Irish Female Name Generator

Authentic Irish women's names with real surnames

Real-World Names & CulturesPart of: real-world name generators500 names

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Generate authentic Irish female names, from modern favourites like Aoife Murphy and Saoirse Kelly to fully Gaelic forms such as Caoimhe Ní Cheallaigh and Gráinne Ní Mhaoláin. Ideal for characters, family-history fiction, Celtic fantasy settings or finding your own Irish name.

About Irish female names

Irish women's names look harder to say than they are. The famous ones follow a handful of rules: Aoife is EE-fa, Saoirse is SEER-sha, Niamh is NEEV, Caoimhe is KWEE-va, Siobhán is shi-VAWN and Sadhbh is SIVE. The vowel cluster "ao" is usually "ee", "bh" and "mh" sound like v, and a fada over a vowel lengthens it, which is why Róisín is ro-SHEEN and Gráinne is GRAWN-ya.

Surnames work differently for women in Irish. A daughter of an Ó family is Ní (Ní Bhriain, Ní Shúilleabháin) and a daughter of a Mac family is Nic (Nic Cárthaigh, Nic Dhiarmada); the following name is softened, so Ó Murchú becomes Ní Mhurchú. A married woman traditionally takes Uí or Mhic. In English all of these flatten to O'Brien, McCarthy and Murphy, which is what most Irish women use day to day.

Generation matters as much as spelling. Fiadh, Éabha, Saoirse and Aoife fill today's primary schools, Sinéad, Gráinne and Siobhán belong to women born in the 1960s and 70s, and Bridget, Kathleen, Maureen, Philomena and Assumpta suit grandmothers or a 1950s emigrant. Match first name to era and surname spelling to setting and the result reads as real.

How to choose Irish female names

  • Check pronunciation before you commit: Aoife is EE-fa, Niamh is NEEV, Caoimhe is KWEE-va, Saoirse is SEER-sha, Sadhbh is SIVE, Clodagh is KLO-da and Bláthnaid is BLAW-nid.
  • Pick one register and stay in it: Ní and Nic surnames (Ní Cheallaigh, Nic Cárthaigh) for Gaeltacht, historical or Celtic-fantasy settings, and anglicised O' and Mc forms for contemporary characters.
  • Match the first name to the character's age: Fiadh, Éabha and Saoirse for girls born since 2010, Aisling, Ciara and Niamh for millennials, Sinéad and Gráinne for their mothers, Bridget and Kathleen for their grandmothers.
  • For a mythic or medieval feel, reach for saga and saint names such as Étaín, Deirdre, Gormlaith, Gobnait, Íde, Lasairfhíona and Muirne instead of modern favourites.
  • Do not give every woman a Murphy or a Kelly; quieter real surnames like Brosnan, Geraghty, Lynskey, Hourihane or Tangney make a cast feel lived-in.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Irish female names right now?

In recent Irish birth statistics the most popular distinctly Irish girls' names are Fiadh, Éabha, Saoirse, Aoife, Caoimhe, Croía, Ciara and Clodagh, with Sadhbh, Méabh and Aoibhinn close behind. Niamh, Aisling, Orla and Sinéad were the big names of earlier decades and now belong to women in their twenties to fifties.

Why do Irish women's surnames start with Ní instead of O'?

In the Irish language Ó means "descendant of" and is masculine; a daughter uses Ní (short for iníon uí, "daughter of the descendant") and a daughter of a Mac family uses Nic. The surname is also lenited, so a man is Ó Briain but his sister is Ní Bhriain. In English both become O'Brien, which is why the prefix difference is only visible in Irish-language forms.

How do I find the Irish version of my own name?

Most English names have an accepted Irish form: Mary is Máire, Margaret is Mairéad, Catherine is Caitríona, Bridget is Bríd, Ellen and Helen are Eibhlín, Sarah is Sorcha, Joan is Siobhán, Jane is Sinéad, Agnes is Úna and Ann is Áine. Find the Irish first name in the list, then attach your surname in its Ní or Nic form.

Can I use these names for fantasy or historical characters?

