Traditional Gaelic Names
Here
are some traditional Gaelic names. All of them have Gaelic or ancient
Celtic roots. Most of them have a long history and many of them are
from myth and legend.
Through the
course of time, Gaelic names have become associated with English names.
These are names that usually have no etymological connection with
the Gaelic name, they just have a similar sound. These names are italicized.
There is a list of women's names , and a list
of men's names.
Men's Names
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | Anglicization/association |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailde | AL ja, EL ja | ? | - |
| Ailean | A lun, E lun | from an old Celtic name meaning, perhaps, "rock" or "noble." | Alan |
| Ailpein | AL pen, EL pen | possibly means "white" | Alpin, Alpine |
| Airril | AR ril, ER ril | ? | - |
| Amhalghaidh | AUW ul ghee | ? | Aulay |
| Angaidh | AN gee | dim. of Aonghas | Angy |
| Aodh | OOGH | fire (a Celtic god's name) | Hugh |
| Aodhagan | UGH uk an | dim. of Aodh | - |
| Aodhan | OOGH an | dim. of Aodh | Eadan |
| Aoidhean | OOY yan | " | - |
| Aonghas | un OO us, IN us | "unique choice" | Angus, Aeneas |
| Aonghasan | un OO us an, IN us an | dim. of Aonghas | . |
| Armadal | Arm uh dul | ? | Armitage |
| Art | ART | dim. of Artair? | - |
| Artagan | ART ug an | dim. of Artair | - |
| Artair | AR ter | from an old Celtic name whose meaning is thought to be either "bear" or "stone." | Arthur |
| Athairne | A ar nya | ? | - |
| Baodan | BOO tun | ? | - |
| Baoithein | BOOY en | ? | Bothan |
| Barra | BAR ra | dim. of Barrfhionn ("fair head") | - |
| Bearach | BEH ruch | spear; pointed weapon | - |
| Bearchan | BER chan, BAR chan | dim. of Bearach | - |
| Beatan | BEH tan | ? | - |
| Beathan | BEH un | "child of life" | - |
| Beisdean | BAES tchan | dim. of Gilleasbaig | - |
| Blàr | BLAWR | ? | Blair |
| Blàthan | BLAW un | ? | - |
| Boisil | BO shil | ? | Boswell |
| Bran | BRAN | raven | - |
| Branan | BRAN an | dim. of Bran | - |
| Brandubh | BRAN doow | black raven | Branduff |
| Breandan | BREN dun | form of Breannan | - |
| Breannan | BREN un | ? | Brendan |
| Brian | BREE un | strength | - |
| Brianan | BREE un an | dim. of Brian | - |
| Cailean | KA len, KE len | whelp (young warrior) | Colin |
| Cairbre | KAR uh bra, KER uh bra | charioteer or bearer | Carbry |
| Caireall | KA rel, KE rul | form of Coireall | Caral |
| Camran | KAM uh run | bent nose | Cameron |
| Caoilte | KOOL tcha | ? | - |
| Caorall | KOO rull | form of Coireall | Caral |
| Carmag | KA ruh muk | form of Cormag | Cormick |
| Catan | KAH tan | small cat | - |
| Cathal | KA hul | battle mighty | - |
| Cathalan | KA hul an | dim. of Cathal | - |
| Cè | KY, KEE | ? | Keith |
| Ceallach | KEL uch | means possibly, "war; strife;" or "bright-headed" | Kelly |
| Cesan | KES an | spear | Kessan |
| Ciaran | KEE ur an | dark, shadowy | Kieran |
| Coinneach | KOIN nyuch | fair (haired) one | Kenneth |
| Coireall | KO rull | ? | Caral |
| Coll | KOLL, KOELL | form of Colla | - |
| Colla | KOL la | lofty | - |
| Còmhall | KOE wull | ? | Cowall |
| Còmhan | KOE wun | co-birth (a twin?) | Cowan |
| Conall | KON ul | high; powerful | Connell |
| Conan | KON an | wee doggie | - |
| Conchar | KON chur, KON uh chur | high will or desire or wolf-lover | - |
| Conn | KON | free man, sense; intelligence | - |
| Corc | KOHRK | heart; crimson | - |
| Cormag | KO ruh muk | means possibly "charioteer" or "defiler's son" | Cormack |
| Cosgrach | KOSK ruch, KOSK uh ruch | victor | - |
| Cuirealan | KOO rul an | dim. of Coireall | - |
| Curadan | KOO rut un | ? | Curitan, Boniface |
