Irish Name Generator

Irish given names and O/Mac surnames built from genuine Gaelic elements, each fragment shown with its attested meaning.

2,843,725 combinations

Aenin Mac Niagal
Aen one + in little
Mac Nia son of champion + gal valorous
son of champion, the valorous
Lasarcarn Ni Conlia
Lasar flame + carn cairn
Ni Con daughter of hound + lia grey
daughter of hound, the grey
Muckcora Flanagan
Muck pig + cora weir
Flanagan ruddy
Cathgow Mac Donnlay
Cath battle + gow smith
Mac Donn son of brown + lay hero
son of brown, the hero
Maevcam Ni Ronlay
Maev intoxicating + cam crooked
Ni Ron daughter of seal + lay hero
daughter of seal, the hero
Ardbawn Tierney
Ard height + bawn white
Tierney lord
Begfada Mac Muirower
Beg small + fada long
Mac Muir son of sea + ower sallow
son of sea, the sallow
Maevvinn Ni Ronvan
Maev intoxicating + vinn melodious
Ni Ron daughter of seal + van white
daughter of seal, the white
Sruthcroagh Quinn
Sruth stream + croagh stack
Quinn counsel
Shanaun O'Rosbeg
Shan old + aun little
O'Ros descendant of wood + beg small
descendant of wood, the small
Glaskeen Nic Donnlia
Glas green + keen smooth
Nic Donn daughter of brown + lia grey
daughter of brown, the grey
Belbawn Keane
Bel river mouth + bawn white
Keane battle
Fearaird O'Cathderg
Fear man + aird height
O'Cath descendant of battle + derg crimson
descendant of battle, the crimson
Sarlia Nic Trenmoyle
Sar excellent + lia grey
Nic Tren daughter of strong + moyle bald
daughter of strong, the bald
Tirmoyle Casey
Tir land + moyle bald
Casey vigilant
Oschad O'Donnower
Os deer + chad war
O'Donn descendant of brown + ower sallow
descendant of brown, the sallow
Rosgeal Ni Dufflaidir
Ros rose + geal bright
Ni Duff daughter of black + laidir sturdy
daughter of black, the sturdy
Clonail Doyle
Clon meadow + ail cliff
Doyle dark stranger
Sulcarn Mac Gilcam
Sul eye + carn cairn
Mac Gil son of servant + cam crooked
son of servant, the crooked
Muirbawn Nic Caellay
Muir sea + bawn pale
Nic Cael daughter of slender + lay hero
daughter of slender, the hero
Sruthmoyle Flanagan
Sruth stream + moyle bald
Flanagan ruddy
Garvcara O'Rosall
Garv rough + cara friend
O'Ros descendant of wood + all mighty
descendant of wood, the mighty
Savcam Nic Aedfada
Sav sweet + cam crooked
Nic Aed daughter of fire + fada long
daughter of fire, the long
Mullenduv Hayes
Mullen summit + duv black
Hayes fire

Need a name that means something in particular? Build one from its meaning.

How Irish names are built

Etymology

¶Older Irish given names are compounds of two real words, and the halves still carry their meanings. Donn brown plus cath battle gives Donnchadh, anglicised Donough or Duncan. Fionn fair plus barr head gives Fionnbharr, now Finbar. Gorm blue plus flaith sovereignty gives Gormlaith. Add the diminutive endings and the pattern widens again: an and in mean little, so Ciaran is the little dark one and Ronan the little seal, from ron, a seal.

The surname system is patronymic and older than English influence. O means descendant of and Mac means son of, so O Conaill is the descendant of Conall and Mac Domhnaill the son of Domhnall. Women take the feminine forms: Ni for an O surname and Nic for a Mac surname, which is why a brother and sister are O Briain and Ni Bhriain. The particle is followed by the ancestor's name in the genitive, which changes its opening sound.

Anglicisation reshaped the spellings rather than the names. Dubh, meaning black, is written Duff, Dow or Dove depending on the scribe; Sean becomes Shane; Ruadh, red, becomes Roe or Roy; the smith name Mac Gabhann came out as McGowan in one county and as plain Smith in the next. This generator uses the anglicised spellings because they are the ones people meet, and gives the Irish word behind each one.

