Given name · also Irish
Tadhg
“poet, philosopher”
Tadhg is used as a given name. One interpretation is “poet, philosopher.”
Original IrishTaidhgín
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “poet, philosopher.”
Where it comes from
Tadhg comes from Middle Irish, and ultimately from Proto-Celtic.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From Middle Irish Tadg, from Proto-Celtic *taskos (“badger”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1992. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tadhg through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 613
- 613 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 46 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #3,742 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +49%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,742 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 48.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 412 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tadhg’s family of names
In English usage, Tadhg has a diminutive in Teagan. In Irish usage, Tadhg shares a linguistic root with the Manx form TAIG. In Irish usage, Tadhg has a conventional equivalent in the English form Timothy.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tadhg has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Celtic roots to each of them.
9 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- TimothyEnglish
- Thaddeusanglicized form
- Timanglicized form
- Tadanglicized form
- Taigcognate · Manx
- Thiegborrowing · yol
- Taðkrcognate · Old Norse
- Tadgolder form · mga
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Tadhg
- Tadhg FurlongIrish rugby union playerborn 1992
- Tadhg BeirneIrish rugby union playerborn 1992
- Tadhg Mac DhonnagáinIrish TV personality and authorborn 1961
- Tadhg Mac CárthaighIrish bishop1455–1492
- Tadhg PurcellIrish footballerborn 1985
- Tadhg MurphyIrish film actorborn 1979
- Tadhg Ó DonnchadhaIrish writer (1874-1949)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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