Yes. The fully Gaelic forms such as Gormlaith Ní Dhomhnaill or Étaín Nic Giolla Phádraig suit medieval, mythic and Celtic-flavoured fantasy, and names like Deirdre, Gráinne, Étaín, Niamh and Clíodhna come straight from Irish legend. For a Victorian or emigrant-era story, use anglicised forms such as Bridget Flanagan or Kathleen Brosnan.

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All 500 Irish female names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 43 names

  • Ailbhe Kilmartin
  • Ailbhe Lalor
  • Ailbhe Ní Chuirc
  • Ailbhe Nic an Bhaird
  • Ailbhe O'Donnell
  • Ailbhe O'Loughlin
  • Áine de Róiste
  • Áine Duffy
  • Áine Lambe
  • Áine Ní Bhroin
  • Áine Ní Mháille
  • Áine O'Meara
  • Aisling Dowling
  • Aisling Doyle
  • Aisling Hannon
  • Aisling Ní Chonchúir
  • Aisling Talbot
  • Aoibhe Carmody
  • Aoibhe McGinley
  • Aoibhe Ní Riagáin
  • Aoibhe Ní Uallacháin
  • Aoibhe Sheehan
  • Aoibheann Foley
  • Aoibheann Mannion
  • Aoibheann Ní Chuana
  • Aoibheann Ní Fhearghail
  • Aoibheann Woulfe
  • Aoibhinn Hanlon
  • Aoibhinn Holohan
  • Aoibhinn Ní Fhloinn
  • Aoibhinn Quinn
  • Aoibhinn Tuohy
  • Aoife Glynn
  • Aoife Murphy
  • Aoife Ní Bhriain
  • Aoife Ní Chearnaigh
  • Aoife Shine
  • Assumpta Duggan
  • Assumpta Hoban
  • Assumpta O'Kane
  • Attracta Dwyer
  • Attracta Kinsella
  • Attracta O'Kelly

B: 25 names

  • Bébhinn Aherne
  • Bébhinn Fitzpatrick
  • Bébhinn Markey
  • Bébhinn Ní Mhóráin
  • Bébhinn Nic Gearailt
  • Bernadette Dorgan
  • Bernadette Guilfoyle
  • Bernadette O'Hagan
  • Bláthnaid Harrington
  • Bláthnaid Horan
  • Bláthnaid Moore
  • Bláthnaid Ní Ghráda
  • Bláthnaid Varley
  • Bríd Hickey
  • Bríd Horgan
  • Bríd McLoughlin
  • Bríd Ní Mheachair
  • Bríd Nic Aoidh
  • Bríd Wallace
  • Bridget Cuddihy
  • Bridget Moloney
  • Bridget Morrison
  • Bridie Devlin
  • Bridie O'Boyle
  • Bridie Tangney

C: 45 names

  • Cáit Ahern
  • Cáit Marron
  • Cáit Ní Ghadhra
  • Cáit Ní Nualláin
  • Cáit O'Leary
  • Caitlín Nic Conmara
  • Caitríona Lawless
  • Caitríona Ní Chatháin
  • Caitríona Ní Dhúill
  • Caitríona O'Mahony
  • Caitríona O'Toole
  • Caoilfhionn Carty
  • Caoilfhionn McGovern
  • Caoilfhionn Ní Dhonnabháin
  • Caoilfhionn Ní Mhurchadha
  • Caoilfhionn Ward
  • Caoimhe Coogan
  • Caoimhe Guiney
  • Caoimhe Ní Cheallaigh
  • Caoimhe O'Brien
  • Caoimhe Stack
  • Carmel Faulkner
  • Carmel Mulcahy
  • Carmel O'Rooney
  • Ceara Fox
  • Ceara Prendergast
  • Ceara Rice
  • Ciara Cassidy
  • Ciara Greaney
  • Ciara Ní Mhurchú
  • Ciara Spillane
  • Ciara Walsh
  • Clíodhna Boyle
  • Clíodhna Leahy
  • Clíodhna Ní Loingsigh
  • Clíodhna Nic Ruairí
  • Clíodhna Phelan
  • Clodagh Dolan
  • Clodagh Hanley
  • Clodagh Ní Bhraonáin
  • Clodagh O'Reilly
  • Clodagh Taaffe
  • Colleen Cusack
  • Colleen Mulrooney
  • Colleen O'Dwyer