More irish names

Male irish names

Gormbar Mac Donngeal blue head
Begcam Mac Donnbawn small crooked
Riggus Mac Rigbawn king vigour
Gildun O'Duffgeal servant fort
Flannog Mac Donnmor red young
Shancael O'Artgarv old narrow
Roncarn Mac Osgar seal cairn
Roncara O'Cathmoyle seal friend
Caelan O'Aedlay slender little
Glasan Mac Aedfada green little
Caelkertach Mac Trenvan slender skilled
Branlaidir O'Finlaidir raven sturdy
Ardgin O'Faelower high birth
Maelboy Mac Caelgal devotee yellow
Nialay Mac Rigall champion hero
Fianncara O'Muirkeen warrior band friend
Buavinn O'Branreagh victory melodious
Aenkern O'Rosreagh one foot soldier

Female irish names

Muirnlav Nic Colmower affection hand
Rionvan Ni Rongarv queen white
Roslaidir Nic Osvan rose sturdy
Orower Ni Fingarv gold sallow
Flannreagh Nic Trenmoyle red brindled
Morgal Ni Aedlaidir great valour
Ruary Ni Donnlaidir red-haired ruler
Caellay Ni Duffboy slender hero
Sorchcarn Ni Conballagh radiant cairn
Caelvinn Nic Caelbawn slender melodious
Slanloch Nic Aedmoyle health lake
Flannmoyle Nic Niaderg red bald
Ethvan Nic Muirgar kernel white
Aevchad Ni Muirall beauty war
Muirnkertach Ni Ronower affection skilled
Casog Nic Trenballagh curly young
Flannmoyle Ni Finreagh red bald
Uasalfinn Ni Duffgal high-born blonde

Neutral irish names

Shanbo Doyle old cow
Ratheen Hogan ringfort little
Pollannagh Brennan hollow fen
Shanfada Keane old long
Coolannagh Duffy nook fen
Benbo Duffy peak cow
Barrcora Duffy top weir
Toomfern Doyle burial mound alder
Cavanboy Flanagan hollow yellow
Rathbrack Quinn ringfort speckled
Rathcullen Doyle ringfort holly
Slieveen Nolan mountain little
Pollduv Keane hollow black
Clonmullagh Hayes meadow hilltop
Owenduv Quinn river black
Trabrack Murphy beach speckled
Ballaghtra Lynch pass strand
Ardlia Duffy height grey

Questions

FAQ

What are common Irish surnames?

Murphy, Kelly, O'Sullivan, Walsh, O'Brien, Byrne, Ryan, O'Connor, O'Neill and McCarthy head most lists. Nearly all began as a patronymic: Murphy is Ó Murchadha, descendant of Murchadh, sea-warrior; O'Sullivan is Ó Súilleabháin, descendant of the dark-eyed one; Byrne is Ó Broin, descendant of Bran, meaning raven.

What does the O' in Irish names mean?

It is Irish ó, earlier ua, meaning grandson or descendant. Ó Néill is the descendant of Niall, not Niall's own son. Mac means son of, so it marks one generation rather than a line. The apostrophe is an English printer's habit; in Irish the particle stands as a separate word with a space after it.

Is Mac Irish or Scottish?

Both. Mac is the ordinary Gaelic word for son and it is used across Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland, because the two share a language ancestor. Mc is not a Scottish variant, only a shortening of Mac used by writers in both countries. The Ó prefix, by contrast, is almost entirely Irish.

What is the difference between Ó and Ní in a name?

They mark gender. A man is Ó Dónaill, descendant of Dónall; his sister is Ní Dhónaill. The Mac pair works the same way, with Mac for a son and Nic for a daughter. Irish surnames never took the husband's form automatically, so a married woman keeps her own Ní or Nic name in Irish usage.

Are these real Irish names?

The elements are. Every fragment here is a genuine Irish word or name element given with its standard meaning, in the anglicised spelling most readers will recognise. Many combinations are attested names such as Donnchadh, Ciarán and Fionnbharr; others are new but legal pairings built from the same stock of words.