Boy Names of Irish language or origin
Irish names for baby boys, with 2310 entries. Many Irish names are considered Celtic in origin because Ireland was one of the six Celtic nations in western Europe. Traditional names in Irish tongue were gradually anglicized in the 16th and 17th century when the Irish increasingly identified themselves with the English. However, with the onset of the Irish nationalist movement in the 19th century, a reversal to the ubiquitous O’s and Mc’s in Irish names took place.
Irish names are very popular baby names for boys. The names rose in popularity from the 1930s up to the 1970s. At the height of their usage in 1973, 7.809% of baby boys were given Irish names. There were 43 Irish names ranked within the top 1000 baby names then. Irish names have since experienced a decline in frequency. In 2018, 57 Irish names listed among the top 1000, with a combined usage of 4.809%. Within all Irish names, the English, Gaelic, and Irish Liam was the most commonly used, with a ranking of #1 and a usage of 1.0284%.