Rare Irish Names Modern American Parents Should Consider

Unknown and rare Irish names are plentiful, so it’s a shame that few American parents know them. Irish names have always been popular in the United States, but there are some that American parents looking for names have never heard of.

It was recently revealed that an Irish name for boys was the most popular with parents welcoming newborns in the United States in 2023. Liam topped the list with other names of Irish origin appearing like Owen and Aiden.

In the meantime, a clear trend has emerged regarding Irish names for girls in the United States. Names derived from Irish surnames, such as Kennedy and Riley, have proven popular.

However, we want to introduce you to some Irish names that you have never heard before. Here are some unknown and rare Irish baby names that we think American parents should consider for their future son or daughter.

Fionan

Pronunciation: fee-yun-on

Fionan is a very rare Irish name for boys. It shares its meaning and origin with the name Finn, which is a much more popular name for boys in the United States and around the world.

Fionan comes from the Old Irish Fionn, inspired by the powerful warrior of Irish folklore Fionn Mac Cumbhal (Finn McCool). Finn McCool is associated with the mythology attached to iconic Irish locations like the Giant’s Causeway.

Laoise

Pronunciation: Leesha

Laoise is perhaps one of the most difficult Irish names to pronounce for people who do not understand the Irish language. Laoise is a beautiful Irish name for girls which means “light”.

Faolán

Pronunciation: fway-lon

Another rare and largely unknown Irish name for boys is Faolán. This name is one of the Irish names inspired by animals and wildlife as it means “little wolf”.

Aoibhinn

Pronunciation: ee-veen

Aoibhínn is a name you would hear in Ireland but never in the United States. It’s an Irish name for girls meaning “beauty”, similar to more popular names like Aoife.

Paraic

Pronunciation: Paw-rick

Páraic is a name you may know better than you think. Páraic is one of the Irish variations of the first name Patrick.

It is similar to names like Pádraig, Paddy and Páidí. It means “one who belongs to the patrician class”.

Sadhbh

Pronunciation: sive

Sadhbh will puzzle someone who doesn’t know the rules of the Irish language. Sadhbh means “gentle” and “lovely”. It can also be written as Saibh.

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