Aoife
Pronunciation: "ee-fa"
In Irish mythology, Aoife, also spelt as Aífe, was a warrior princess, who was the second wife of King Lir. The name Aoife has a charming meaning of "beauty". In it's native Ireland, Aoife ranked at #6 in the popularity charts in 2013, whilst in England and Wales, it was at #192 in the popularity charts.
Meave
With associations to Queen Mab, an Irish legendary fairy queen, Maeve has a meaning of "she who intoxicates" and can also be spelt as Méabh. In France, the alternative Maeva has always been popular. In it's native Ireland, Maeve ranked at #100 on the popularity charts in 2010.
Caoimhe
Pronunciation: "kee-va"
Spelt as Kiva in the English language, Caoimhe has a gorgeous meaning of "beautiful", though it has also been suggested that it also means "precious" and "gentle". In it's native Ireland, Caoimhe ranked at #19 on the popularity charts in 2013, whereas in England and Wales, it ranked at #639 on the popularity charts in 2013.
Orla
The Anglicised variant of the more Irish Órlaith, the meaning of Orla is connective: the "ór" part of Órlaith has a meaning of "gold", whilst "laith" has a meaning of "prince; princess; sovereign". It is considered that together, Orla has a meaning of "golden sovereign". In it's native Ireland, Orla ranked at #82 on the popularity charts in 2012, whereas in England and Wales, Orla ranked at #132 in 2013.
Saoirse
Pronunciation: "sear-sha"
With a meaning of "freedom; liberty", Saoirse was popular in Ireland at the time of it's independence in the 1920s. In it's native Ireland, it ranked at #22 in the popularity charts in 2013.
Niamh
Niamh has a long usage in Ireland, and has a beautiful meaning of "bright". In it's neighbouring England, it can also be spelt as Neve. In it's native Ireland, Niamh ranked at #20 in the popularity charts in 2014, whereas in England and Wales, it ranked at #90 in the popularity charts in 2013.
Ailbhe
Pronunciation: Like the name Alva
Ailbhe is the Irish spelling of Alva, which is also a Swedish and Norwegian name, and has a long usage in the two countries. Ailbhe has a meaning of "white". In it's native Ireland, Ailbhe ranked at #93 in the popularity charts in 2013.
Ruaidrí (Rory)
The Irish spelling of Rory has a meaning of "red king", and also has its usage in Scottish Gaelic, making it a Goidelic name (a combination of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic). In it's native Ireland, Ruaidrí or Rory ranked at #65 in the popularity charts in 2013, whilst in it's neighbouring England and Wales, it ranked at #96 in 2013. In Scotland, it had a much higher ranking of #27 in 2014.
Cormac
It has been suggested that Cormac is derived from corb and mac, which have a meaning of "raven; wheel" and "son" respectively. The name of an ancient Irish King, Cormac ranked at #68 on the popularity charts in it's native Ireland in 2013.
Oisin
Pronunciation: "osh-een"
Oisin has a charming meaning of "little deer", and is spelt as Oisín in Ireland. Oisín was a legendary warrior hero and poet. In it's native Ireland, Oisin ranked at #14 on the popularity charts in 2013.
Ciaran (Kieran)
Spelt as Ciarán in Irish Gaelic, Ciaran has a meaning of "black", as it is a diminutive of Ciar. Ciarán was the name of two Irish saints, and in it's native Ireland, had a ranking of #74 on the popularity charts in 2013, whilst in England and Wales, it had a ranking of #489 in 2013.
Tadhg
Pronunciation: "tieg" ("tiger" without the 'R' sound)
Tadhg has been getting more recognition in the United Kingdom in more recent years. It has a meaning of "poet", and in 2013, ranked at #51 on it's native Irish popularity charts.
Niall
The name of 1/5 of One Direction, Niall has a meaning of "champion; cloud" as the original Irish form of Neil. In it's native Ireland, it had a ranking of #88 in 2013, whereas in England and Wales, it had a ranking of #280 in 2013.
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