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IRISH BABY NAMES are making their mark across the world.
We’re used to looking at lists of what baby names are popular in Ireland, but what about the Irish names that are making waves overseas?
It’s a tricky thing to do because not every country releases a list every year, and even from those that do sometimes it’s difficult to say exactly where a names comes from.
Celtic names, Latin names and even English language names have been mixed for centuries now, but there are some names that certainly our own.
So without being extensive about it, here are some Irish names that are representing us abroad.
(We’re leaving out the UK by the way because there’s far too much overlap, both name wise and with Irish people living there.)
It doesn’t require much explanation to know why Irish names are popular in the US, all that emigration and the whole English-speaking connection doesn’t hurt either.
In the US, the Baby Center website is a good resource for having a good nose through the list of names and it throws up some good Irish names.
One theme internationally is the popularity of the name Liam.
It’s been a well-known name for some time and the fact that it’s a derivative of the ever-popular William also helps. In the US, Liam was second most-popular boys’ name this year, behind only Jackson.
Three other names of Irish-origin made the top 50. They were Aiden, (#9) Logan (#10), Connor (#34) and Owen (#38).
Among the girls, there are a few names that have English origins but could also be considered Irish, they are Evelyn (#12) and Riley (#23).
Okay, so the above singer might pronounce her name ‘See-air-a’, but it’s spelt Ciara so we’re claiming that. Pronounced either way, the name is in 44th place in the top 100 list of girls’ names in Canada.
On the boys’ side, the aforementioned Liam takes the top spot as the most-popular boys name in Canada. There’s also a few others to make the top 100, Declan (#84) and Finn (#88).
Moving to the southern hemisphere, but keeping it in the English-speaking world, our Australian cousins have been busy choosing Irish names for their babies.
Irish boys’ names appear to be more popular than girls with four making the list, Liam (#25), Lachlan (#30) and Connor (#31) all featuring quite high.
For girls, there’s one inclusion further down the list. Quinn may be more known as a surname in Ireland buts it’s #78 on the first-name list for girls.
We might even claim Kiara (#99) as it sounds the same as the Irish Ciara.
The final English language country is among the most Irish-prone of the list here. In New Zealand’s top 100 baby names they have one Irish girls’ name and no less than seven boys’ names.
Again, Quinn (#47) features for the girls while for the boys there is Liam (#11), Connor (#29), Finn (#34), Austin (#41), Logan (#50), Quinn (#79) and Patrick (#90).
Europe
Finally, for the hell of it, we took a look at two European countries, France and Germany, to see if the Irish influence and Gallic history has seen Irish names make an appearance in their lists.
Shock of shocks, Liam is among the most popular names in both countries, it’s in 8th place in France and 17th in Germany among the boys.
France’s top baby names are published in a book every year called L’Officiel des prénoms and website enfant.com gives a bit of background about the name Liam.
First name to Celtic origins, Liam is the Irish form of William, himself derived from Guillaume. It is celebrated on 10 January with Saint Guillaume, a relative of the Counts of Nevers at the beginning of the 13th century, who was Archbishop of Bourges.
There’s one more on the French list, Nolan breaks into the top 20 of male baby names in 15th place.
As the same website points out, Nolan: “Is a Celtic derivative of Neil, Niall, meaning ‘the young hero, the young champion’.”
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Can’t believe Snowflake and Millennial didn’t feature in the top 10.
@Gareth Cooney: I love Number 22! Great name.
@Number 22: pretending to be someone that you don’t like is pathetic
Logan and Lachlan can F off
Owen is not of Irish origin, it’s Welsh. Eoin is Irish.
@Nik Robinson: thought Eoghan was the Irish version. Makes no difference, they’re all celtic
@Dave O Keeffe: Eoghan is an old spelling of it but in the western isles of Scotland its pronounced Ewan. I’m told by an Irish scholar that’s actually how it should be pronounced with the reference of being of the Yew tree. I have a son of that name with it being in the family over hundreds of years so had to do the background.
Thought Logan was Scottish.
There’s also a trend in America of giving Irish surnames as forenames.
I always thought it funny that Liam is the Irish for William, when all they really did was drop the first three. Letters……..
@Sean Higgins: chicken and egg
@Sean Higgins: It’s a shorter form of the Irish name Uilliam, which originated from the Frankish Willahelm, meaning “helmet of will.” Liam is also a shortened version of “William.”
The only time I ever heard Logan before this was as a surname…no one in Ireland calls their kid Logan.
@Bortoli: Maybe it’s from Wolverine in the X Men.
@Bortoli: what’s another year
Is Connor with two ns a surname rather than first name?
@Abe Brennan: guess it could go either way
@Abe Brennan: Traditionally, yes, but all bets are off these days. It’s the same with Denis and Dennis.
What about Mary and Geraldine
Now listen here me bucko…I’m pretty sure Lachlan is of Scottish origin. And Austin?
Wait, what? Latin influences or summink, I think. Im open to correction on all of the above, mind….
Anyone care to guess what the No.1 boy’s name is in the UK?
@Simon O’Connor: No. They all end up being called “arsehole” anyway.
@Simon O’Connor: It’s Oliver, followed by Harry, George, Jack, and then Jakob.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: Lol well done!
Braxton is very popular in ‘working’ class areas
@Martin: London it’s Brixton, very popular with West Indians
Since when was Riley considered to be Irish ?
Most foreigners don’t have a clue where Ireland is…. even in the English speaking countries. So they don’t pick names because they’re Irish.. they pick them because the local culture had made them interesting. Arrogant and dumb to think we’re that interesting in a vast and much more interesting world. Small man syndrome
Mohammed not being no1 yet? Lol
Who puts a hat like that on a defenceless child?
Thumbs up if you’ve never heard of Logan as a first name in Ireland.
The yanks huh? Tchhh…
Lotty.!!! Tiger Lilly.. for f–k sake
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