175+ Irish Dog Names (With Meanings)

Aisling

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish Gaelic. This name was created in the 20th century.

Alaina

Variant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine.

Alani

A nomadic Iranian people who flourished in the 2nd-4th centuries a.d. and are ancestors of the present-day Ossets.

Alayna

Variant of Alaina.

Alma

a town in SE Quebec, in SE Canada.

Alvy

1977 film by Woody Allen.

Amery

Variant of Emery.

Angus

A historic county in E Scotland.

Aoife

Means "beauty" from the Irish word aoibh, Old Irish eb. In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. In war against her sister Scathach, she was defeated in single combat by the hero Cchulainn. Eventually she was reconciled with her sister and became the lover of Cchulainn. This name is sometimes used as a Gaelic form of Eve or Eva.

Ardal

Anglicized form of Ardghal.

Assana

Comorian football player.

Bailey

The defensive wall surrounding an outer court of a castle.

Barrington

A town in E Rhode Island.

Beacan

Village in Connacht, Ireland.

Beacon

A guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, especially one in an elevated position.

Bidelia

Diminutive of Bridget.

Blarney

Flattering or wheedling talk; cajolery.

Bono

Irish musician, U2 vocalist.

Boxty

Traditional Irish potato pancake.

Brad

Short form of Bradley, Bradford and other names beginning with Brad. A famous bearer is American actor Brad Pitt (1963).

Brady

From an Irish surname that was derived from Brdaigh meaning "descendant of Brdach".

Breen

A deep brownish green.

Brennan

U.S. lawyer and jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1956-90.

Bria

Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.

Bridget

Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid meaning "exalted one". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. In the 5th century it was borne by Saint Brigid, the founder of a monastery at Kildare and a patron saint of Ireland. Because of the saint, the name was considered sacred in Ireland, and it did not come into general use there until the 17th century. In the form Birgitta this name has been common in Scandinavia, made popular by the 14th-century Saint Birgitta of Sweden, patron saint of Europe.

Brielle

Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.

Brody

From a surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.

Bryna

Butterfly genus in family Lycaenidae.

Cabbage

Any of several cultivated varieties of a plant, Brassica oleracea capitata, of the mustard family, having a short stem and leaves formed into a compact, edible head.

Callaghan

British political leader: prime minister 1976-79.

Carey

From an Irish surname that was derived from Ciardha meaning "descendant of Ciardha".

Case

An instance of the occurrence, existence, etc., of something: Sailing in such a storm was a case of poor judgment.

Casey

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Cathasaigh meaning "descendant of Cathasach". This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case, Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.

Cash

Money in the form of coins or banknotes, especially that issued by a government.

Cassian

From the Roman family name Cassianus, which was derived from Cassius. This was the name of several saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Tangier who is the patron saint of stenographers and a 5th-century mystic who founded a monastery in Marseille.

Cassidy

From an Irish surname that was derived from Caiside meaning "descendant of Caiside".

Catlee

American actor.

Cedric

A male-given name.

Celt

An ax of stone or metal without perforations or grooves for hafting.

Channe

American sports reporter.

Charm

Charm that can inspire devotion in others.

Cian

Means "ancient" in Irish. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of Brian Boru.

Ciara

American singer, songwriter, dancer, and model

Cillian

Probably comes from Gaelic ceall meaning "church" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelized in Franconia. He was martyred in Würzburg.

Clancy

U.S. novelist.

Clover

Any of various plants of the genus Trifolium, of the legume family, having trifoliolate leaves and dense flower heads, many species of which, as T. pratense, are cultivated as forage plants.

Colleen

Derived from the Irish word cailn meaning "girl". It is not commonly used in Ireland itself, but has been used in America since the early 20th century.

Conall

Means "strong wolf" in Irish. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged Cchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.

Conan

A male-given name.

Connemara

A mountainous region in County Galway, W Ireland, on the Atlantic coast.

Connor

Canadian novelist and clergyman.

Corey

U.S. chemist and educator: Nobel Prize 1990.

Corin

French form of Quirinus.

Cork

The phellem layer of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use.

Covey

A brood or small flock of partridges or similar birds.

Cowan

Suburb of Hornsby Shire, New South Wales, Australia

Cullen

U.S. poet.

Dagda

Means "good god" in Celtic. In Irish myth Dagda (called also The Dagda) was the powerful god of the earth, knowledge, magic, abundance and treaties, a leader of the Tuatha De Danann. He was skilled in combat and healing and possessed a huge club, the handle of which could revive the dead.

Darby

A float having two handles, used by plasterers.

Darcy

A unit of permeability, representing the flow, at 1 atmosphere, of 1 cubic centimeter of fluid with 1 centipoise viscosity in 1 second through a 1-square-centimeter cross section of porous medium 1 centimeter long.

Darick

American artist.

Declan

Anglicized form of Irish Deagln, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to Ireland.

Deidra

Variant of Deirdre.

