Irish Surnames used as First Names

Recently, using Irish last names has become very popular. This is especially true in the USA, where names like Kelly and Shannon have been popular for years, and names like Braden and Kennedy are zooming up the charts. Here is a list of surnames you might like to use for first names. Most Irish surnames, in their Gaelic form, start with Ó, Mac, or occasionally de (which indicates a name of Norman origin). Ó means 'grandson of', Mac means 'son of' and de means 'of'. What follows is usually a personal name or occasionally a place name. I have listed the meaning of the name, though, for example, the name O'Neill would mean "grandson of Niall"-- I have listed what "Niall" would mean.

name	Irish spelling	meaning
Adair	Ó Daire	usually Scottish- this name is sometimes found in Ireland. "son of Daire ('fruitful')"
Bannon	Ó Banáin	meaning is obscure- possibly 'white' or dervied from 'woman'
Bardon	Ó Bardáin	"a bard"
Beckett	?	this is an English name of Norman origin but usually associated with the Irish writer Samuel Beckett
Begley	Ó Beaglaioch	beag "little" + laoch "hero"
Beglan	Ó Beigleighinn	beag "little" + 'leighinn "scholar; schooling"
Bergin	Ó hAimeirgin	"wondrous birth"
Berrigan	Ó hAimeirgin	"wondrous birth"
Blake	de Blaca	Norman name- derived from 'black'
Braden	Ó Bradáin	"a salmon"
Bradigan	Ó Bradagáin	perhaps 'spirited'
Brady	Mac Bradaigh	perhaps 'spirited'
Bragan	Ó Bragáin	meaning is unknown
Branigan	Ó Branagáin	bran "raven" + diminutive ending
Brennigan	Ó Branagáin	bran "raven" + diminutive ending
Brannagh	Ó Breathnach	" a Welshman"
Brannan, Brannon	Ó/Mac Branáin	bran "raven" + diminutive ending
Bree	Ó Breaghdha	from Bregia in Co. Meath
Bray	Ó Breaghdha	from Bregia in Co. Meath
Breen	Ó/Mac Braoin	"moisture; drop"
Brennan	Ó Braonáin	possibly 'sorrow'
Breslin	Ó Breasláin	possibly 'strife'
Brogan	Ó Brogáin	possibly related to Brocc, meaning "badger."
Cabe	Mac Caba	"a cape"
Cadden	Mac Cadáin	possibly, "wild goose."
Cagney	Ó Caingne	"tribute" or "exaction"
Cahey/Caughey	Mac Eachaidh	possibly; "youthful one"
Callahan/Callaghan	Ó Ceallacháin	possibly, "strife."
Callan	Ó Cathaláin	"strong in battle"
Callinan	Ó Callanáin	?
Canavan	Ó Ceanndubháin	possibly from ceann "head" + dubh "black" + diminutive ending
Carey	Ó Ciardha/Mac Fhiacra	dark/ son of the battle-king
Carley	Mac Fhearghaile	fear "man" + gal "valor"
Carlin/Carolan	Ó Cairealláin	from cearbh "hacking"-- probably with the implied meaning of a fierce warrior
Casey	Ó/Mac Cathasach/Ceasaigh	"vigilant; watchful"
Cassidy	Ó Caiside	possibly, "curly-haired."
Cavanagh	Caomhanach	"descendant or follower of St. Caomhán"
Clancy	Mac Fhlannchaidh	flann "red + cath "battle; warrior"
Cody	Mac Oda	"son of Otto"
Collins	Ó Coilean	"whelp"
Coulter	Ó Coltair	from Ballycolter, a place meaning "town of the back country"
Conlan	Ó Connaláin	"lord; great chief"
Connery	Ó Conaire	probably derived from a word meaning "hound"
Corcoran	Mac Corcráin	"purple"
Corey	Mac Godhfraigh	"son of Godfrey"
Corley	Mac Thoirdealbhaigh	"instigator; abettor"
Cullen	Ó/Mac Cuilinn	"holly"
Curran	Ó Corráin	"spear"
Delaney	Ó Dubhshlaine	possibly "dark health" or refers to the river Slaney
Devlin	Ó Dobhailein	"unlucky; unfortunate"
Dillon	Diolun/deLeon	hiberno-norman name- perhaps relating to lions or the place name Lyons
Donegan	Ó Donnagáin	either "brown" or "king; lord"
Donovan	Ó Donnabháin	"dark brown"
Doran	Ó Deoráin	"exiled person"
Doyle	Ó Dubhghaill	"dark stranger"
Duane/Dwayne	Ó Dubhan	"dark haired"
Duff	Dubh	"dark; black, dark-haired"
Duffy	Ó Dubhthaigh	"dark; black, dark-haired"
Dugan	Ó Dubhgáin	"dark; black, dark-haired"
Dwyer	Ó Duibhir	"black; dark-haired + yellow; tawny"
Egan	Mac Aodhagáin	"fire"
Fagan	Ó Faodhagáin	meaning is uncertain. It may come from a Norman name.
