Rare Irish baby names that have never made the top 100 list
If you’re on the hunt for a unique Irish baby name, we’ve tracked down 10 rare monikers that have never appeared in a top 100 list in Ireland.
With lots of beloved Irish names cropping up year after year in the top 10, 20 and 50 spots over the decades, we’ve looked to the ones that haven’t managed to break into the top 100 for inspiration.
RELATED: The 100 most popular Irish baby girl names and what they mean
According to the CSO, the following homegrown baby boy and girl names have never made it into the top 100 in any year in Ireland since records began in 1964 – and we think they deserve more love!

Rare Irish baby names for girls
- Ceola – Pronounced ‘key-ola’ – Meaning ‘musical’
- Aifric – Pronounced ‘aff-rick’ – Meaning ‘pleasant’
- Fódhla – Pronounced ‘foe-la’ – Old word for Ireland
- Aodha – Pronounced ‘ay-dah’ – Meaning ‘fiery’
- Saorlaith – Pronounced ‘sare-lah’ – Meaning ‘noble princess’

Rare Irish baby names for boys
- Naoise – Pronounced ‘nee-sha’ – Meaning ‘warrior’
- Cuán – Pronounced ‘coo-awn’ – Meaning ‘little hound’
- Ruadhán – Pronounced ‘roo-awn’ – Meaning ‘red-haired’
- Donagh – Pronounced ‘duh-nah’ – Meaning ‘brown warrior’
- Conan – Pronounced ‘koh-nan’ – Meaning ‘hound’ or ‘wolf’
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