Irish Celtic Family Names- History
Irish Celtic family names are usually Patronymic in etymology. Patronymic means that the name is derived from the given name of the persons parent or ancestor, usually their father or grandfather but sometimes the name can be derived from the mother or grandmother. Etymology is defined as the science which relates to the history of words.

It involves the significance of words, tracing out their origin and how the meaning and form of words have changed over time. Certain surnames originate from specific parts of Ireland, lots of examples are listed below. The map at the bottom of the page shows the origin of Irish Celtic family names from the beginning of the 16th century.

Celtic Names- Map
The map on our desktop site shows the area of Ireland showing common Celtic family names found in Ireland at the beginning of the 16th Century. Most of the names are not used today, in many cases the O' prefix from the original Celtic name has been dropped in order to anglicise the name and make it easier for English speakers to understand.

Top 10 List of Female Celtic Names
The following list of the top ten Female Celtic Names found in Ireland today including the pronunciation of the name:

• Caoimhe (Kee-Vah)

• Aoife (Ee-Fa)

• Ava (Arr-va)

• Aising (Ash-Ling)

• Saoirse (Seer-Sha)

• Niamh (Ne-eve)

• Roisin (Rosh-een)

• Clodagh (Cloo-Dah)

• Aine (Ann-Ya)

• Ciara (Keer-ra)

Top 10 List of Irish Celtic Boy Names
The following list of the top ten Irish Celtic boy names found in Ireland today including the pronunciation of the name:

• Oisin (Osh-een)

• Cian (Kee-an)

• Daragh (Da-ra)

• Daithi (Doth-ee)

• Odhran (Or-ann)

• Ruairi (Roar-ree)

• Eoin (Owe-ann)

• Tadhg (Tai-G)

• Fionn (Finn)

• Ciaran (Keer-ann)