Does your first name have an equivalent Irish name?

I decided to lay out as many Irish names as I could come up with in this article. I included the answers to many of the questions I received – maybe you can find some of your familiar names below?

We’ve also now created an Irish name translator for you to try out. It’ll try to translate your name as best as it can as well as give you some of the meaning and history behind it.

I have divided them into boys and girls names. Have a look through and see what you think (btw – I am open to being corrected – the translations for some Irish names can be quite “fluid” at times):

Irish Names for Girls:

Let’s start with some girls names:

• Agnes – Equivalent Irish: Úna (pronounced “oon-a”).
• Alice – Equivalent Irish: Ailís (pronounced “ay-leesh”).
• Anne – Equivalent Irish: Áine (pronounced “Awn-ya”).
• Barbara – Equivalent Irish: Gormladh (pronounced “Gurm-la”) and Bairbre.
• Catherine/Katherine – Equivalent Irish: Caitríona (pronounced “Ca-treena”).
• Dorothy – Equivalent Irish: Doireann (pronounced “dirr-en”).
• Edna – Equivalent Irish: Eithne (pronounced “et-na”).
• Elizabeth – Equivalent Irish: Sibeal (pronounced “Sybil”) or Eibhlís (pronounced “aye-leesh).
• Eva – Equivalent Irish: Aoife (pronounced “eef-a”).
• Evelyn/Eileen – Equivalent Irish: Eibhlín (pronounced “aye-leen”).
• Frances – Equivalent Irish: Proinnseas (pronounced “Prun-chis”).
• Grace – Equivalent Irish: Gráinne (pronounced “Grawn-ya”).
• Honora – Equivalent Irish: Nora (pronounced “nore-a”).
• Jane/Jennifer/Janet – Equivalent Irish: Sinéad (pronounced “Shin-ade”).
• Joan/Joanna/Judith/Julia – Equivalent Irish: Siobhán (pronounced “Shiv-awn”).
• Josephine – Equivalent Irish: Seosaimhín (pronounced “show-sav-een”).
• Kathleen – Equivalent Irish: Caitlín (pronounced “Cat-leen”).
• Kelly – Equivalent Irish: Ceallach (pronounced “Ka-yallock”).
• Margaret – Equivalent Irish: Mairéad (pronounced “Mor-ade”).
• Marjorie/Mabel/Maude/Marion – Equivalent Irish: Muireann (pronounced “mwir-an”).
• Mary/Miriam – Equivalent Irish: Máire (pronounced “Maw-re”).
• Patricia – Equivalent Irish: Padraigín (pronounced “paw-drig-een”).
• Pauline – Equivalent Irish: Póilín (pronounced “Poe-leen”).
• Penelope – Equivalent Irish: Fionnuala (pronounced “fyun-oola”).
• Rose – Equivalent Irish: Róisín (pronounced “rosh-een”).
• Sarah/Sophia/Sally – Equivalent Irish: Sorcha (pronounced “sor-ka”).
• Sheila/Sheelagh/Cecilia – Equivalent Irish: Síle (pronounced “Shee-la”).
• Theresa – Equivalent Irish: Treasa (pronounced “trassa”).

Irish Names for Boys:

And on to the boys:

