | |
| 73 | Laurence | 109 | ▼9 | |
| 73 | Terence | 109 | ▼1 | |
| 76 | Graham | 108 | ▼3 | |
| 77 | Eugene | 106 | ▼7 | |
| 78 | Hugh | 98 | · | |
| 79 | Nicholas | 95 | ▲6 | |
| 80 | Rory | 94 | ▲1 | |
| 81 | George | 89 | ▼7 | |
| 81 | Owen | 89 | ▲9 | |
| 83 | Cormac | 86 | ▲4 | |
| 84 | Padraig | 85 | ▲4 | |
| 85 | Garrett | 84 | ▼1 | |
| 86 | Justin | 83 | ▲11 | |
| 87 | Eamonn | 81 | ▼18 | |
| 88 | Charles | 79 | ▼11 | |
| 89 | Eamon | 77 | ▼7 | |
| 89 | Fergus | 77 | ▼6 | |
| 91 | Nigel | 76 | ▼16 | |
| 92 | Gregory | 73 | · | |
| 93 | Neil | 70 | ▲5 | |
| 94 | Diarmuid | 69 | ▲2 | |
| 94 | Eric | 69 | New | |
| 96 | Oliver | 64 | ▲3 | |
| 97 | Finbarr | 62 | ▼3 | |
| 97 | Fintan | 62 | ▼3 | |
| 99 | Garry | 59 | ▼8 | |
| 99 | Ivan | 59 | New |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Ranks are the CSO's own, which count each spelling separately (for example Fiadh and Fíadh). Tied names share a rank. Figures before 1998 come from the CSO back series, which is not directly comparable with later years.