Fallon	Ó Fallamhán	"leader"
Farrell	Ó Fearghal	"valorous"
Farren	Ó Faracháin	May come from Norman French fer, meaning "iron," denoting someone with iron-grey hair.
Finnegan	Ó Fionnagáin	"white; fair-haired"
Fitzgerald	Mac Geralt	norman name- son of Gerald
Flannery	Ó Flannabhra	"red eyebrows"
Flynn	Ó Floinn	"bright red"
Gillan	Ó Giolláin	"lad"
Gowan	Ó/Mac Gabhann	"smith"
Grady	Ó Grádaigh	"illustrious"
Hagan	Ó hAgáin	"young' youthful"
Hanlon	Ó hAnluan	"champion"
Hayes	Ó hAodha	"fire"
Hogan	Ó hOgain	"young; youthful"
Kavanagh	Caomhanach	descendant or follower of St. Caomhán
Kearney	Ó Catharnaigh/Ó Cearnaigh	either "fox" or "victorious"
Keegan	Mac Aodhagain	"fire"
Keenan	Ó Cianáin	"ancient; enduring"
Kelly	Mac Ceallach	possibly, "bright-headed" or "strife"
Kennan	Mac Fhionnáin	"fair-haired"
Kennedy	Ó Cinnéde	"ugly head"
Kerrin	Ó Ciaráin	"black; dark-haired"
Kiley/Kiely	Ó Cadhla	"beautiful"
Kinsella	Cinnsealach	"proud"
Kirby	Ó Ciarmhaic	ciar "dark; black" + mac "son"
Lacy	deLeis	norman name-- probably from a place name in France
Larkin	Ó Lorcáin	from lorc, "silent" or "cruel; fierce"
Lavery/ Lowery	Ó Labhradha	"spokesman" or "herald"
Leary	Ó Laoghaire	"keeper of calves"
Lennon/Lennan	Ó Leannáin	"sweetheart; lover"
Madigan	Ó Madagáin	"little dog"
Maguire	Mag Uidhir	"dun colored"
Malone	Mal Eoin	"servant of St. John"
Malinn, Milynn	Maoilfhinn	"fair-haired chief"
MacKenna	Mac Cionaith	"born of fire"
Meara, Mara	Ó Meadhra	"merry"
Meegan	Ó Miadhagáin	"honorable"
Morrissey	Ó Muirgheasa	"sea action"
Murphy	Ó Murchu	"hound of the sea"
Murray	Ó Muireadhach	"sea battler", "skilled in seacraft"
Nolan	Ó Nualláin	nuall either "noble, famous; champion" or "shout" [possibly denoting a town crier"
Pierce/Pearse	Ó/Mac Piarais	descendant of Peter
Quillan	Ó Cuileann	"holly"
Quinn	Ó Cuinn	"counsel"
Quinlan	Ó Caoinlean	"beautiful shape"
Regan/Reagan	Ó Riagáin	either from rí "king" or riodhgach "furious; impulsive"
Reilly	Ó Raghallaigh	possibly, "valiant"
Ryan	Ó Riáin	rí "king" + diminutive ending
Scully	Ó Scolaighe	"town crier" or "scholar"
Shanley	Mac Seanlaoich	sean "old; ancient" + laoch "hero"
Shannon	Seanáin	from sean "old; ancient"
Sheridan	Ó Sirideáin	possibly either from siride "elf"-- a pet name for someone with elf-like characteristics, or síor :eternal" + dan "treasure," or from a word meaning "searcher."
Sullivan	Ó Suileabháin	possibly, "dark-eyed," "one-eyed" or "hawk-eyed"
Tracy	Ó Treasaigh	"warlike; fierce"
Vaughan	Ó Beacháin	"beech tree"