Trying to think of baby names and wondering what are the most popular names in Ireland in 2019? You’re in the right place!
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) have compiled a list of the most popular baby names registered in Ireland in 2018. The CSO pull these statistics annually and measure the changes in order to compare trends. In their reports, we can see how this year’s most popular names compared to last year’s most popular names and how they compare to the most popular names from 1968!
Most Popular Baby Boy Names 2018
#1 – Jack
#2 – James
#3 – Noah
#4 – Conor
#5 – Daniel
#6 – Harry
#7 – Luke
#8 – Michael
#9 – Adam
#10 – Charlie
Most Popular Baby Girl Names 2018
#1 – Emily
#2 – Grace
#3 – Emma
#4 – Sophie
#5 – Amelia
#6 – Ella
#7 – Ellie
#8 – Mia
#9 – Ava
#10 – Fiadh
Most Growth in Popularity 2017 – 2018 Baby Boy Names
Theodore – up 63 places from 156 to 93!
Frankie – up 31 places from 131 to 100.
Luca – up 25 places from 102 to 77.
Muhammad – up 24 places from 87 to 63.
Freddie – up 20 places from 111 to 91.
Most Growth in Popularity 2017 – 2018 Baby Girl Names
Ada – up 67 places from 137 to 70.
Ivy – up 53 places from 137 to 84.
Mila – up 37 places from 104 to 67.
Mary – up 33 places from 91 to 58.
Tara – up 30 places from 126 to 96.
Most Popular Baby Boy Names 1968
#1 – John
#2 – Patrick
#3 – Michael
#4 – James
#5 – David
#6 – Thomas
#7- Paul
#8 – William
#9 – Martin
#10 – Brian
Most Popular Baby Girl Names 1968
#1 – Mary
#2 – Catherine
#3 – Margaret
#4 – Ann
#5 – Anne
#6 – Elizabeth
#7 – Deirdre
#8 – Patricia
#9 – Caroline
#10 – Bridget
Findings
The statistics also show us that, throughout the years, girls are given a wider variety of names with 4,779 different girls names register compared to 3,712 different boys names.
Frankie, Freddie and Theodore were new entrants into the top 100 in 2018, with Theodore increasing an impressive 63 places.
Ada, Bella, Bonnie and Ivy are new entrants into the girls top 100, with Ada gaining the most places overall with a 67-place increase.
Emily has retained the top spot for baby girls since 2011, whereas Jack rose to the top spot for boys names in 2017 after being third in 2016.
Name Meanings
Boys Names Meanings
Jack means “God is gracious”. There is a theory that the name Jack is Celtic in origin, meaning “healthy, strong and energetic”.
James is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning “supplanter” or follower.
Noah is a name from Hebrew origin, meaning “rest” and “comfort”.
Conor is of Irish origin, meaning “lover of wolves”.
Daniel is of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my judge”.
Harry is of German origin, meaning “estate ruler”.
Luke is the English form of the Latin name Lucius, meaning “the bright one” or “the one born at dawn”.
Michael is of Hebrew origin, derived from the question “who is like God?”.
Adam is of Hebrew origin, it is the Hebrew word for “man”. Literally meaning “to be red”.
Charlie is of English origin, meaning “free man”.
Girls Names Meanings
Emily is derived from the Roman family name Aemilius, meaning “industrious”.
Grace is derived from the Latin word Gratia, which means “favour” and “thanks”.
Emma is derived from the Germanic word ermen, meaning “whole” or “universal”.
Sophie is derived from the Greek name Sophia, meaning “wisdom, insight and intelligence”. This is also where we get the word “sophistication”.
Amelia, a variation of Emily, meaning “industrious”.
Ella/Ellie, a short form of Eleanor, meaning “light”.
Mia is derived from the Slavic word mila, meaning “darling”.
Ava is thought to be from the Latin word avis, meaning “bird”.
Fiadh is an old Irish word meaning “wild”.
