Irish Baby Names: Translations and Meanings

An ongoing trend in baby naming seems to incorporate Irish influence. One can easily understand why: The names are melodic sounding and often refer to great heroes in history. Many parents these days, with or without Irish heritage, enjoy utilizing these beautiful names.

But before one goes too far in this discussion, let us explain a little bit about the Irish language first. The ancient language of Ireland is often referred to simply as "Gaelic." However, this is slightly misleading. Gaelic encompasses all things Gael, including the Scottish language. Scotch Gaelic varies tremendously from Irish Gaelic and even the Irish dialects. However the Irish alphabet remains fairly consistent. The Irish alphabet utilizes the following letters: a á b c d e é f g h i í l m n o ó p r s t u ú. Due to modern influences and loanwords, these letters are incorporated: j k q v w x y z.(Wikipedia.org)

In order for English speakers to be able to pronounce or spell an Irish name, transliteration took place. Transliteration means to spell it out as it is pronounced in the characters of that particular language. For example, the Irish name, Caiomhe, is pronounced "KEY-vah." So it was transliterated Keeva. Since the Irish pronunciations/spellings were so different and unfamiliar to the English eye or tongue, translations were made to almost every name. Most names that we refer to as "Irish" really are not. They are the translations/transliterations or variants. And because the original Irish alphabet does not contain the letter "k" or "y", these names can safely be assumed to be English variants. Kelly, a name popularly thought to be Irish, is actually the derivation of the Irish name, Ceallach or Ó Ceallaigh.

Another issue that comes up with Americanizing the Irish names is pronunciations are sometimes altered in addition to the spellings. One of the predominant examples of this is the name Ciara. Most English speakers look at the name and pronounce it "KEY-air-ah" or "key-ARE-ah." The name is actually pronounced "KEY-rah." Another example is the rising popularity of Aislin or Aisling. This beautiful Irish name means, "vision" or "dream" and is pronounced, "ASH-leeng." If Americans keep this spelling, most are pronouncing it "AZ-lyn."

Unless original spellings/pronunciations are kept, most likely the Irish name is actually an English variant or translation. Here is a list of some of the more popular translations/transliterations and their Irish equivalent:

Ashlyn- This is a misconception. The name is derived from Ashley, an old English name meaning, "ash tree clearing." Some maintain it is derived from Aislin but there is little to support that claim.

Cathleen/Kathleen- Caitlín (pron. "koit-LEEN")

Colleen-cailín, an Irish word referring to a "girl"

Erin- From Eirinn, a form of Eire, the Irish Gaelic word for Ireland

Fiona- Originally a Scottish name though now popularly used in Ireland

Katelyn- Caitlín (pron. "koit-LEEN")

Kaylee- Again, this is a misconception. This name is the English name "Kay" with "-lee" added.

Kelly- Ceallach or Ó Ceallaigh

Kylie- This is actually a misconception. It is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning, "boomerang."

Nora- Though popularly used in Ireland, Nora is most likely derived from the English names Honora or Eleanor. Noreen, a commonly used Irish name, is the diminutive of Nora meaning, "little honorable one."

Rory/Rori- Ruari

Shivawn/Shavonne/Chevon- Siobhan

Aidan-Aodhan

Brian- Brian (pron. BREE-awn)

Colin- Coilin

Connor- Conchobhar

Declan- Deaglan

Dermot- Diarmuid

Dillon/Dylan- From the word, dealan, meaning "a flash of lightening."

Finn- Fionn

Kennedy- Cinnéidigh

Kevin- Caoimhín

Kieran- Ciaran

Liam- Irish short form of the Germanic name, Wilhelm or William

Lochlan/Lachlan- Lochlainn

Patrick- Padraig

Quinn- Ceann

Riley- This is a misconception. This name originates in the old English, meaning "rye clearing." Reilly or O'Reilly is the Irish surname.

Shaun/Shawn- Sean

This list is merely a sampling of Irish/English variations and misconceptions. Most of the names have been altered enough from the original Gaelic, either through pronunciation or spelling, to be considered American or English.

For a listing of true Irish names with pronunciations, visit Baby Names of Ireland.com.

Other resources:

Onomastician Edition.com

Behind the Name.com

Name Nerds.com