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Some Irish names, such as Fiona, are straightforward to pronounce as they align with American English rules. Others, like Sean, are so widely used that their pronunciation quirks often go unnoticed.
However, names like Blathnaid, Caoimhe, and Tadhg pose a challenge with silent letters or unexpected sounds. While you might not guess they’re pronounced as “BLATH-nayd,” “COW-i-mee,” or “Tadge,” how should they actually be said?
Learn the correct pronunciations of these and other traditional Irish names with insights from Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, who narrates the Baby Names of Ireland videos below.
1. Ailis
The Irish form of Alice is spoken as “AY-lish.”
2. Aoife
Aoife O’Donovan, the American folk singer, has a first name pronounced as “EE-fuh.”
3. Blathnaid
The th and the second a in this name are silent; it’s pronounced “BLAH-nid.”
4. Bronagh
The final letters can be ignored: Bronagh is spoken as “BROH-nuh.”
5. Caitríona
Caitríona Balfe, the Outlander actress, pronounces her name just like the American English version of Katrina: “kuh-TREE-nuh.”
6. Caoimhe
The name Caoimhe offers options: It can be pronounced as “KWEE-vuh” or “KEE-vuh.” In both cases, the mh produces a “v” sound.
7. Ciara
While American pop singer Ciara pronounces her name as “see-AIR-uh,” the traditional Irish pronunciation is “KEER-uh.”
8. Ciaran
If you’re familiar with Ciara, its masculine equivalent is easy to recall: Ciaran can be pronounced as “KEER-in” or “KEER-awn.”
9. Cillian
The name of Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy starts with a “K” sound, not an “S,” and is pronounced “KILL-ee-in.”
10. Dearbhla
While some Dearbhlas pronounce it as “DURV-luh” and others as “DEERV-luh,” it’s never said as “DEER-blah.”
11. Diarmuid
To pronounce Diarmuid correctly, skip a few vowels and say it as “DEER-mid.”
12. Domhnall
The Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson’s first name is pronounced “DOH-null,” which rhymes with tonal.
13. Eamon
The correct pronunciation is “AY-mun,” not “EE-mahn.”
14. and 15. Eoin and Eoghan
The name of Artemis Fowl writer Eoin Colfer is easier to pronounce than it looks: “OH-in,” similar to Owen. The variant spelling Eoghan is also said as “OH-in.”
16. Faolan
The name Faolan is usually pronounced as “FWAY-lawn.”
17. Fionn
The name Fionn is commonly pronounced as “FIN,” but it can also be said as “FYUN” or “FEE-in.”
18. Fionnuala
Once you’ve mastered Fionn, you’ll easily pronounce the first name of renowned Irish actor Fionnuala Flanagan: “fin-OO-luh.”
19. Grainne
The name isn’t said like grain or Granny. Instead, it’s pronounced “GRAWN-yuh.”
20. Maebh
In Irish names, bh or mh typically makes a “v” sound. Thus, Maebh is spoken as “MAYV,” similar to Maeve.
21. Mairead
Mairead, the Irish form of Margaret, is most commonly pronounced “muh-RAID.” However, regional differences may result in “MAR-aid” or “MUR-aid.”
22. Naoise
In Ireland, no one is naming their child Nosy or Noisy (as far as we know). The name Naoise is pronounced “NEE-shuh.”
23. Niamh
Recalling the mh rule, Niamh is pronounced as “NEEV” or “NEE-iv.”
24. Odhran
The dh in Odhran is silent, making it “O-rahn” or “OR-in.”
25. Oonagh
If you’ve mastered Bronagh, you’ll find Oonagh straightforward: “OO-nuh,” similar to Oona.
26. Padraig
Padraig, along with its variants like Pádraic (the name of Colin Farrell’s character in The Banshees of Inisherin), can be pronounced as “PAW-drig” or “PAW-rick.”
27. Róisín
Róisín, which translates to “little rose,” is pronounced “roh-SHEEN.”
28. Saoirse
As Saoirse Ronan explained on Saturday Night Live, her name is pronounced “SER-shuh,” like inertia. She even performed a song to clarify the pronunciation, though some Irish people still say “SEER-shuh.”
29. Siobhan
Thanks to HBO’s Succession, many viewers learned that Siobhan is pronounced “shiv-AWN,” as Sarah Snook’s character, Siobhan Roy, is often referred to as “Shiv.”
30. Tadhg
The name Tadhg is pronounced “TYG,” similar to the first part of the word tiger.
This article was originally published in 2023 and has been updated for 2024.
