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The Celtic world is bigger than most baby name books let on. It stretches from the windswept cliffs of western Ireland across the Scottish Highlands, down through Wales, over to Brittany on the French coast, and back into the dim Iron Age memory of Gaul. Each of these places left behind names — names carved into standing stones, whispered in epic poems, sung in harp halls, and tucked into the margins of monks’ manuscripts.
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Here’s what’s in store –
Names From Irish Myth and the High Kings
Welsh Names From the Mabinogion
Breton and Continental Celtic Names
Names From the Druids, Bards, and Magicians
Sea, Stone, and Storm — Names From the Land
Soft, Lyrical Names for the Gentle Boy
If you’ve already turned past Liam, Finn, and Owen and you’re hoping for something with more weight, this is the list to slow down with. Some of these names belonged to high kings and warrior poets. Others come from sea gods, oak druids, and the half-divine heroes of the Mabinogion. A few are gentle — quiet shepherd names that have softened over fifteen centuries of use.
A note on pronunciation before you scroll. Celtic spelling does its own thing, and a name that looks impossible on the page often sounds gorgeous out loud. Daire is “DAW-ra.” Caoimhín is “KEE-veen.” Cadfael rhymes roughly with “cad-vile.” Don’t let the consonants scare you off a name you love — coach the grandparents once and they’ll catch on.
We’ve grouped these by feel rather than alphabet, so you can wander into the section that matches the kind of name you’re after: hero names, sea names, soft names, druidic names, and so on. Pour something warm, and take your time.
Names From Irish Myth and the High Kings
These are the heavy hitters — names lifted from the Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Fenian Cycle, and the rolls of Tara’s high kings. They carry centuries of story, and they wear well on a modern boy.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Hound of Culann
- Popularity: Rare
The brooding warrior of the Ulster Cycle; better as a middle name than a daily one.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lover of hounds
- Popularity: #707
King Conchobar of Ulster’s anglicized form, friendly and well-traveled.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fair, bright
- Popularity: #4594
The leader of the Fianna and a name that’s softened beautifully into modern use.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little deer
- Popularity: Rare
Fionn’s poet-son; pronounced “uh-SHEEN” and quietly perfect.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Without envy
- Popularity: Rare
The doomed lover of Gráinne — romantic, brave, and a little melancholic.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Elf, sprite
- Popularity: Rare
The husband of Queen Medb and a name with a fairy-thin quality.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Charioteer, son of defilement
- Popularity: #1254
A high king’s name with grit; nicknames Mac or Mack drop in easily.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Champion, cloud
- Popularity: #1582
Niall of the Nine Hostages founded a royal line; sturdy and old.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Noble, high
- Popularity: #301
Brian Boru drove out the Vikings — a workhorse name with hero bones.
- Origin: Irish/Welsh
- Meaning: Raven
- Popularity: #11099
Both a hero and Fionn’s loyal hunting hound; short and feathered.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: Rare
The root of Owen, with the original tree still showing through.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Light, oath
- Popularity: Rare
The sun god of skills and crafts; tiny on the page, enormous in meaning.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: One strength
- Popularity: #9889
The god of love and youth — gentle, romantic, slightly mischievous.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Battle ruler
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “CA-hal”; strong without being aggressive.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Poet, philosopher
- Popularity: #3198
Pronounced “Tyge” and beloved in the west of Ireland.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little seal
- Popularity: #257
A saint’s name with a seal-skin Selkie shimmer.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Popularity: #3399
The Irish form of John; pronounced “Owen.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Ancient, enduring
- Popularity: #1525
Father of Lugh and a name with quiet gravity.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Manly vigor
- Popularity: #4453
The exiled king of Ulster; great on a tall, gentle boy.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fruitful, fertile
- Popularity: #3992
The owner of the brown bull whose theft started the *Táin*.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Strong as a wolf
- Popularity: #3610
A Red Branch warrior; pronounced “CON-al.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Horseman
- Popularity: Rare
A name borne by a dozen mythic kings; archaic and rare.
