100+ Celtic Baby Names — 60 Beautiful Names From Irish, Welsh & Scottish Tradition & Meanings (2026)

Celtic names come from one of Europe’s oldest literary and mythological traditions. The Celts inhabited most of Europe from 800 BCE, leaving their language and culture woven into Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Cornish, Breton, and Manx traditions — each with distinct but related naming patterns.

Irish Celtic Names

Ireland preserved the most extensive Celtic mythology, giving us the Ulster Cycle (Cú Chulainn, Deirdre) and Fenian Cycle (Fionn mac Cumhaill, Oisín). These stories produced names of extraordinary beauty and depth.

Irish Girl Names

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Aoife	EE-fa	Beautiful, radiant
Niamh	NEEV	Bright, brilliant
Siobhan	shih-VAWN	God is gracious
Caoimhe	KEE-va	Gentle, beautiful
Grainne	GRAWN-ya	Grace, grain goddess
Sadhbh	SYVE	Sweet, goodly
Cliodhna	KLEE-na	Shapely
Muireann	MWIR-ann	Sea-white
Roisin	ro-SHEEN	Little rose
Sorcha	SUR-a-kha	Brightness

Irish Boy Names

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Cú Chulainn	koo HULL-in	Hound of Culann
Fionn	FYUN	Fair, bright
Oisín	USH-een	Little deer
Cormac	KOR-mak	Charioteer
Cillian	KIL-ee-an	Bright-headed
Tadhg	TYG	Poet, philosopher
Darragh	DAR-a	Oak
Declan	DECK-lan	Full of goodness
Rory	ROR-ee	Red king
Fergal	FER-gal	Brave man

Welsh Celtic Names

Welsh preserves Celtic language most completely today. Welsh names have a distinctive sound — “w” and “y” as vowels, “ll” and “ch” as unique consonants.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Rhiannon	ree-AN-on	Divine queen (horse goddess)
Branwen	BRAN-wen	White raven
Cerridwen	ker-ID-wen	Blessed poetry
Arianrhod	ar-ee-AN-rod	Silver wheel (moon goddess)
Bran	BRAN	Raven
Cadoc	KAD-ok	Battle
Caradoc	kar-AD-ok	Beloved
Taliesin	tal-ee-ES-in	Shining brow (greatest bard of Wales)

Scottish Celtic Names

Scottish Gaelic shares roots with Irish but has developed distinctive forms over centuries.

Name	Meaning	Notes
Cairn	Pile of stones	Memorial stones dot the Scottish landscape
Fingal	Fair stranger	Scottish form of Fionn
Murdoch	Sea warrior
Fionnuala	White shoulder	Daughter of Lir, turned into a swan
Morag	Great, sun	Popular in Scottish Highlands
Isobel	Consecrated to God	Scottish form of Elizabeth

The Magic of Celtic Names

Celtic names carry a particular quality that many parents find compelling:

• Sound — The music of Irish and Welsh is unlike any other European language
• Nature — Trees, rivers, animals, and landscapes fill Celtic names
• Mythology — Every name connects to stories that stretch back 2,000+ years
• Rarity — Many Celtic names remain uncommon outside Ireland, Wales, and Scotland

Pronunciation Guide

The biggest challenge with Celtic names is pronunciation. Key rules for Irish:

• “bh” = “v” sound (Niamh = NEEV, not “nee-am”)
• “mh” = “v” sound (Meadhbh = MAYV)
• “dh” = often silent at end of word
• “gh” = often silent at end of word

Explore more: Irish names | Celtic mythology | Names starting with C