D: 30 names

  • Dáirine Barrett
  • Dáirine McAleer
  • Dáirine McDonnell
  • Dáirine Ní Bhaoill
  • Dáirine Ní Mhainnín
  • Dearbháil Frawley
  • Dearbháil Rafferty
  • Dearbháil Rigney
  • Dearbhla Connolly
  • Dearbhla Howley
  • Dearbhla Keogh
  • Dearbhla Ní Mhathúna
  • Dearbhla Wogan
  • Deirdre Hourihane
  • Deirdre Joyce
  • Deirdre Ní Laoire
  • Deirdre O'Carroll
  • Deirdre Waters
  • Dervla Cleary
  • Dervla McGuinness
  • Dervla Ní Chathail
  • Dervla Whelan
  • Doireann Healy
  • Doireann Lehane
  • Doireann Ní Bhriain
  • Doireann Ní Mhuireadhaigh
  • Doireann Purcell
  • Dymphna Fallon
  • Dymphna Lenihan
  • Dymphna O'Malley

E: 44 names

  • Éabha Finnegan
  • Éabha Haughey
  • Éabha Ní Dhubhthaigh
  • Éabha O'Doherty
  • Éabha Timoney
  • Éadaoin Lennon
  • Éadaoin Ní Lochlainn
  • Éadaoin Nic Aodha
  • Éadaoin O'Shea
  • Éadaoin Quigley
  • Eileen Conway
  • Eileen Deasy
  • Eileen Nevin
  • Eilís Loftus
  • Eilís Ní Chonghaile
  • Eilís Ní Éanaí
  • Eilís Redmond
  • Eilís Sweeney
  • Eimear Daly
  • Eimear Hyland
  • Eimear Kiely
  • Eimear Ní Bhuachalla
  • Eimear Ní Mhuirí
  • Eimear Wren
  • Eithne Irwin
  • Eithne Kirwan
  • Eithne Ní Ríordáin
  • Eithne O'Connell
  • Eithne Wynne
  • Emer Clifford
  • Emer Lyons
  • Emer McHugh
  • Emer Ní Fhlannagáin
  • Emer Ní Scolaí
  • Étaín Begley
  • Étaín de Faoite
  • Étaín McAuley
  • Étaín McMahon
  • Étaín Ní Ghuairim
  • Ethna Coffey
  • Ethna de Barra
  • Ethna Higgins
  • Ethna McInerney
  • Ethna Ní Chofaigh

F: 21 names

  • Fiadh Garvey
  • Fiadh Heffernan
  • Fiadh Kennedy
  • Fiadh Ní Bheoláin
  • Fiadh Toner
  • Fidelma Dooley
  • Fidelma Ferriter
  • Fidelma O'Flaherty
  • Fíona Blake
  • Fíona Donnelly
  • Fíona McBride
  • Fíona Ní Eoghain
  • Fíona Nic Shuibhne
  • Fionnghuala Gannon
  • Fionnghuala Rochford
  • Fionnghuala Scanlon
  • Fionnuala Dunne
  • Fionnuala Fitzsimons
  • Fionnuala Jennings
  • Fionnuala Lacey
  • Fionnuala Ní Shé

G: 23 names

  • Geraldine Doran
  • Geraldine Feeney
  • Geraldine O'Gorman
  • Gobnait Brennan
  • Gobnait Fitzmaurice
  • Gobnait Jordan
  • Gobnait Larkin
  • Gobnait Ní Thuathail
  • Gormlaith Bolger
  • Gormlaith McCabe
  • Gormlaith Ní Chaomhánaigh
  • Gormlaith Ní Shé
  • Gormlaith Regan
  • Gráinne Dillon
  • Gráinne Hand
  • Gráinne Ní Mhaoláin
  • Gráinne O'Neill
  • Gráinne Synnott
  • Grania Comerford
  • Grania Cullen
  • Grania McKeown
  • Grania Ní Chatháin
  • Grania Ní Dhubhda

I: 18 names

  • Íde Burke
  • Íde Fitzgibbon
  • Íde Kearns
  • Íde Looney
  • Íde Nic Giolla Phádraig
  • Imelda Fennelly
  • Imelda Mulligan
  • Imelda O'Sullivan
  • Iseult Hayes
  • Iseult Lonergan
  • Iseult Ní Fhlatharta
  • Iseult Rooney
  • Isolde Condon
  • Isolde Keane
  • Isolde McManus
  • Ita Finucane
  • Ita Nagle
  • Ita Ní Bhriain

