Irish Female Saints
Ailbhe - One of the top 100 most popular Irish girl names registered in Ireland for the year 2002, according to the Central Statistics Office. Actually this is the Irish version of the English name "Olive", which is derived from an ancient Latin name.
Irish Female Saints Names
Áine (AWN-ye) Connected with fruitfulness and prosperity. According to Irish legend, " Anglicized versions include: Anya, Anna, Hannah.
Alana - (ah-LAH-na) Anglicized versions include: Alaina, Alannah, and Alanna.
Aoife (EE-fe) From the Old Irish Aífe, a goddess name meaning 'beautiful, radiant, joyful'. In a tale of apprenticeship of the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn, Aífe was the fiercest woman warrior in the world.
Briana - (BREE-a-na) Feminine version of Brian.Anglicized versions and alternate spellings include: Breanne, Brina, Breanna, Breann, Briona, Bryna, Bryana, Riana.
Bríd, Bríghid - (BREED, BRI-jid) She is the Female patron saint of scholars. Anglicized versions include: Bride, Brigid, Brigit, Bridget. Nicknames include Bridie, Bidelia, Bidina, Breda.
Caitríona - (kaw-TREE-a-na) This is the Irish version of the name Cathleen. ." Anglicized versions include: Catherine, Kathleen. Nicknames include: Caít (KAYT), Caítín (kay-TEEN), Caítlín (kayt-LEEN), and Tríona.
Chloe - (KLO-ee) This was the fifth most popular name registered for baby girls in Ireland in 2002, after Sarah, Aoife, Ciara, and Emma, according to Ireland's Central Statistics Office.
Ciara - (KEE-ra) The feminine form of Ciarán, from the Irish ciar, meaning 'dark' and implies 'dark hair and brown eyes'. Anglicized versions are: Keera, Keira, and Kira.
Claire - (KLARE)- A medieval Irish girl name derived from Latin clarus, meaning 'clear, bright, famous'.
Cliona - (KLEE-a-na) From the Old Irish girl name Clídna. According to Old Irish legends, Clídna was the name of one of the three beautiful daughters of the poet Manannán mac Lir. A fairy named Clídna was the guardian spirit of the MacCarthy's.
Deirdre - (DYEER-dre) An Old Irish girl name as well as one of the most popular Irish girl names in the world today. According to an old Irish story, The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu, Deirdre was the daughter of King Concobar's bard, Feidlimid.
Dervil - (DER-uh-vil) From the Old Irish girls' name Derbáil, probably derived from der, meaning 'daughter' + Fál, an ancient name for Ireland. Another spelling is Dervla (DAYR-vla).
Éabha - (AW-va) Irish form of the Hebrew name "Eve", which is derived from the word chavah, meaning 'breath of life'. According to the Judeo-Christian Bible, in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God. One of the top 100 most popular names registered to baby girls in Ireland for the last 2 years, according to Central Statistics Office.
Eibhlín - (ay-LEEN) Derived from the French girl name Aveline, and brought to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans. Meaning 'bringer of light'. This was a very popular Irish girl name among the nobility throughout the Middle Ages. Alternate spelling: Eveleen. Anglicized versions include: Eileen, Aileen, and Ellen.
Eithne - (AY-he-ne) This ancient Irish girl name has become very popular again in modern Ireland. According to Irish mythology, Eithne was the mother of the god Lugh. Many legendary queens were also named Eithne, including the wives of Conn of the Hundred Battles and Cormac mac Airt. Eight saints were also named Eithne. Alternate versions include: Ethna (ET-na), and Enya (EN-ya).
Emma - (EHM-uh) Not originally an Irish girl name, but very popular in Ireland. Derived from Germanic ermen, meaning 'whole' or 'universal'.
Erin - (AYR-en) M Erin is the traditional Anglicized word for Ireland, and it has ranked in the CSO's top 100 most popular Irish girl names every year since they began publishing the report in 1998.
Étaoin (AY-deen) It is also one of the most popular Irish baby girl names today.
Gormlaith - (GOORM-la) From the Old Irish gorm, meaning splendid + flaith, meaning 'queen, sovereignty'.
Grania - (GRAW-nya) From the Old Irish gráinne, meaning 'grain, seed'. Most experts agree this was the name of the Irish goddess of grain.
Heather - (HEH-thur) But in Irish the plant is called fraoch, which is also an Irish male name.
Isabel, Isabelle - (IZ-uh-bel) Some etymologists believe Isabel dates back to ancient Hebrew times, and is a derivative of the Semitic name which means either 'daughter of Baal' or 'God is my oath'. Irish spelling: Isibéal, (ISH-ih-bale).
Kelly - Ranked in the CSO's top 100 most popular Irish girl names every year since they began publishing the report in 1998. Anglicized versions include Kellie, Kelli, and Kaley.
Laoise - (LEE sha) Irish form of the name Louise, which is of French origin. According to NameNerds.com, Laoise means 'radiant girl'. Even though it would be considered quite a unique name in America.
Lara - One of the top 100 most popular names Irish girl names in Ireland in the year 2002. Either taken from the Icelandic name Lára, which is a form of Laura, or Lara (no accent), Russian form name Larissa.
Maeve - (MAYV) According to legend, she was the wife of nine successive kings, including Conn of the Hundred Battles, his son Art, and Art's son, Cormac mac Airt.
Nadine - (nay-DEEN) According to BehindTheName.com, Nadine is actually the French form of the Russian name, Nadya, which is derived from the Slavic name Nadezhda, which means 'hope'.
Niamh - (NEE-av) From the Old Irish niamh, meaning 'luster, sheen, brilliance'. Many women of Old Irish legends shared this name. One was a princess of Tir-na-n'Og ("Land of Eternal Youth"), the daughter of the sea god Manannan.
Nora - (NOH-ra) This classic girls name is the Irish version of the Latin name Honoria, meaning 'honor, reputation'. Nora became so popular in Ireland in the Middle Ages that many people assumed it was originally Irish. Noreen is the diminutive of Nora and means 'little honourable one.'
Sadhbh - (SAH-eev) From the Old Irish name Sadb, which means 'sweet, goodness'. Many famous Irish princesses, both historical and legendary, were named Sadhbh, including the daughters of King Brian Boru, of Queen Medb of Connacht, and of Conn of the Hundred Battles.
Sarah - (SEYR-uh) This is a widely popular name all over the world, and was the second most popular name in Ireland in the year 2003, according to the Ireland Central Statistics Office.
Shannon - (Irish pronunciation: SHAH-non; American pronunciation: SHA-non) This is the name of the longest river in Ireland. The River Shannon was named after the old Irish goddess Sinann, granddaughter of Manannan Mac Lir.
Sinéad - (SHEE-naid) An Irish version of the Norman French name Jonet, which means 'gracious'
Sorcha - (SOO-ruh-xa) From the Old Irish sorchae, meaning 'bright, radiant'. Since the middle ages, Sorcha has always been a very popular female Irish girl name and it continues its popularity even today. It ranked in the CSO's top 100 in 2003, 2000, 1999, and 1998.
Tara - (TAH-ra) From the Old Irish girl name Temair. According to legend, the ancestors of the Irish were the Sons of Mil.
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