The Irish are famous for their beautiful, somewhat bizarre names.
If you’re looking for aunique baby name, why not borrow a classic name from the Irish?
Many names use something called afada, which is a slanted accent over a vowel.
Thefadaindicates a specific pronunciation change (viaThe Guardian).
It can also make your baby’s name look even prettier on paper.
Here are some stunning Irish names along with information about their history and their pronunciation.
Aoife
Aoife is a girls' name of Gaelic origin.
While it may look likeay-oh-eef, it’s actually pronouncedee-fah which we think is absolutely gorgeous!
The name, in fact, dates all the way back to ancient mythology.
AsOxford Referenceexplained, Aife was a famous warrior queen.
In other words, she was pretty powerful!
Apparently, as of this writing, the name is the 1,768th most-popular name (viaBabyCenter).
Declan
Declan is traditionally a boys' name.
According toBabyNames.com, the name comes from the Gaelic name Deaglan and means “full of goodness.”
The name also has links to an ancient Irish saint who founded theMonastery of Ardmore.
Perhaps because of its relatively easy pronunciation, Declan is one of the more popular Irish names.
Declan is a fairly common name these days.
In fact, as of 2021, it is the90th most-popularname in the United States.
AsBabyNames.comexplained, the name means “freedom.”
“As I’ve gotten older I just find it really funny,” she said.
She pronounces itseer-shah,while Americans would pronounce itser-shah.
In other parts of Ireland, however, the name is sometimes pronouncedsore-shah.
“Everyone’s got their own version of it,” she said.
If you’re brave enough to deal with plenty of mispronunciations, this is one stunning Irish name.
Eoin
Eoin is a classic Irish boys' name.
While you may read this name asee-an, it’s actually pronounced like the English name Owen.
This makes it a familiar, recognizable, and memorable name with a unique, historic spelling.
AsBabyNames.comwrote, the name means “God is gracious.”
Other famous Eoins include American tennis playerEoin Collinsand Irish soccer playerEoin Jess.
If you make a run at sound it out, you might come up with something likeneye-am.
However, this gorgeous name is actually pronouncedneev we know, it doesn’t make any sense!
According toBabyNames.com,Niamh translates to mean “bright.”
Eventually, she fell in love with a poet named Oisin.
Basically, she’s like the Irish Little Mermaid!
Niamh is still a relatively unknown name in America.
Finian
Finian is an adorable boys' name that has Gaelic origins.
AsBabyNames.comnoted, the name means “white.”
While this may have slightly uncomfortable connotations, Finian, itself, is a lovely, classic Irish name.
However, Finian is a lovely name for theater fans who want to pay homage to a classic.
There are few famous Finians today aside from a couple ofIrish athletes and a politician.
This means that your child will have a truly unique name.
Plus, you’ll get to use theadorable nickname"Finn!"
Roisin
Roisin is a girls' Irish name that, according toBabyNames.com, means “rose.”
One famous Roisin is Roisin Murphy, the dance-electronica singer.
Her 2020 album “Roisin Machine” literally gave us all a lesson in Irish name pronunciation.
Clearly, lots of people go for the obviousroy-sinwhen they read the name.
Cillian can also be spelled “Killian” for parents looking for something even more unusual.
In Ireland, the name Cillian is extremely common.
In fact, in 2011, it was the 11th most-popular name in the country.
In the U.S., the name is also becoming more and more common.
Cara
Here’s another gorgeous Irish girls' name.
According toThe Bump, Cara has a Gaelic origin and means “beloved” or “friend.”
Cara can be pronounced as eithercah-rahorkee-rah.
In recent years, Cara has become relatively well known, thanks to British model and actress Cara Delevingne.
Delevingne even did an Irish accent for the series “Carnival Row.”
Who knows, maybe she has some Irish heritage in her family line?
Cara is the 734th most-popular name in the U.S. as of 2021, according toBabyCenter.
The name is pronouncedoh-sheenand rhymes with the girls' name Roisin.
Most Americans struggle with this name, as demonstrated by Saoirse Ronan on “The Late Show.”
It seems that even British people have difficulty with this one.
Oisin was, apparently, a warrior and a poet, according to Irish legend.
He finally returns to Ireland hundreds of years later to find his friends are dead.
It may not be the cheeriest story, but it’s a beautiful poem.
It also has a beautiful meaning according toBabyNames.com, the name means “dream” or “vision.”
You probably won’t come across many Aislings in the States.
According toBabyCenter, it’s 2,820th in terms of popularity.
Bea is an actor and comedian known for “This Way Up” and “Living With Yourself.”
We think Aisling is a beautiful name for a baby girl.
Plus, if you’re worried about the mispronunciations, many people use the spelling “Ashling.”
And, you’ve got the option to use the adorable nickname “Ash!”
Liam
Liam is one of the most common Irish boys' names.
According toBabyNames.com, it directly translates to mean “with gilded helmet.”
The name originally derives from the name William, which comes from the Belgic word “guildhelm.”
While many Irish names are extremely unusual and difficult to spell, Liam is the opposite.
The name has become incredibly common in the United States.
Apparently, multiple countries have now overtaken Ireland in terms of the name’s popularity.
In other words, if you choose this name, your child will be in good company.
Aine
Aine is, in our opinion, one of the prettiest Irish girls' names.
While it may look likeain, it’s actually pronouncedawn-yah, similar to the Russian name Anya.
This name is also, essentially, the Irish version of the name Anna.
According toBabyNames.com, the name means “gracious” or “merciful” and comes from Irish mythology.
If you’ve never come across this name, there’s probably a good reason.
According toBabyCenter, this name was the 4,621st most-popular name in the United States in 2021.
In fact, there are very few well-known Aines.
Who knows, maybe she wanted to resurrect this beautiful, old Irish name.
We can definitely see why this name deserves a revival.
Connell
Connell is an Irish boys' name that is pronounced much like it’s spelled caw-nul.
This is a relatively-common Irish name that won’t turn too many heads.
According toBabyNames.com, it means “strong wolf.”
Another version of the name is “Conal,” which is the Scottish version of the same name.
O’Connell is also a fairly common Irish surname.
The name became much more popular in 2020, rising to No.5,214in the United States.
Another famous Connell is Connell McShane, the Fox News reporter.
