Irish Baby Boy Names

My favourite Irish boy names

I named my son Wolfe after Wolfe Tone, one of the founding members of the United Irishmen, associated with the 1798 rebellion. Wolfe itself isn’t an Irish name, but that’s our Irish connection!

If I were choosing a traditional Irish boy name, my favourite would be Tadhg, pronounced Tige, like “tiger” without the final “r”. It means poet, and I love its connection with storytelling. It’s a familiar name here in Ireland, so people generally know how to say it.

If I were living outside Ireland, though, I’d probably choose something people could pronounce more easily. I think I’d go with Cashel, pronounced CASH-ul, after Cashel in County Tipperary and the Rock of Cashel. If you prefer the Irish spelling, it’s Caiseal.

The Rock of Cashel has so much Irish history behind it. According to tradition, it’s where St Patrick converted King Aengus to Christianity. Cash was actually on my baby-name list, but I think I prefer Cashel. It sounds more regal!