Irish Boy Names
Irish male names come primarily from the Irish language (Gaeilge), often preserved from Old and Middle Irish. A common masculine structure is the diminutive -án (seen historically in Aodhán, source of Aidan), and many names are built from elements like Áed/Aodh “fire” and Óengus/Aengus. Latinized or Anglicized forms appear in records, with diacritics frequently dropped in modern use. Christian influence is strong through early saints and kings.
Today, both Irish and Anglicized spellings are used in Ireland and abroad. Widely used examples include Aidan, Aiden, Aengus, Aonghus, Aindreas, Aindriu, Ailbe, Aoidh, Aodha, and Aodhfinn.
Showing 50
of 1,302 names
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam | Resolute protector | Irish | Boy | 197,107 #1 | |
| Aiden | 'Little fire' or 'fiery one' (derived from Aodh meaning 'fire') | Gaelic, Irish | Boy | 85,518 #2 | |
| Ryan | Traditionally 'little king' or 'descendant of Rian' (original meaning uncertain) | Irish | Boy | 64,808 #3 | |
| Oscar | Friend of deer | Irish | Boy | 50,223 #4 | |
| Nolan | From Gaelic Ó Nualláin, generally interpreted as 'noble' or 'famous' | Irish | Boy | 48,342 #5 | |
| Connor | Derived from Old Irish Conchobar, commonly interpreted as "lover of hounds" or "hound-desiring". | Irish | Boy | 43,807 #6 | |
| Declan | “Full of goodness” (from Gaelic elements meaning 'good' + 'full'; associated with Saint Declán) | Irish | Boy | 31,616 #7 | |
| Finn | Fair, white, fair-haired | Irish | Boy | 29,653 #8 | |
| Kevin | Gentle, handsome; literally 'handsome birth' (from caomh 'gentle/dear' + gín 'birth') | Irish | Boy | 25,410 #9 | |
| Aidan | Little fire (from Aodh, meaning 'fire') | Irish | Boy | 13,950 #10 | |
| Bryan | High, noble, strong | Irish | Boy | 13,350 #11 | |
| Brian | Noble, high; likely derived from a word meaning 'high' or 'hill' | Celtic, Irish | Boy | 13,016 #12 | |
| Colin | From Nicholas: "victory of the people"; from Gaelic Caolán/Cailean: "slender, narrow; little one" | Irish | Boy | 12,470 #13 | |
| Brady | From Ó Brádaigh - 'descendant of Brádach' (Brádach likely meaning 'spirited' or 'broad') | Irish | Boy | 12,351 #14 | |
| Ronan | Little seal | Irish | Boy | 11,851 #15 | |
| Cody | Descendant of Cuidightheach; 'helpful one' or 'benefactor' | Irish | Boy | 11,611 #16 | |
| Sean | God is gracious | Irish | Boy | 10,242 #17 | |
| Killian | Likely 'little church' (diminutive of 'cill'); sometimes linked to 'strife' or 'war' via Ceallach | Irish | Boy | 9,972 #18 | |
| Sullivan | Traditionally interpreted as "little dark-eyed one" or "hawk‑eyed"; exact etymology is uncertain but relates to Gaelic elements for "eye." | Irish | Boy | 8,456 #19 | |
| Desmond | From South Munster | Irish | Boy | 8,285 #20 | |
| Kane | Irish: from Ó Catháin / Cathán (from cath 'battle') - 'little battle' or 'warrior'; Hebrew: variant of Cain (Qayin) - 'acquired'; Hawaiian: Kāne - 'man' or a major god; Japanese: kane - 'metal, gold, money'. | Gaelic, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Irish, Japanese | Boy | 8,265 #21 | |
| Donovan | Descendant of Donnabhán; Donnabhán likely means 'little brown/dark one' or 'brown-haired'. | Irish | Boy | 7,736 #22 | |
| Callan | Diminutive of Cathal - 'little battle' (battle-mighty) | Irish, Scottish Gaelic | Boy | 7,644 #23 | |