• Adam – Equivalent Irish: Adhamh (pronounced “awve”).
• Aidan – Equivalent Irish: Aodhan (pronounced “ay-dawn”).
• Andrew – Equivalent Irish: Aindréis (pronounced “Ann-draysh”).
• Anthony – Equivalent Irish: Antaine (pronounced “An-tanna”).
• Benjamin/Bernard – Equivalent Irish: Beaircheart (pronounced “bar-hart”).
• Brendan – Equivalent Irish: Brendán (pronounced “bren-dawn”).
• Brian – Equivalent Irish: Brían (pronounced “Bree-an”).
• Charles – Equivalent Irish: Cathal (pronounced “Caw-hal”). This also gives us the surname Cahill. As you may be aware, most Irish surnames are derived from first names.
• Christopher – Equivalent Irish: Críostóir (pronounced “kree-store”).
• Conor/Cornelius – Equivalent Irish: Conchobhar (pronounced “conner”).
• Daniel – Equivalent Irish: Domhnall/Dónal (pronounced “Dough-nal”). This also gives us the surnames McDonnell and O’Donnell. Think of “Daniel O’Donnell”.
• David – Equivalent Irish: Daithí (pronounced “dah-hee”).
• Declan – Equivalent Irish: Deaglán (pronounced “day-glawn”).
• Denis – Equivalent Irish: Donnchadh (pronounced “duna-ka”).
• Dermot/Jeremiah/Derry – Equivalent Irish: Diarmuid (pronounced “dear-mid”).
• Edward/Edmund – Equivalent Irish: Eamon (pronounced “Ay-mon”).
• Florence – Equivalent Irish: Finín (pronounced “fin-een”).
• Francis/Frank – Equivalent Irish: Prionsíos (pronounced “Prun-sheeis”).
• Frederick/Fergus – Equivalent Irish: Fearghas (pronounced “Fair-gus”).
• George – Equivalent Irish: Seoirse (pronounced “shor-sha”).
• Hugh – Equivalent Irish: Aodh (pronounced “Aay”).
• James – Equivalent Irish: Séamus (pronounced “Shay-mus”) – often Shay for short.
• John/Jack/Shane – Equivalent Irish: Seán (pronounced “shawn”).
• Joseph – Equivalent Irish: Seosamh (pronounced “show-siv”).
• Kenneth – Equivalent Irish: Coinneach (pronounced “quin-ock”).
• Kevin – Equivalent Irish: Caoimhín (pronounced “Quiv-een”).
• Kieran – Equivalent Irish: Ciarán (pronounced “Keer-awn”).
• Laurence – Equivalent Irish: Lochlann (pronounced “Lock-lan”).
• Luke – Equivalent Irish: Lúcás (pronounced “Loo-cawse”).
• Martin – Equivalent Irish: Máirtín (pronounced “mar-teen”).
• Matthew – Equivalent Irish: Maitiú (pronounced “matt-you”).
• Maurice – Equivalent Irish: Muiris (pronounced “Mwir-ish”).
• Michael – Equivalent Irish: Micheál (pronounced “mee-hawl”).
• Murtagh/Mortimer – Equivalent Irish: Muircheartach (pronounced “mwir-cyar-toch”).
• Neil – Equivalent Irish: Niall (pronounced “Nile”).
• Owen/Eugene – Equivalent Irish: Eoghan (pronounced “Owe-en”).
• Patrick – Equivalent Irish: Pádraig (pronounced “paw-drig”).
• Paul – Equivalent Irish: Pól (pronounced “pole”).
• Peter – Equivalent Irish: Peadar (pronounced “pad-ar”).
• Philip – Equivalent Irish: Pilib (pronounced “phil-ib”).
• Richard – Equivalent Irish: Risteard(pronounced “Rish-teared”).
• Robert – Equivalent Irish: Robeárd (pronounced “rob-ayrd”).
• Roger – Equivalent Irish: Ruadhrai (pronounced “Rue-ree”).
• Stephen – Equivalent Irish: Stiofáin (pronounced “stiff-awn”).
• Terrence/Terry – Equivalent Irish: Turlough (pronounced “Tur-lock”)
• Timothy/Ted – Equivalent Irish: Tadhg (pronounced “tie-g”).
• Thomas – Equivalent Irish: Tomás (pronounced “tom-awse”).
• William – Equivalent Irish: Liam (pronounced “lee-am”).

So, are any of your family Irish names above? Does your first name have an equivalent Irish name? Remember, there are lots of modern names for which we don’t really have Irish equivalents – but there are still quite a few above!