Wexford, is also known as Clody River, and it may be this association with the word ‘clody’ which has stopped Clodagh from spreading as far out of Ireland as many other Irish girls’ names have. There are a couple of famous namesakes, namely singer Clodagh Rodgers and chef Clodagh McKenna.

Clodagh (Clo-da)Ī popular choice in Ireland, Clodagh was the name of a river and later a saint. Roisin is a beautiful Irish name which has been in use since the sixteenth century, and which means ‘little rose’.When Irish patriotic poetry and song was outlawed in Ireland, Irish bands would disguise their nationalistic verses and love songs, and sing about Roisin Dubh (“Dark Rosaleen”) as the poetic symbol for their country. Niamh is one of the most commonly recognised Irish names outside of the country, and it’s popularity has inspired several more anglicised versions of the same pronunciation. It was originally a term for a goddess, after the daughter of Manannan, the god of the sea, who was known as ‘Niamh of the Golden Hair’. Niamh is an Irish Gaelic name, derived from the Old Irish Niam, which means radiance, luster or brightness. Ciara was a distinguished figure who established a monastery in Co. Ciara (kee-ra)Ĭiara is the feminine form of Ciaran, both of which come from the Gaelic word ‘ciar’, which means ‘dark’, implying dark features, like hair or eyes. In the present day, Irish-American actress Saoirse Ronan has helped the world to recognise and pronounce this beautiful name. The name Saoirse rose to popularity in the 1920’s, possibly in response to the Irish independence movement, as it’s meaning is ‘freedom’ or ‘liberty’. The male version of Caiomhe is Caoimhín, of which the anglicised version is Kevin. It is also the name of an Irish saint and has been constantly featured in the Top 20 baby names for Ireland for a long while. This fairly common and incredibly pretty Irish name derives from the Gaelic word ‘caomh’, and it means gentle, beautiful or precious. In Irish mythology, Aoife was a warrior princess, known as the greatest woman warrior in the world, the daughter of a king, and she also gave birth to the hero Cuchulainn’s only son, Connlach. It is derived from the word ‘aoibh’ which means ‘beauty’.

2.20 Oscar Irish Names: Girls Aoife (ee-fa)Īoife is a name which has a huge popularity both in and out of Ireland.

How to you pronounce caoimhe