Why Irish Baby Names Gaining Popularity Day by Day

It has been seen always that the names represent country’s religion, tradition and mythology. So are the Irish names, inextricably woven with their history. The real Irish names predate Christianity.  Their origin based upon the ancient Celtic origins of Gaelach (Ireland) before the Gaels settled there. Therefore some of the   names are based upon their origin and some are directly drawn from ancient religion, myths, legends and superstitions of the Gaels. When it comes to baby names they are usually chosen from mythology and AI, Aibell, Achall, Baine, Bin, Cian, Conall, Conaire, Ainle, Alan, Ailill, Aengus and many more and the fairies that live in the roots of the old tree. These original names have a different pronunciation. legends as Ireland and its people are rich in myths, legends and folktales that range from the pagan gods and goddesses to the ancient kings and Queens. Many of the names derived from the history of the legendary hero Finn MacCumhail for example
The most popular Irish baby boy names : Asher, Declan, Finn, Atticus, Oliver, Henry, Emmett, James, Jude, Owen, Liam, Finn, Jack and Jackson.
Among baby girls these names have taken the lead: Imogen, Charlotte, Harper, Isla, Amelia, Evelyn, Penelope, Eleanor, Cora, Violet, Olivia, Sophia, Grace, Emily, Sophie and Elsie.
The modern naming of the babies was the result of adoption of the Christianity. Roman Catholicism has further influenced the Irish people in naming their progeny. Today Irish names have gained a distinctive character which makes them more popular day by day.

Top Irish Baby Names in 2012

It’s quite interesting to see the top Irish names in 2012. The Irish Times newspaper has composed their most famous Irish girl/boy names for 2012 year. The list is not so surprising, but there are, certainly, new names popped up during the year.

The name ‘James’ has acquired the number one spot in the boy’s category. James has been a quite popular name and it also last topped the list in 2010. In 2011, the name ‘Daniel’ had claimed the top spot.

For girls, Emily emerged as the top Irish girl name for 2012. beating out the surprise 2011 winner of Chloe, which didn’t make as big as an impact this in 2012. The Irish Times revealed more than 500 birth announcements in 2012 in its Saturday columns. The announcements included 10 sets of twins and one set of triplets.

The announcements were not just restricted to Irish births. Birth announcements of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, New York and Boston were also published in the newspaper, which signify the current trend in Irish emigration. The published report has also revealed that there has been a change in ‘traditional’ Irish names; the name like Seans or Josephs, and Mary are losing their popularity and they only made one appearance in 2012. In fact, traditional names are now turning as a choice for middle names, and this trend is increasingly being adopted. In addition, parents have also become more creative with middle names by opting for eclectic ones like Fryst, Munro and Fulton for boys and Thulasi, Avital, Daubney and Blossom for girls.

It has been determined that traditional Irish names have been popular in the Northeast over the last ten years, especially in traditionally Irish strongholds like Massachusetts. The names like Aoife, Brigid, Maeve, Niamh to name a few.