| Keegan | Son/descendant of 'little Aodh' (Aodh = 'fire' or 'fiery') | Irish | Boy | 7,538 #24 | |
| Grady | Noble, illustrious | Irish | Boy | 7,391 #25 | |
| Conor | Lover of hounds (often interpreted as 'wolf-lover' or 'hound-lover') | Irish | Boy | 7,141 #26 | |
| Shane | God is gracious | Irish | Boy | 6,602 #27 | |
| Kian | Irish: 'ancient, enduring'; Persian: 'king, royalty, realm'. | Irish, Persian | Boy | 6,450 #28 | |
| Conner | Lover of hounds / wolf-lover | Irish | Boy | 6,393 #29 | |
| Kieran | 'Little dark one' or 'little black-haired one' | Irish | Boy | 5,895 #30 | |
| Flynn | Descendant of Flann - 'red' or 'ruddy' (red-haired or ruddy complexion) | Irish | Boy | 4,952 #31 | |
| Murphy | Sea warrior | Irish | Boy | 4,898 #32 | |
| Cannon | Surname-derived; likely 'descendant of Canann' (Gaelic) or associated with the English words 'cannon' (artillery) or 'canon' (church official). | English, Gaelic, Irish | Boy | 4,557 #33 | |
| Donald | Ruler of the world | Irish, Scottish Gaelic | Boy | 4,493 #34 | |
| Madden | Descendant of Madadhan; Madadhan likely from Irish 'madadh' meaning 'dog' with a diminutive - 'little dog' or 'young dog'. | Irish | Boy | 3,800 #35 | |
| Brendan | Commonly interpreted as 'prince' or 'king' | Irish | Boy | 3,693 #36 | |
| Kellan | Slender | Gaelic, Irish | Boy | 3,372 #37 | |
| Neil | Traditionally 'champion'; also interpreted as 'cloud' or 'passionate'. | Gaelic, Irish | Boy | 3,359 #38 | |
| Brennan | “Descendant of Braonán” - from braon ("moisture/drop", sometimes rendered as "sorrow"); occasionally linked to bran ("raven"). | Irish | Boy | 3,231 #39 | |
| Cillian | Likely from Old Irish Ceallach meaning 'war/strife' or 'bright-headed'; sometimes linked to cill ('church') as 'little church' in later interpretations. | Irish | Boy | 3,171 #40 | |
| Braden | Originally 'descendant of Bradán' (Bradán = 'salmon'); alternatively interpreted as 'broad valley' in English derivation | Irish | Boy | 3,113 #41 | |
| Kellen | From Gaelic Caolán meaning 'slender' or 'narrow' - 'little slender one.' | Irish | Boy | 2,939 #42 | |
| Kiaan | From Gaelic Cian 'ancient, enduring'; in Persian usage linked to 'king/royal'; used in India as a modern given name. | Indian, Irish, Persian | Boy | 2,346 #43 | |
| Kodi | Helper’s descendant | English, Irish | Boy | 2,285 #44 | |
| Keenan | Descendant of Cianán; from Cianán 'little Cian' - Cian meaning 'ancient' or 'enduring'. | Irish | Boy | 1,943 #45 | |
| Gannon | From the Irish surname Ó Gannáin / Gannán: 'descendant of Gannán' (Gannán is a diminutive of a Gaelic personal name, often interpreted as 'little beloved' or possibly 'fair/white') | Irish | Boy | 1,811 #46 | |
| Torin | Likely 'from the rocky hill' (from Gaelic torr = mound/hill) or interpreted as 'chief/Thor's descendant' from Old Norse roots | Irish | Boy | 1,742 #47 | |
| Shaun | God is gracious | Irish | Boy | 1,663 #48 | |
| Dwayne | Little dark one (from Gaelic dubh 'black, dark') | English, Irish | Boy | 1,646 #49 | |
| Seamus | Supplanter | Irish, Irish (Gaelic) | Boy | 1,583 #50 |
Irish Boys name popularity over time
Aggregated births across Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, Australia for every Irish-origin name in our dataset.
1,302
Names in this origin
116
With data in 2025
840
Births 2025
164,124
Peak year 2004