B
The
abbreviations in the "category" column are: A=anglicization T= traditional
name Tr= Irish translation of a non-Irish name M= modern creation P= place
name L= last name, S= saint name.
| Name (gender) | Category | Pronunciation | Other Forms | Origin/Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baibín (f) | Tr | BA been | Barbie | from Greek- "stranger", pet form of Bairbre (Barbara) |
| Báine (f) | T | BAWN yeh | - | paleness; whiteness |
| Báirbre (f) | Tr | BOIR breh | Barbara | from Greek- "stranger" |
| Bairrfhionn (m) | T,S | BAR in | Berrin | fair haired |
| Banbha (f) | T | BAN uh va | Banba | the name of an ealy goddess, and was also used as name for Ireland |
| Bannon | L | BAN an | Ó Banáin | meaning is obscure, possibly "white" or derived from the word for "woman" |
| Bantry | P | BAN tree | - | "descendants of Beann." Bantry is a famous bay in Ireland. |
| Baoth (m) | T | BEE | Báeth | vain; reckless; foolish |
| Baothán (m) | T | BEE hawn | Báethán | little vain; reckless; foolish one (diminutive of Baoth) |
| Bardán (m) | T | BAR dawn | Bardan | poet, bard |
| Bardon | L | BAR don | Ó Bardáin | a bard |
| Barry (m) | A | BAR ee | Bairre, Barra | pointed; sharp |
| Beag (m/f) | T | B'YAG | Becc | little; small |
| Beagán (m) | T,S | B'YAG awn | Beccán, Beagóg | small, little lad |
| Bearach, (m/f) | T,S | BAR akh | Berach, Berrach | pointed or sharp |
| Bearnárd (m) | Tr | BAR nawrd | Bernard | bear (Germanic) |
| Beary | L | BEER ee, BEH ree | Ó Beara | meaning is unknown |
| Bébhinn (f) | T | BAY vin | Bevan, Bébhionn, Vivian | fair lady |
| Beckett | L | BEK it | - | an English name of Norman origin, but usually associated with the Irish writer Samuel Beckett |
| Beglan | L | BEG lan | Ó Beigleighinn | little scholar |
| Begley | L | BEG lee | Ó Beaglaioch | little hero |
| Bellaghy | P | bel AH hee, bel EYE | - | "mouth of the slough" or "Eachadh's townland" |
| Beltany | P | Bealtaine | May, place where May festivities were held | |
| Bergin, Berrigan | L | BUR gin, BAIR I gan | Ó hAimeirgin | "wondrous birth" |
| Bevan (f) | A | BEV an | Bébhinn | white (or fair) lady |
| Blake | L | BLAIK | de Blaca | Norman name, derived from "black" |
| Bláthín (f) | T | BLAW heen | - | little flower |
| Bláthnaid (f) | T | BLAW nid | Blánaid, Bláthnait, Flora, Florence | flower |
| Blinne (f) | T | BLI nyeh | form of Moninne, Blanche | saint's name, form of "mo ninne,"("My ninne") "ninne" is said to be the first word she uttered. |
| Braden | L | BRAI den | Ó Bradáin | salmon |
| Bradigan | L | BRA di gan | Ó Bradagáin | spirited? |
| Brady | L | BRAY dee | Mac Bradaigh | spirited? |
| Bragan | L | BRAY gen | Ó Bragáin | ? |
| Brandon | P/M | BRAN din | Breandan | a mountain in Ireland whose Irish name means "St. Brendan's mountain." As a first name, it comes from an English surname meaning "beacon-fire hill." |
| Branigan, Brennigan | L | BRAN I gan | Ó Branagáin | raven |
| Brannagh | L | BRAN a | Ó Breathnach | Welshman |
| Brannan | L | BRAN in | O/Mac Branáin | raven |
| Breasal (m) | T | BRA sal | Brassal, Basil | brave or strong in conflict |
| Breda (f) | A | BREE da | Bríde, Bríghde | exalted one; high goddess; noble |
| Bree (f) | T,M,S | BREE | Brígh, Brie | high, noble. Also used as a pet form of Brianna, Brenda etc. |
| Bree, Bray | L | BREE, BRAY | Ó Breaghdha | from Bregia in Co. Meath |
| Breen | L | BREEN | Ó/Mac Braoin | ? |
| Brendan (m) | A,S | BREN dan | Breandán, Breannáin | from Welsh- "prince" -- the name of Brendan the Navigator, one of the 3 patron saints of Ireland (the others are Brigid & Patrick). St. Brendan is said to have reached North America long before the Vikings. |
| Brenna (f) | M | BREN na | - | A modern name derived from Brenda. Brenda is a Scottish form of an old Norse name meaning "sword." |
| Brennan | L | BREN an | Ó Braonáin | possibly, "sorrow" |
| Breslin | L | BRES lin | Ó Breasláin | strife? |
| Brian (m) | A | BRY in | Bryan, Brion | high; noble |
| Briana (f) | M | BREE uh na | Brianna | a name coined by the poet Edmund Spenser for his 16th century book, The Faerie Queene. It was a feminine form of Brian. It is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, not like the modern Brianna. |
| Brianna (f) | M | bree ON a, bree ANN a | Briana, Breonna, Brianne etc. | high, noble: modern American feminine of Brian |
| Bridget, Brigid (f) | A,S | BRIJ it | Bríd, Bríde | exalted one; high goddess; noble. Brigid is the original Irish spelling; Bridget is actually a later, Swedish form. Brigid was originally a Celtic goddess who later became "Christianized," that is, some of her attributes began to be associated with a Christian saint. St. Brigid is one of the 3 Patron saints of Ireland (with Patrick and Brendan). |
| Brighid, Bríd (f) | T | BREED | Brigid, Breda, Bríde, Bríd | high goddess; exalted one; noble |
| Brion, Brían (m) | T | BREE un | Brian, Barney, Barnaby, Bernard | noble or high |
| Brocc (m) | T | BRUK | Broc | either "sharp faced" or "badger" |
| Brogan | L | BRO gan | Ó Brogáin | descendant of Brógán, which is possibly derived from Broccán, a diminutive of Brocc (sharp faced, or badger). It is unrelated to the Gaelic word for "shoe" |
| Brógán (m) | T,S | BRO gawn | Brogan, Bróccán | possibly derived from Broccán, a diminutive of Brocc (sharp faced, or badger) |
| Brona (f) | A | BRO na | Brónach | sorrowful |
| Brónach (f) | T | BRO nakh | Brona, Bronagh | sorrowful |
| Brosna | P | BROS na | - | meaning is obscure. |
| Buadhach (m) | T | BOO akh | Buach, Buagh, Boethius, Victor | victorious |