– **Setanta** — The original name of Cú Chulainn before he killed Culann’s hound; mysterious and unused.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The doomed lover of Deirdre; pronounced “NEE-sha” and tragic-romantic.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Battle slayer
- Popularity: Rare
A druid prophet of the Ulster court — heavy, but for the right boy.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sea
- Popularity: Rare
The sea god and father of the children-turned-swans; small and oceanic.
Welsh Names From the Mabinogion
The Welsh branch of the Celtic family gave us some of the strangest and most beautiful myth-cycles in Europe. These names hold magicians, shape-shifters, and warrior princes — and many sound surprisingly modern.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Raven
- Popularity: #11099
Bran the Blessed, the giant king whose severed head still gave counsel.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Care, worry
- Popularity: Rare
The son of Pwyll and Rhiannon; a hero of all four branches.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White, fair, blessed
- Popularity: #8600
Gwyn ap Nudd is the king of the Welsh otherworld.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Ardor, enthusiasm
- Popularity: #354
A name that travels well and never goes out of style.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Leader, lion-like
- Popularity: Rare
The last native Prince of Wales; ferocious and storied.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: #13536
The original Owen — an Arthurian knight and a Welsh prince.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Gentle
- Popularity: #2637
One of Arthur’s knights, known for kindness as much as strength.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Radiant brow
- Popularity: #10750
The greatest of the Welsh bards; pronounced “tal-YES-in.”
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Battle prince
- Popularity: Rare
The medieval monk-detective; soft consonants, hard meaning.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Immortal
- Popularity: #1138
The Welsh name of Merlin himself.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Sea fortress
- Popularity: Rare
The actual original Welsh form of Merlin.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Ardent lord
- Popularity: #739
The giant who gave his name to Cadair Idris mountain.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Battle
- Popularity: Rare
A king of Powys; short, sharp, and underused.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White hawk of May
- Popularity: Rare
The most beloved of Arthur’s knights.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Birch hero
- Popularity: Rare
The original Sir Bedivere, who returned Excalibur to the lake.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Path, way
- Popularity: Rare
The original Sir Kay; clipped and easy.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fortunate
- Popularity: #10492
A 12th-century prince said to have sailed to America.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: The Lord is God
- Popularity: Rare
A bard’s name with a folk-song lilt.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Son of the sea
- Popularity: #28
A sea god from the Mabinogion; Dylan Thomas made it famous.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Wisdom, prudence
- Popularity: Rare
The prince who traded places with the king of the otherworld.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Probably “great-armed”
- Popularity: Rare
The Welsh sea god, brother of Bran.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Light, fair
- Popularity: Rare
The Welsh cognate of Lugh; pronounced “Lloy.”
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Strong lord
- Popularity: Rare
The great medieval Welsh kings; anglicized as Griffith.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Blessed peace
- Popularity: Rare
The bard Hedd Wyn died at Passchendaele in 1917.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Chief
- Popularity: Rare
A Welsh king’s name with a clipped, modern sound.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Hero
- Popularity: Rare
The lover in the tragic *Math fab Mathonwy* tale.
Scottish and Highland Names
The Scottish branch carries a different weather — colder, mistier, more given to lochs and standing stones. These names belong to clan chiefs, kings of Alba, and the bards who sang for them.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Defender of men
- Popularity: #3684
The Gaelic Alexander, with all the Highland grandeur.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Popularity: #5982
The Gaelic form of James; warm and a little wry.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: One choice, one strength
- Popularity: #2149
A Pictish king’s name; an old-Scotland staple.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Dove
- Popularity: #906
St. Columba’s name; pronounced “CAL-um.”
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Popularity: #4227
The Scottish form of John, with a soft second syllable.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: From the land of lochs
- Popularity: #691
A Viking-Gaelic blend that’s having a quiet renaissance.
- Origin: Scottish/Norse
- Meaning: Great
- Popularity: #749
A name shared between the Norse and the Gaels of the Hebrides.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Sea warrior
- Popularity: Rare
An old Hebridean name with salt in it.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Red king
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “Rory”; one of the great red-haired hero names.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Handsome, fair
- Popularity: Rare
The original Kenneth, from Cinaed mac Ailpín, first king of Scots.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: World ruler
- Popularity: Rare
The Donald of high kings, not headlines.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Brown horse
- Popularity: Rare
Anglicized as Hector; pronounced “AY-khan.”