J: 3 names

  • Josie Doherty
  • Josie Geraghty
  • Josie O'Dea

K: 9 names

  • Kathleen Conlon
  • Kathleen Maher
  • Kathleen McNally
  • Keelin Forde
  • Keelin O'Riordan
  • Keelin Reynolds
  • Kitty Brosnan
  • Kitty Dempsey
  • Kitty O'Beirne

L: 18 names

  • Laoise Gorman
  • Laoise Hession
  • Laoise Murray
  • Laoise Ní Dhuibhir
  • Laoise Troy
  • Lasair Gaughan
  • Lasair Rossiter
  • Lasair Shanahan
  • Lasairfhíona Brosnahan
  • Lasairfhíona de Paor
  • Lasairfhíona Donovan
  • Lasairfhíona McCaffrey
  • Lasairfhíona Ní Cheannabháin
  • Líadan Kavanagh
  • Líadan Loughnane
  • Líadan Ní Chonghaola
  • Líadan Ní Dhálaigh
  • Líadan Scully

M: 47 names

  • Maeve Corcoran
  • Maeve McKenna
  • Maeve McNulty
  • Maeve Ní Chionnaith
  • Máire Clarke
  • Máire Kehoe
  • Máire Meehan
  • Máire Nagle
  • Máire Ní Dhonnchadha
  • Mairéad Campbell
  • Mairéad Fitzhenry
  • Mairéad Keaveney
  • Mairéad Malone
  • Mairéad Ní Chróinín
  • Majella Farrelly
  • Majella Lavelle
  • Majella O'Regan
  • Mary Flaherty
  • Mary Naughton
  • Mary Quirke
  • Maureen Culligan
  • Maureen Mulhern
  • Maureen O'Rourke
  • Méabh Fahy
  • Méabh Gallagher
  • Méabh Hartnett
  • Méabh Ní Raghallaigh
  • Méabh Timmons
  • Meadhbh Lucey
  • Meadhbh Ní Chonaill
  • Meadhbh Ní Churraoin
  • Meadhbh Power
  • Meadhbh Sheridan
  • Mór Gavin
  • Mór Rowan
  • Mór Tierney
  • Muireann Collins
  • Muireann Fitzharris
  • Muireann Keating
  • Muireann Madden
  • Muireann Ní Chaoimh
  • Muireann Ní Cheallacháin
  • Muirne Burns
  • Muirne Flanagan
  • Muirne McCann
  • Muirne Nic Craith
  • Muirne Nic Dhonncha

N: 31 names

  • Neasa Lydon
  • Neasa McGrath
  • Neasa Ní Dhúnlaing
  • Neasa Ní Fhátharta
  • Neasa Slattery
  • Nessa Barry
  • Nessa Butler
  • Nessa McCormack
  • Nessa Ní Mhóráin
  • Nessa Ní Raghallaigh
  • Niamh Bohan
  • Niamh Grace
  • Niamh Ní Chonbhuí
  • Niamh Nic Cárthaigh
  • Niamh O'Sullivan
  • Niamh Skehan
  • Nora Flood
  • Nóra Hughes
  • Nóra Kelleher
  • Nóra Molloy
  • Nóra Ní Fhaoláin
  • Nora Noonan
  • Nóra Plunkett
  • Nora Rabbitte
  • Noreen Buckley
  • Noreen Curran
  • Noreen Mullane
  • Nuala Corrigan
  • Nuala Hogan
  • Nuala McQuaid
  • Nuala Ní Shíocháin

O: 22 names

  • Oonagh Coughlan
  • Oonagh Meagher
  • Oonagh Ní Laighin
  • Oonagh O'Keeffe
  • Órfhlaith de Búrca
  • Órfhlaith Lysaght
  • Órfhlaith Moran
  • Órfhlaith Tully
  • Órfhlaith Uí Bhriain
  • Orla Egan
  • Orla Harkin
  • Orla McCarthy
  • Orla Ní Néill
  • Orla Teehan
  • Orlagh Fogarty
  • Orlagh O'Halloran
  • Orlagh Reddy
  • Orlaith Cahill
  • Orlaith Kane
  • Orlaith McDaid
  • Orlaith Ní Bhrádaigh
  • Orlaith Ní Chathasaigh