Deirdre

The wife of Naoise, who killed herself after her husband had been murdered by his uncle, King Conchobar.

Delaney

From Irish surname Delaney.

Dempsey

U.S. boxer: world heavyweight champion 1919-26.

Dermot

Anglicized form of Diarmaid.

Derval

Anglicized form of Dearbhil or Deirbhile.

Dillon

Variant of Dylan based on the spelling of the surname Dillon, which has an unrelated origin.

Donegal

A county in the N Republic of Ireland. 1,865 sq. mi. (4,830 sq. km). County seat: Lifford.

Donovan

U.S. lawyer and military officer: organizer and director of the OSS 1942-45.

Doyle

British physician, novelist, and detective-story writer.

Driscol

Drug that binds to but does not activate muscarinic cholinergic receptors.

Duane

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Dubhn meaning "descendant of Dubhn".

Dublin

A seaport in and the capital of the Republic of Ireland, in the E part, on the Irish Sea.

Duff

The buttocks or rump: If you don't like the way things are, get off your duff and do something about it!

Eagan

A town in SE Minnesota.

Eavan

Irish poet, author, and professor.

Eileen

A female-given name, form of Helen.

Elva

A female-given name: from an Old English word meaning "elf."

Elvinia

Filipino folk song.

Emerald

From the word for the green precious stone, which is the birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

Ennis

From an Irish surname that was derived from inis meaning "island".

Enya

Irish singer, songwriter, and musician.

Erin

Anglicized form of Eireann. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century.

Evan

A male given name, Welsh form of John.

Eve

The evening or the day before a holiday, church festival, or any date or event: Christmas Eve; the eve of an execution.

Eveleen

Either a diminutive of Eve or a variant of Evelyn.

Faiion

Popular style or practice in clothing, personal adornment, or decorative arts.

Fallon

From an Irish surname that was derived from Fallamhain meaning "descendant of Fallamhan". The given name Fallamhan meant "leader". It was popularized in the 1980s by a character on the soap opera Dynasty.

Farran

Village in Munster, Ireland.

Farrell

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Fearghail meaning "descendant of Fearghal".

Fay

Derived from Middle English faie meaning "fairy", ultimately (via Old French) from Latin fata meaning "the Fates". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Arthurian legends in the name of Morgan le Fay. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In some cases it may be used as a short form of Faith.

Fergus

One of the great warrior kings of Ulster.

Fiannan

Fantasy novel series by K. A. Applegate.

Finley

A male given name.

Finn

A leader of the Fenian warriors and the father of Ossian: the subject of many legends.

Finnegan

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Fionnagin meaning "descendant of Fionnagn". The name Fionnagn is a diminutive of Fionn. This was the name of a character in James Joyce's novel Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called Finnegan's Wake.

Finola

Anglicized form of Fionnuala.

Fiona

Feminine form of Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1762), in which it is spelled as Fina.

Flanagan

From an Irish surname that was derived from Flannagin meaning "descendant of Flannagn". The given name Flannagn is derived from Irish flann "red" and a diminutive suffix.

Flynn

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Floinn meaning "descendant of Flann".

Gael

Celtic ethnic group of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man

Galen

Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher

Gallagher

From an Irish surname that was derived from Gallchobhair meaning "descendant of Gallchobhar".

Galway

Town in Connacht, Ireland

Grard

a male given name, form of Gerald.

Gillian

Medieval English feminine form of Julian. This spelling has been in use since the 13th century, though it was not declared a distinct name from Julian until the 17th century.

Griffin

Latinized form of Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).

Guinness

Irish brand of beer

Haley

Variant of Hayley.

Ian

a male given name, Scottish form of John.

Iona

an island in the Hebrides, off the W coast of Scotland: center of early Celtic Christianity.

Izod

Clothing company

Jana

2004 film directed by Shaji Kailas

Kady

Village in Masovian Voivodeship, Poland

Keith

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name, itself probably derived from the Brythonic element cet meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Kelly

a man's stiff hat, as a derby or straw skimmer.

Kennedy

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Cinnidigh meaning "descendant of Cenntig". The name is often given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).

Kera

village in Gujarat, India

Kerry

From the name of the Irish county, called Ciarra in Irish Gaelic, which means "Ciar's people".

Kevin

Anglicized form of the Irish name Caoimhn meaning "handsome birth", derived from the older Cemgein, composed of the Old Irish elements cem "kind, gentle, handsome" and gein "birth". Saint Caoimhn established a monastery in Glendalough, Ireland in the 6th century and is the patron saint of Dublin. It became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland in the middle of the 20th century, and elsewhere in Europe in the late 20th century.

Kilkenny

a county in Leinster, in the SE Republic of Ireland. 796 sq. mi. (2,060 sq. km).

Killarney

a town in the SW Republic of Ireland.

Kirby

a fishhook having an even bend.

Leary

a less common variant of leery1.