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Fair warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The original Finlay — easier on English tongues.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Servant of the bishop
- Popularity: Rare
An old clan name with a lovely cadence.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Island
- Popularity: Rare
Originally a surname, now lovely for a boy or girl.
- Origin: Scottish/Irish
- Meaning: Little dark one
- Popularity: #440
St. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise; widely usable.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: From Lorn
- Popularity: #11761
A region of Argyll; quiet and underused.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Devotee of Columba
- Popularity: #314
The “good king” of *Macbeth*.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Little saint
- Popularity: Rare
A surname-turned-firstname with charm to spare.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Headland, promontory
- Popularity: Rare
A Highland clan name and a soft sound.
- Origin: Scottish/Norse
- Meaning: Summer traveler
- Popularity: Rare
The 12th-century lord of the Isles.
- Origin: Scottish/Norse
- Meaning: Thor’s helmet
- Popularity: Rare
A Lewis and Harris name with serious weather to it.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Resolute protector
- Popularity: Rare
The Gaelic William.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Pup, whelp
- Popularity: Rare
The original Colin.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: #1509
The Scottish Owen; gentle and grown-up.
Breton and Continental Celtic Names
Brittany — the Celtic foothold on the French coast — kept names alive that the rest of Europe forgot. These have a continental polish on a deeply Celtic frame.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Yew
- Popularity: Rare
The Breton form of Yves; clean and bright.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Popularity: #9815
The Breton John, plain and sturdy.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Sorrowful, tumult
- Popularity: #267
The lover of Iseult, of Cornwall and Brittany both.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Servant of God
- Popularity: Rare
The 6th-century British monk and historian.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Famous warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The Breton Louis; pronounced “lo-EEK.”
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Prince, chief
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century Breton saint; pronounced “MA-el.”
- Origin: Breton/Irish
- Meaning: Little seal
- Popularity: #257
Beloved by both branches of the family.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Light prayer
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century Breton hermit-saint.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Yew warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The double-N variant of Erwan.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Fire and dog
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century Breton saint and a noble French surname.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Esteem, dignity
- Popularity: Rare
One of the seven founding saints of Brittany.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Hurricane, tempest
- Popularity: Rare
Another founding saint; cinematic and slightly stormy.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Battle worthy
- Popularity: Rare
The blind 6th-century bard-saint, led by a wolf.
- Origin: Breton/Irish
- Meaning: Church
- Popularity: #1050
An Irish-Breton missionary saint.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Little Yann
- Popularity: #5419
The diminutive that grew into its own.
- Origin: Breton/Scottish
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: #3229
Breton spelling of the pan-Celtic Owen.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Powerful king
- Popularity: Rare
A semi-legendary first king of Brittany.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Generous lord
- Popularity: Rare
A 7th-century saint-king; pronounced “zhu-dee-kai-EL.”
- Origin: Breton/Irish
- Meaning: Wolf, hound
- Popularity: #2010
A Breton ducal name long before the barbarian.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Rock, harmony
- Popularity: #167
The Bretons gave this name to the Normans, and the Normans gave it to England.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Yew
- Popularity: #13188
A French-Breton form with a folk-song feeling.
- Origin: Breton
- Meaning: Blessed and generous
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century abbot-saint of Brittany.
– **Soazig** — Often female, but rare male use exists in Breton — skip if unsure.
- Origin: Breton/Irish
- Meaning: Brown one
- Popularity: Rare
A 7th-century martyr of the Hebrides via Brittany.
Names From the Druids, Bards, and Magicians
For the boy with a quiet, watchful temperament — these are the names of the wise ones, the harp-players, and the forest-dwellers who knew which oak was sacred.
- Origin: Welsh, via Latin
- Meaning: Sea hill
- Popularity: #2083
The wizard who needs no introduction; bigger than its myth.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Radiant brow
- Popularity: #10750
The greatest bard, taught by the witch Ceridwen.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Born of song
- Popularity: Rare
The chief poet of the Milesians, who sang Ireland into being.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fox
- Popularity: Rare
Sly, watchful, and a beautiful sound — “SHUN-akh.”