| Dàn | DAWN | dim. of Domhnaill | influenced by Dan |
| Diarmad | JIR mut | could mean either "without injunction," or "without envy." | Dermid |
| Diocail | JU kel | ? | Diocuil |
| Dobharcu | DOE ur choo | otter | - |
| Dolaidh | DO lee | dim. of Dòmhnall | - |
| Dòmhnallaidh | DOLE ee, DOE nul ee | " | - |
| Dòmhnallan | DLOE an, DOE nul an | " | - |
| Donaidh | DO nee | " | Donny |
| Donnach | DO nuch | dim. of Donnchadh | - |
| Donnan | DON an | brown | - |
| Donnchadh | DO nu chugh, DO nu chu, DOO nu chugh, DOO nu chu | brown warrior | Duncan |
| Donnchaidh | DO nu chee, DOO nu chee | dim. of Donnchadh | - |
| Donnghail | DO ghel, DON nu ghel | ? | - |
| Drostan | DROST an | offspring of Drost (a Pictish name) | Tristan - probably the name from which Tristan of Tristan and Isolde came from. When the legend was re-told in France, the root of the name became "triste" meaning "sad." unfortunately, the original Celtic meaning has been lost. |
| Dubh | DOO | black | Duff |
| Dubhagan | DOOW uk an | dim. of Dubhag | Dugan |
| Dubhshìth | DOOW hee | black one of peace | Duffy |
| Dubhthach | DOOW uch | black | Duthac, Duthas |
| Dùghall | DOO ul, DOO ghul | black stranger (a Dane) | Dougal, Dugald |
| Dùghlas | DOO lus | black water | Douglas |
| Duibhne | DOOEE nyuh | black? | - |
| Dunlèibhe | doon LAWY vuh | brown hill or moor | MacClay, Livingstone |
| Eachainn | ECH en | form of Eachann | - |
| Eachann | ECH unn | horse lord, brown horse | Hector |
| Eacharn | ECH urn | horse lord | - |
| Eadan | AE dan | dim. of Aodh | Aidan |
| Earc | ERK | speckled | - |
| Earnan | ERN an | iron, one of knowledge | Ernest |
| Eircheard | ER chart | super craftsman | - |
| Eochagan | YO chuk an | dim. of Eochaidh | - |
| Eochaidh | YOCH ee | horse rider, horse warrior | - |
| Eògan | YO kan | dim. of Eoghann | - |
| Eoghanan | YO un an | form of Eònan | Hughie |
| Eòghann | YO un, EO un | well born, youth | Ewan |
| Eòghnaidh | YO nee, EO nee | dim. of Eòghann | |
| Eònan | YOE nan | fear? | - |
| Eòran | YOE ran | dim. of Eònan | - |
| Failbhe | FAL uh vuh | lively; spritely, wolf-slayer | - |
| Faolagan | FOO luk an | dim. of Faolan | - |
| Faolan | FOOL an | wolf | - |
| Fearchar | FE ruh chur | very dear one | Farquar |
| Feargan | FER gun, FE ruh gan | ? | - |
| Fearghas | FE ruh ghus | supreme choice | Fergus |
| Finnean | FIN yan | white headed | - |
| Fìonan | FEEnan | dim. of Fionn | - |
| Fionghan | FIN uh ghun | fair-born | - |
| Fionn | FYOON | white, fair | - |
| Fionnchan | FYOON uh chun | ? | - |
| Fionnghal | FYOON ghul | white stranger (a Norseman) | Fingal |
| Fionnlagan | FYOON lak an | dim. of Fionnlagh | Finlagan |
| Fionnlagh | FYOON lugh | white hero | Finlay, Findlay |
| Fionntan | FYOON tan | dim. of Fionn | Fintan |
| Flaithbheartach | FLY vyurch tuch | rich dominion, lordly in action | Flaherty |
| Flannagan | FLAUNN uk an | blood-red | - |
| Fotadh | FOE ugh | ? | - |
| Friseal | FREE shul | strawberry? (from old French) | Fraser |
| Gabhran | GAW run, GAV run | ? | - |
| Garbhan | GAR uv an, GAR aw an | rough | - |
| Gilleanndrais | gil AUNN drush | servant of St. Andrew | Gillanders |
| Gilleasbachan | gil LES puh chan | dim. of Gilleasbaig | . |
| Gilleasbaig | gil LES pik | servant of the bishop | Archibald |
| Gilleasp | gil ESP, gil AESP | dim of Gilleasbaig | Gillespie |
| Gilleathain | gil LE en | follower of St. John | Gillian, Gillean |
| Gillebhrìghde | gil luh BREE juh | servant of St. Brigid | Gilbride |
| Gillechrìosd | gil luh CHREE ust | servant of Christ | Gilchrist |
| Gilliosa | gil LEE us uh | servant of Jesus | Gillies |
