Irish Baby Names
Traditionally rooted in Gaelic, Irish baby names can be both beautiful and difficult to pronounce. Irish baby names, in particular, often have rich backgrounds connected to legends and folktales. Often, Irish baby names also have meanings such as "April" for Aibreann and "little fire" for Aednat. As with many cultures, naming has its own tradition and custom. For example, Irish customs for naming boys include naming the eldest son after his grandfather on his father's side, naming the second son after his grandfather on his mothers side, giving the third son the name of his own father, and the fourth, the name of his father's eldest brother. Naming girls have similar customs which include naming the eldest daughter after her grandmother on her mother's side, the second daughter after the grandmother on her father's side, the third daughter after her mother, and the fourth after the mother's oldest sister. Some of the most popular baby girl names include Aisling, meaning dream or vision, Deirdre, a beautiful woman in Irish folklore, Siobhan, meaning "god is good," and Niamh, a goddess whose name means splendor. Popular boy names include Aidan, after St. Aidan of Iona meaning "born of fire," Ciaran, entailing dark hair and eyes, Conor, meaning "strong-willed," and Liam, an Irish version of William.