Celtic Boy Names
Celtic male names come from the Goidelic (Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx) and Brittonic (Welsh, Breton, Cornish) branches. Many use masculine forms rooted in early medieval language, such as Art- or Aon-/Óen- elements, and show features like Anglicized simplification of Gaelic spellings and sounds. Male names historically draw on early saints, kings, and legendary figures, which fixed certain masculine forms in records and later calendars.
Modern usage favors Anglicized or international spellings, with diacritics usually dropped outside Gaelic and Breton contexts, and a steady revival of native forms in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. Examples include Aonghas, Art, Arthur, Brian, Brice, Brennus, Alan, Allan, Alain, and Allen.
Showing 50
of 84 names
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur | Likely 'bear' or 'bear-like' (often interpreted as 'bear-man' or 'bear-king'), associated with strength and nobility | Celtic | Boy | 75,100 #1 | |
| Alan | Possibly "little rock" or "handsome/cheerful" (etymology uncertain) | Breton, Celtic | Boy | 21,478 #2 | |
| Caden | Derived from Celtic roots meaning 'battle' or 'little battle' - broadly 'fighter' | Celtic, Gaelic | Boy | 15,278 #3 | |
| Brian | Noble, high; likely derived from a word meaning 'high' or 'hill' | Celtic, Irish | Boy | 13,170 #4 | |
| Allen | “Little rock”; also interpreted as “handsome” or “cheerful” | Celtic | Boy | 6,145 #5 | |
| Arturo | Bear; bear-like, associated with strength and nobility | Celtic, Roman, Spanish | Boy | 4,344 #6 | |
| Allan | Possibly 'little rock' or 'handsome' (origins uncertain) | Celtic | Boy | 3,227 #7 | |
| Cedric | Derived from Cerdic; meaning uncertain - often given as 'bounty' or 'kindly'. | Celtic | Boy | 2,270 #8 | |
| Brice | Speckled; freckled | Breton, Celtic | Boy | 1,149 #9 | |
| Dev | God; deity; divine | Celtic, English, Sanskrit | Boy | 1,081 #10 | |
| Tristin | Tumult, noise | Celtic, English, Latin, Old French | Boy | 851 #11 | |
| Triston | Traditionally 'sorrowful' or 'sad' (from Latin 'tristis'); original Celtic etymology is uncertain. | Celtic, French | Boy | 816 #12 | |
| Alain | Little rock; handsome | Breton, Celtic | Boy | 638 #13 | |
| Arthus | Derived from a Celtic root meaning 'bear' - often interpreted as 'bear', 'bear-like', or 'bear king' | Celtic | Boy | 304 #14 | |
| Taran | Thunder | Celtic, Pictish, Welsh | Boy | 287 #15 | |
| Al | A short form whose meaning depends on the original name - commonly 'noble/bright' (Albert), 'elf-ruler' (Alfred), 'rock' (Alan), or 'defender of men' (Alexander). | Celtic, Greek | Boy | 275 #16 | |
| Art | Bear | Celtic | Boy | 255 #17 | |
| Artis | Bear | Celtic, Latin, Latvian | Boy | 183 #18 | |
| Brion | Noble, high, exalted | Celtic, Irish | Boy | 134 #19 | |
| Bran | Raven; crow | Celtic, Irish, Welsh | Boy | 92 #20 | |
| Alano | Derived from Alan - commonly interpreted as 'little rock' or 'handsome'; sometimes associated with 'cheerful' or the historical Alans | Celtic | Boy | 58 #21 | |
| Bryse | Likely 'speckled' or 'freckled'. | Celtic, Scottish | Boy | 9 #22 | |
| Aonghas | From elements meaning 'one' + 'choice/strength' - often given as 'one choice' or 'unique strength'. | Celtic, Scottish Gaelic | Boy | 7 #23 | |
| Gaell | ‘Gael’ - a member of the Gaelic people; ‘Gaelic’ or ‘Irish/Scottish person’ | Breton, Celtic | Boy | 6 #24 | |
| Ervey | Derived from Hervé/Harvey - 'battle-worthy' or 'strong in battle' | Celtic, English, French | Boy | 5 #25 | |
| Keltin | Celtic; associated with the Celts or a modern Gaelic-inspired given name | Celtic, English, Irish | Boy | 5 #26 | |
| Briane | Noble; high, exalted | Celtic, Irish | Boy | 3 #27 | |
| Alaen | Variant of Alan/Alain; from Celtic roots commonly interpreted as 'rock' or 'handsome' | Breton, Celtic, French | Boy | — | |
| Aloin | Derived from Alan - commonly interpreted as 'little rock' or 'handsome' | Celtic, French | Boy | — | |
| Arhur | Possibly 'bear' or 'bear-like'; also associated with 'bear king' | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Arthyr | Bear; often interpreted as 'bear-man' or 'bear-king', associated with strength and leadership | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Artius | Likely 'skillful' or 'more skillfully' (Latin) or connected to 'Art-' meaning 'bear'/'noble' (Arthur-related). | Celtic, Latin | Boy | — | |
| Artúr | Derived from the Celtic element art- meaning 'bear' (often rendered 'bear' or 'bear-man') | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Artūrš | Bear (often interpreted as 'bear-king' or 'bear-like') | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Athure | Related to 'bear' - often interpreted as 'bear' or 'bear-king'. | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Aurthur | Likely 'bear' or 'bear king' (etymology uncertain but commonly associated with 'bear') | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Avallach | Of Avalon; related to apple / apple-tree | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Avalloc | Apple-place / of Avalon (interpreted as 'little apple' or 'apple grove') | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Bard | Poet, minstrel, singer-storyteller | Celtic, Irish | Boy | — | |
| Bardi | Multiple possible origins: Albanian from 'bardh'/'Bardhi' meaning 'white'; Italian as a toponymic surname meaning 'from Bardi' (a town in Emilia‑Romagna); or related to 'bard' meaning 'poet' / Scandinavian form of Bård. | Albanian, Celtic, English, Italian, Scandinavian | Boy | — | |
| Belinus | From the Celtic deity Belenus; 'bright' or 'shining' (the shining one, associated with the sun) | Celtic, Latin | Boy | — | |
| Beltan | Associated with the Gaelic May Day festival Beltane - 'Bel's fire' or 'bright/fire of Bel' (fire/brightness) | Celtic, Gaelic | Boy | — | |
| Beryan | High, noble; strong | Celtic, Irish | Boy | — | |
| Blaed | Wolf | Celtic, Welsh | Boy | — | |
| Brengwain | A Welsh-derived compound likely combining elements meaning 'raven/king/bright' (Bren/Bran) and 'white/fair' (gwain/gwyn) - roughly 'fair/bright raven' or 'fair protector'. | Celtic, Welsh | Boy | — | |
| Brennus | Likely 'chief' or 'king' (exact etymology uncertain) | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Bric | Likely 'speckled' or 'freckled' (from a Celtic root meaning speckled) | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Brodrig | Likely 'brother-ruler' or 'descendant/son of Brodir' | Celtic | Boy | — | |
| Cadmen | Likely "battle-man" or "man of battle" (from Celtic element "cad" meaning "battle") | Celtic, Welsh | Boy | — | |
| Cymbaline | Derived from Cunobelinus - likely 'hound of the king' or 'hound-prince' (interpretations vary) | Celtic | Boy | — |
Celtic Boys name popularity over time
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Celtic-origin name in our dataset.
84
Names in this origin
3
With data in 2025
0
Births 2025
26,894
Peak year 2000