| Gòrdan | GOR dun | super fort | Gordon |
| Gormal | GAU rum ul | deep-blue eye | - |
| Guaire | GOOY ruh | proud; noble | - |
| Guinnein | GWIN nen | form of Finnean, "white-headed" | - |
| Guirmean | GOO ruh man | blue one | - |
| Hùisdean | HOOSH jun | form of Uisdean | - |
| Iùrnan | YOOR nun | form of Earnan | - |
| Lachaidh | LACH ee | dim. of Lachlann | Lochie |
| Lachann | LACH unn | form of Lachlann | - |
| Lachlainn | LACH lenn | " | - |
| Lachlann | LACH lunn | from the land of lochs (i.e., a Norseman or Viking) | Lachlan |
| Laise | LASH uh | flame | - |
| Latharn | LA urn | fox | Lorne |
| Luag | LOO ak | possibly, "to win" or "light; brightness." (the name of a Celtic sun god) | - |
| Lulach | LOO luch | little calf? | - |
| Macbeatha | mahc BEH uh | son of life | Macbeth |
| Machar | MACH ur | plainsman | - |
| Macrath | mahc RA | son of prosperity | - |
| Madadh | MA dugh | canine; dog | - |
| Manachan | MAN uch an | "a monk" | - |
| Maoilios | MOOY lus | "servant of Jesus" | Malise Miles |
| Maoldòmhnaich | mool DOW nich | "servant of Sunday" | Ludovic |
| Maolmoire | mool MOY ruh | "servant of Mary" | Malmure |
| Maolsneachta | mool SHNYACH kuh, mool SHNYECH kuh | "servant of snow" | Malsnacht |
| Maon | MOON | hero | - |
| Mariubhe | ma RUY uh | tonsured servant of the promantory | - |
| Moireach | MOE ruch | sea-settlement | Murray |
| Muireach | MOO ruch | "lord" | Murdoch |
| Muireachan | MOO ruch an | dim. of Muireach | |
| Mungan | MOON gun | beloved; amiable | Mungo |
| Murchadh | MOOR uh chugh | sea-warrior | Murdo, Murdoch |
| Murdaigean | MOOR dek an | dim. of Murchadh | - |
| Naoghas | NOO us, NEE us | form of Aonghas | - |
| Naoise | NOOSH uh | ? | - |
| Naomhan | NOOV an | saint | - |
| Neachdainn | NECH k(t)in, NYACH k(t)in | rejoicing in purity | Nachlan, Nathalan, Nechtan |
| Neas | NES | ? | - |
| Neasan | NES an | offspring of Neas | - |
| Niall | NEE ull | could mean either "champion,", "vehement" or "cloud" | Neil, Nigel |
| Niallghas | NEE ul ghus | champion choice | - |
| Nilidh | NEE lee | dim. of Niall | - |
| Ninean | NIN yun | ? | Ninian |
| Ninnidh | NEEN yee | dim. of Ninean | - |
| Odhran | OE ran | dun-colored | - |
| Oisean | Osh an | form of Oisian | - |
| Oisian | Osh ee an | deer | Ossian |
| Onchu | ON choo | mighty dog | - |
| Osgar | OS kur | could be either from the Norse name Asgeirr meaning, "divine spear" or from the Celtic meaning "lover of deer." | Oscar |
| Rodachan | ROT uh chan | dim. of Ruairidh | _ |
| Rodaidh | RO dee | dim. of Ruairidh | Roddy |
| Ròidh | ROY | reddish | Roy- a Gaelic spelling of Roy, which is an anglicization of the Gaelic Ruadh |
| Roithridh | ROY ree | ? | Ryrie |
| Rònan | ROE nan | seal | Ronan |
| Ros | ROS | promontory | Ross |
| Ruairidh | ROO uh ree | reddish-brown | Rory Roderick, Derek |
| Ruarachan | ROO a ruh chan | dim. of Ruairidh | - |
| Scotaidh | SCO tee | a Scotsman | Scottie |
| Sealbhach | SHEH luh vuch | fortunate; prosperous | - |
| Searc | SHERK, SHARK | a form of Earc? | - |
| Sèitheach | SHAY uch | wolf | Shaw |
| Sionn | SHOONN | fox | - |
| Sòlas | SOH lus | joy, comfort, solace | - |
| Suibhne | SOOEE nyuh | well-going | Sween, Sweeney |
| Taog | TOOK | poet; philospher | - |
| Taraghlan | TA ruh ghlan | white brow | - |
| Taran | TA ran | ? | - |
| Teàrlach | TCHAWR luch | instigator; abettor, shaped like Thor | Charles |
| Teàrlaidh | TCHAR lee, TCHAIR lee | dim. of Teàrlach | Charlie |
| Torradan | TUR ruh dun | ? | - |
| Truinnean | TRIN nyun | form of Ninean | - |
| Uallas | WAL lus | "foreigner" | Wallace |
| Ualraig | OO ul rik | ? | Walrick |
| Uisdean | OOSH jun | ? | Hugh |