Leprechaun

Irish legendary creature

Lia

the first wife of Jacob. Genesis 29:23-26.

Liam

Irish short form of William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017.

Limerick

a kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.

Lucky

having or marked by good luck; fortunate: That was my lucky day.

Maeve

Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. Her fight against Ulster and the hero Cchulainn is told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Maire

Derived from Finnish mairea meaning "gushing, sugary".

Malone

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".

Maureen

a female given name, Irish form of Mary.

Mirna

Means "peaceful" in Serbian and Croatian.

Molly

Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.

Moncha

1973 Spanish film directed by Amando de Ossorio

Murphy

an Irish or white potato.

Murray

From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin

Neala

Canadian actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director

Neve

granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.

Niall

Original Gaelic spelling of Neil.

Nolan

From an Irish surname that was derived from Nuallin meaning "descendant of Nualln". The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Noreen

a female given name, Irish diminutive of Nora.

Norris

U.S. novelist and editor.

Ona

a member of a people of Tierra del Fuego.

Oscar

Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Gaelic os "deer" and cara "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name Osgar or its Old Norse cognate sgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisn and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhail.This name was popularized in continental Europe by the works of the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson [1]. Napoleon was an admirer of Macpherson, and he suggested Oscar as the second middle name of his godson, who eventually became king of Sweden as Oscar I. Another notable bearer was the Irish writer and humourist Oscar Wilde (1854-1900).

Paddy

a rice field. Slang for Patrick

Patrick

British missionary and bishop in Ireland: patron saint of Ireland.

Peggy

Medieval variant of Meggy, a diminutive of Margaret. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.

Phelan

Anglicized form of Faoln.

Potato

the edible tuber of a cultivated plant, Solanum tuberosum, of the nightshade family.

Puca

(in folklore) an Irish spirit, mischievous but not malevolent, corresponding to the English Puck.

Quinn

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Cuinn meaning "descendant of Conn".

Rainbow

From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

Reagan

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ragin meaning "descendant of Riagn". This surname was borne by American president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).

Riley

From a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English.

Ronan

a king who killed his son, Mael Fothartaigh, after his wife had falsely accused the boy of attempting to seduce her, and who was himself killed by the children of Mael Fothartaigh.

Rory

Anglicized form of Ruaidhr.

Rosalyn

Variant of Rosaline using the popular name suffix lyn.

Rosin

the yellowish to amber, translucent, hard, brittle, fragmented resin left after distilling the oil of turpentine from the crude oleoresin of the pine: used chiefly in making varnishes, varnish and paint driers, printing inks, and for rubbing on the bows of such string instruments as the violin.

Ryan

From an Irish surname that was derived from Riain meaning "descendant of Ran". The given name Ran probably means "little king" (from Irish r "king" combined with a diminutive suffix).

Saoirse

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic.

Sean

Anglicized form of Sen.

Shamrock

A sprig of young clover, used as a symbol of Ireland

Shandy

Family of drinks made of beer mixed with a soft drink

Shane

Anglicized form of Sen. It came into general use in America after the release of the western movie Shane (1953).

Shannon

From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called Abha an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the goddess Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely the goddess was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient" [1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.

Shawn

U.S. dancer and choreographer (husband of Ruth St. Denis).

Shay

Geared steam locomotive

Shea

Anglicized form of Saghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.

Sheena

Anglicized form of Sne. This name was popularized outside of Scotland in the 1980s by the singer Sheena Easton (1959-).

Sheila

a girl or young woman.

Sullivan

From an Irish surname that was derived from Sileabhin meaning "descendant of Sileabhn". The name Sileabhn means "little dark eye" in Irish.

Sun

the star that is the central body of the earth's solar system, around which the planets revolve and from which they receive light and heat: its mean distance from the earth is about 93 million miles (150 million km), its diameter about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km), and its mass about 330,000 times that of the earth; its period of surface rotation is about 25 days at its equator but longer at higher latitudes.

Sybil

Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.

Tag

a piece or strip of strong paper, plastic, metal, leather, etc., for attaching by one end to something as a mark or label: The price is on the tag.

Teagan

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Tadhgin meaning "descendant of Tadhgn". The given name Tadhgn is a diminutive of Tadhg.

Tier

one of a series of rows or ranks rising one behind or above another, as of seats in an amphitheater, boxes in a theater, guns in a man-of-war, or oars in an ancient galley.

Tierney

Anglicized form of Tighearnach. In part, it is from a surname derived from the given name.

Tiffany

Medieval form of Theophania. This name was traditionally given to girls born on the Epiphany (January 6), the festival commemorating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. The name died out after the Middle Ages, but it was revived by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the title of which refers to the Tiffany's jewelry store in New York.

Van Morrison

Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician

Wexford

a county in Leinster province, in the SE Republic of Ireland. 908 sq. mi. (2,350 sq. km).

Whiskey

an alcoholic liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grain, as barley, rye, or corn, and usually containing from 43 to 50 percent alcohol.