Saoirse

Niamh

Old Irish · “Derived from the Old Irish word "niamh" meaning "bright" or "radiant". The name belongs to one of the most celebrated figures of Irish mythology, Niamh of the Golden Hair, a princess of Tír na nÓg (the Land of Eternal Youth) who fell in love with the poet-warrior Oisín and carried him away on her white horse across the sea.”

Aoife

Old Irish · “Derived from the Old Irish "Aífe", itself from the word "oíph" meaning "beauty" (modern Irish "aoibh"). This ancient Irish name has been borne by several legendary figures, most notably a fierce warrior woman who engaged in single combat with the hero Cúchulainn, and a jealous queen in the tale of the Children of Lir who transformed her stepchildren into swans.”

Caoimhe

Irish · “Derived from the Irish word "caomh" meaning "gentle", "beautiful", or "precious". The name has been used in Ireland since the early medieval period and is associated with warmth, kindness, and quiet inner beauty. Several Irish saints bore forms of this name, reflecting its long tradition within Irish Christian culture.”

Brigid

Old Irish · “Derived from the Old Irish "Brigit" or "Bríg", meaning "exalted one" or "the high one", from a Proto-Celtic root "briganti" meaning "high, lofty, the exalted one". Brigid was one of the most important goddesses of pre-Christian Ireland, associated with poetry, healing, smithcraft, and the hearth fire. The Christianised Saint Brigid of Kildare (c. 451–525) became one of Ireland's three patron saints.”

Grainne

Old Irish · “Possibly derived from the Old Irish "grán" meaning "grain" or "gráin" meaning "hatred" or "terror", though the exact etymology remains debated. In Irish legend, Gráinne is the passionate, wilful daughter of the High King Cormac mac Airt who refuses her arranged marriage to the aging hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and flees with the young warrior Diarmuid — one of Ireland's great romantic epics.”

Branagh

“Derived from the Irish "Branach" meaning "descendant of Bran", with Bran meaning "raven". The name carries the raven symbolism of its root — prophecy, battle, and the boundary between life and death — while the "-ach" suffix gives it the sense of a person who embodies or descends from these qualities. The name is both a surname and given name in Irish tradition.”

Caitríona

“Irish form of Catherine or Katherine, derived from the Greek "Aikaterine" whose etymology is uncertain but may be connected to the Greek "katharos" meaning "pure". Caitríona is the specifically Irish Gaelic spelling distinguishing it from Catriona (Scottish Gaelic) and Catherine (English). It has been a consistently popular feminine name in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.”

Kevin

“Anglicised from the Irish Caoimhín, composed of the Old Irish elements caomh ("dear, gentle, kind") and -gein ("birth"), meaning roughly "kind birth" or "beloved child." The name was popularised by Saint Kevin of Glendalough, a 6th-century Irish monk known for his asceticism and love of nature. Kevin became widely used in English-speaking countries in the 20th century.”

Seán

“Irish form of John, derived via the Old French "Jehan" from the Latin "Joannes" and Greek "Ioannes", ultimately from the Hebrew "Yohanan" meaning "God is gracious". Seán is one of the most common Irish masculine names and has been used in Ireland since the Norman period. Its anglicised form Shawn/Shane reflects the Irish pronunciation and is widely used throughout the English-speaking world.”

Máire

“The Irish form of Mary, from the Latin "Maria" and Hebrew "Miryam", of debated meaning — possibly "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", or "their beloved". Máire is distinct from the English Mary in its Irish Gaelic form and was deliberately avoided as a given name in early Christian Ireland out of reverence for the Virgin Mary, which paradoxically led to it becoming one of the most common Irish women's names once that tradition relaxed in the post-medieval period.”

Neil

“Anglicised from the Irish Niall, a name of disputed meaning — proposed interpretations include "cloud," "passionate," "champion," and "vehement." The name was borne by several early Irish kings and saints, including Niall of the Nine Hostages, the legendary ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasty. Neil is the standard anglicised spelling used outside Ireland.”