- Origin: Pictish/Celtic
- Meaning: Riot, tumult
- Popularity: Rare
An older form of Tristan with a wilder edge.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Beloved
- Popularity: Rare
A British chieftain who fought Rome; pronounced “kar-AD-ock.”
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Raven, king
- Popularity: Rare
The Gaulish chieftain who sacked Rome in 387 BC.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Great king of warriors
- Popularity: Rare
The chieftain who united Gaul against Caesar.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Battle slayer
- Popularity: Rare
The chief druid of Ulster.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Slave of the wheel
- Popularity: Rare
A blind druid who flew in a brazen ship — wild stuff.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: White fire
- Popularity: #7378
The sage who survived the flood as a salmon.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Ancient, learned
- Popularity: Rare
The judge and orator of King Conchobar’s court.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Truly noble
- Popularity: Rare
The 6th-century bard who wrote the *Y Gododdin*.
- Origin: Scottish/Irish
- Meaning: Little deer
- Popularity: Rare
The Scottish form of Oisín; the great Highland bard.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Roar, shout
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century king-bard whose elegies survive.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Lovable
- Popularity: Rare
A 5th-century king and the namesake of Cardigan.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lord ruler
- Popularity: Rare
St. Jarlath, the patron of Tuam.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Devotee of Mary
- Popularity: Rare
A scholar’s name from the medieval monasteries.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Helmeted head
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “Kennedy”; an O’Brien dynastic name.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little Adam
- Popularity: Rare
The abbot of Iona who wrote the life of Columba.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Origin of a learned man
- Popularity: Rare
Obscure, but lovely on the page.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fox
- Popularity: Rare
A common name among the early high kings.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lover of hounds
- Popularity: Rare
The original Conor; the king of the Red Branch.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Land of the lakes
- Popularity: #3485
The Irish word for Scandinavia, given as a name.
Sea, Stone, and Storm — Names From the Land
The Celts named their boys after the world around them: the salt, the standing stones, the storms that rolled off the Atlantic. These names feel rooted in a place even if you’ve never been there.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sea warrior
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “MUR-uh-khoo”; salt-sprayed and ancient.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Twin
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Thomas with a softer landing.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Slender
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “KEE-lan”; slim and graceful.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little fire
- Popularity: Rare
The original Aidan; a flame of a name.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little dark one
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish saint of Clonmacnoise.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Swift, nimble
- Popularity: Rare
The last pagan high king of Ireland.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Wealthy protector
- Popularity: #1497
The Irish Edmund — stately and worn-in.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Man of valor
- Popularity: Rare
Anglicized as Farrell.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little rough one
- Popularity: Rare
The saint of Dungarvan; pronounced “GAR-uh-vawn.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lord ruler
- Popularity: Rare
St. Jarlath again — quietly imposing.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Laurel-crowned
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Laurence; soft and bookish.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Son of the oak
- Popularity: Rare
A Connemara saint and a tree-strong name.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The doomed lover; “NEE-sha.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Pale green, otter
- Popularity: Rare
The deacon who sailed with St. Columba to Iona.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Patrician, noble
- Popularity: Rare
The Patrick all Patricks come from.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Hard ruler
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Richard; substantial.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish John, omnipresent and beloved.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Instigator, abettor
- Popularity: Rare
Pronounced “TUR-lakh”; old Turlough.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Conquering
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Vincent.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Church, strife
- Popularity: #463
A 7th-century martyr-saint in Bavaria.
- Origin: Irish, from Suibhne
- Meaning: Pleasant
- Popularity: Rare
The mad king who turned into a bird in the trees.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little champion
- Popularity: Rare
A diminutive that stands on its own.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little wolf
- Popularity: Rare
A 7th-century Irish saint who walked to Scotland.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Old, wise
- Popularity: Rare
The saint of Scattery Island; pronounced “shen-AWN.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Manly
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Andrew.
Soft, Lyrical Names for the Gentle Boy
Not every name needs to roar. These are the warm ones — the names of poet-monks, gentle saints, and shepherd kings. Soft on the page and on the ear.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Beloved birth
- Popularity: Rare
The original Kevin; “KEE-veen.”
