Given name & surname
Irish
“woman from Ireland”·“man from Ireland”
Irish is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “woman from Ireland” (American) and “man from Ireland” (American). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “woman from Ireland” (American) and “man from Ireland” (American). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
How it developed
Probably from Middle English Irish, from Old English *Īrisċ, from Old English Īras, from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu, from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European *péyh₂wr̥ (“fat, swelling”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1924. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Irish through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,608
- 155 boys · 1,453 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 45 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #13,864 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −46%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 13,864 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 40 in 1960. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,825 as a first name in 2020; 7,094 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Irish’s family of names
In English usage, Irish as a surname has an affectionate form in MATTIMORE. Irish has an English adaptation in Kelly. Irish has an English adaptation in Maureen.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 237
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Kennedyanglicized form
- Murphyanglicized form
- Seananglicized form
- Hassananglicized form
- Kellyanglicized form
- Kennyanglicized form
- Michealanglicized form
- Barryanglicized form
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Moiraanglicized form
- Unaanglicized form
- Brogananglicized form
- Maureenanglicized form
- Mohananglicized form
- Raffertyanglicized form
- Mahananglicized form
- Conroyanglicized form
- Mcclintonanglicized form
- Mcadooanglicized form
- Brigidaequivalent
- McKennonanglicized form
- Mchaleanglicized form
- Mckelveyanglicized form
- Mckeeveranglicized form
- Mckeeanglicized form
- Coltraneanglicized form
- Daceyanglicized form
- Cullyanglicized form
- McHenryanglicized form
- Condonanglicized form
- McNeilanglicized form
- McElroyanglicized form
- McKonlyanglicized form
- McClancyanglicized form
- O'Hareanglicized form
- O'Barranglicized form
- O'Berryanglicized form
- McPhilbinanglicized form
- O'Gormananglicized form
- McCalveyanglicized form
- O'Beirneanglicized form
- O'Hurleyanglicized form
- O'Halpinanglicized form
- Finglasanglicized form
- McCunniffanglicized form
- O'Garaanglicized form
- McEllistrimanglicized form
- McStockeranglicized form
- McAvaneyanglicized form
- McGustyanglicized form
- Brogeenanglicized form
- Kerwaaneanglicized form
- Milmoanglicized form
- O'Dohertyanglicized form
- O'Donoghueanglicized form
- McSkeananglicized form
- Hiereenanglicized form
- O'Gradyanglicized form
- Mcgarrigleanglicized form
- McCollanglicized form
- Mcgarityanglicized form
And 177 more.
People named Irish
- Irish McCallaAmerican film and television actress (1928-2002)
- Irish MagnoFilipino amateur boxer (born 1991)
- Irish BellaIndonesian actress, model and singerborn 1995
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Irish, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tracey
“a woman warrior” · “one who is brave”
33% boys · 67% girls
Freedom
“an independent woman” · “an independent man”
39% boys · 61% girls
Marlo
“one who resembles driftwood”
44% boys · 56% girls
Kirby
“from the church town” · “from the village with the church”
48% boys · 52% girls
Farren
“one who is adventurous; an explorer”
29% boys · 71% girls
Yancy
“a sassy woman; a Yankee” · “an Englishman”
35% boys · 65% girls
Lin
“resembling jade; from the woodland”
29% boys · 71% girls
Livingston
“from the town of a beloved friend”
44% boys · 56% girls