P: 6 names

  • Peggy Delaney
  • Peggy Kearney
  • Peggy Nugent
  • Philomena Drennan
  • Philomena Hennessy
  • Philomena O'Hanlon

R: 23 names

  • Réaltín Callaghan
  • Réaltín Cunningham
  • Réaltín McElroy
  • Réaltín Ní Chathasaigh
  • Réaltín Ní Dhomhnalláin
  • Ríoghnach Gleeson
  • Ríoghnach Ní hUiginn
  • Ríoghnach Sexton
  • Ríoghnach Twomey
  • Ríona Dunphy
  • Ríona Kinane
  • Ríona Ní Chuinn
  • Ríona Ní Chuinneagáin
  • Ríona O'Callaghan
  • Ríona O'Hara
  • Róisín Byrne
  • Róisín Costello
  • Roisin Coyle
  • Róisín Hackett
  • Roisin Magee
  • Roisin Minogue
  • Róisín Ní Dhomhnaill
  • Róisín Stapleton

S: 62 names

  • Sabina Gibbons
  • Sabina Savage
  • Sabina Tobin
  • Sadhbh Gilmartin
  • Sadhbh Herlihy
  • Sadhbh Lynch
  • Sadhbh Ní Chearbhaill
  • Sadhbh Traynor
  • Saidhbhín Geoghegan
  • Saidhbhín Ruane
  • Saidhbhín Treacy
  • Saoirse Behan
  • Saoirse Gough
  • Saoirse Kelly
  • Saoirse Ní Shúilleabháin
  • Saoirse Shortall
  • Seosaimhín Canavan
  • Seosaimhín Griffin
  • Seosaimhín McEvoy
  • Seosaimhín Ní Fhoghlú
  • Seosaimhín Nic Pháidín
  • Shauna Creedon
  • Shauna McNamara
  • Shauna Mohan
  • Sheila Dalton
  • Sheila Murtagh
  • Sheila Roche
  • Sibéal Casey
  • Sibéal Mangan
  • Sibéal Ní Chléirigh
  • Sibéal Uí Chonaire

S, continued

  • Sibéal Wall
  • Síle Cantillon
  • Síle Kilcoyne
  • Síle Nealon
  • Síle Ní Ghiollagáin
  • Síle Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh
  • Síle Ní Ruairc
  • Síle Nolan
  • Sinéad Cronin
  • Sinéad Halligan
  • Sinéad Ní Ghallchóir
  • Sinéad Ryan
  • Sinéad Sugrue
  • Siobhán Crowley
  • Siobhán Halpin
  • Siobhán Nic Dhiarmada
  • Siobhán O'Connor
  • Siobhán Sullivan
  • Siún Ní Cheallaigh
  • Sláine Brady
  • Sláine MacSweeney
  • Sláine Ní Choileáin
  • Sláine Tynan
  • Sláine Uí Dhomhnaill
  • Sorcha Cantwell
  • Sorcha Kilbride
  • Sorcha Maguire
  • Sorcha Mulvey
  • Sorcha Ní Chuilinn
  • Sorcha Ní hEalaithe
  • Sorcha Nic Cormaic

T: 20 names

  • Tara Crimmins
  • Tara Flynn
  • Tara Killeen
  • Tara Ní Cholmáin
  • Tara O'Grady
  • Theresa Donohoe
  • Theresa Lynskey
  • Theresa O'Driscoll
  • Treasa Dillane
  • Treasa Fitzgerald
  • Treasa Kiernan
  • Treasa Morrissey
  • Treasa Ní hAodha
  • Treasa Ní Ógáin
  • Treasa Nic Giolla Íosa
  • Tuathla Carey
  • Tuathla Kenny
  • Tuathla McGarry
  • Tuathla Ní Ghráda
  • Tuathla Ní Laoghaire

U: 10 names

  • Una Crotty
  • Úna Kerrigan
  • Una MacDermott
  • Una Monaghan
  • Úna Mooney
  • Úna Nangle
  • Úna Ní Eidhin
  • Úna Ní Ghríofa
  • Úna Nic Cionnaith
  • Úna O'Farrell