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little church
- Popularity: #463
A 7th-century missionary saint.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Full of goodness
- Popularity: #131
St. Declan of Ardmore — an Irish standard.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little fair one
- Popularity: Rare
A 6th-century bishop saint of Kerry.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Church
- Popularity: #369
The anglicized form of Cillian.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Strong-willed warrior
- Popularity: #1
The short form of Uilliam — yes, it earned its popularity.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little fierce one
- Popularity: Rare
St. Laurence O’Toole’s Irish name; tougher than it looks.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Pale green, song
- Popularity: #4982
St. Odhrán’s anglicized form.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Noble
- Popularity: #7585
St. Patrick himself.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Cub
- Popularity: #10625
Rare and surname-soft.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Royal bard
- Popularity: #7636
Originally Ó Ríordáin; bookish.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Wise, old
- Popularity: #10703
Quiet and saintly.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lord, chief
- Popularity: #4166
Pronounced “TEER-nan”; gentle authority.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little fire
- Popularity: #312
The monk who founded Lindisfarne.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sorrow, or shoe
- Popularity: #3693
St. Brogan, the scribe of St. Patrick.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Hollow
- Popularity: #4202
After County Cavan; a place name with a soft heart.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little dark prince
- Popularity: #504
A king of Munster’s name.
- Origin: Irish, from Éimhín
- Meaning: Swift
- Popularity: Rare
St. Éimhín, a 6th-century abbot.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fair-haired
- Popularity: #9255
The founder of Cork.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sparrow
- Popularity: #8517
A surname with a folk-bird lightness.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Dark, dusky
- Popularity: #2683
The county and the kingdom of the Ciarraige.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Brightness
- Popularity: #1439
Rare male use of an Irish root.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Red king
- Popularity: #13803
The simpler spelling of Ruairi.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Popularity: #601
The Ulster form of Seán.
Warrior Names With Mythic Weight
For when the small soft thing in your arms turns out to be a small fierce thing in your arms. These names belong to the Red Branch, the Fianna, the mormaers, and the warbands of the Continent.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little fire
- Popularity: #2548
Aedán mac Gabráin, the 6th-century king of Dál Riata.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Beautiful warrior
- Popularity: Rare
Archaic and arresting.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Bright army
- Popularity: Rare
The Irish Bertrand; from the *Berchert*.
- Origin: Irish/Welsh
- Meaning: Raven
- Popularity: #11099
Both hero and hound.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Beloved
- Popularity: Rare
The fierce British chieftain Caractacus.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Chief, intelligence
- Popularity: #8104
Conn of the Hundred Battles, the high king.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Charioteer
- Popularity: #1254
Cormac mac Airt, the wise high king.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Fruitful
- Popularity: Rare
The Brown Bull’s owner — and the war that followed.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Brown warrior
- Popularity: Rare
The son of Brian Boru.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: Rare
The Eóganacht dynasty of Munster came from him.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little wolf
- Popularity: Rare
A wolf-pack of saints and warriors share the name.
- Origin: Scottish/Irish
- Meaning: Fair stranger
- Popularity: Rare
The Scottish hero of Macpherson’s poems.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Spear-strong
- Popularity: #562
From the Hiberno-Norman Fitzgeralds.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: White hawk of May
- Popularity: Rare
The most chivalrous knight of the Round Table.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Eminent
- Popularity: Rare
Hywel Dda — Howell the Good — the great Welsh lawgiver.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Little fire
- Popularity: Rare
A Gaelic diminutive with bite.
- Origin: Irish, from Cathán
- Meaning: Battle
- Popularity: #431
Short and stark.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Narrow river
- Popularity: #1080
The river that runs through Glasgow.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Light
- Popularity: Rare
A dozen mythic kings share this name.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Hound prince
- Popularity: Rare
A fierce 6th-century king of Gwynedd.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Roman
- Popularity: #3560
The Welsh form of Magnus Maximus, the Roman-Welsh emperor.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Bright
- Popularity: Rare
Rare male diminutive.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Born of the yew
- Popularity: #13536
Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welsh prince to rise against England.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little red one
- Popularity: Rare
A red-haired warrior-saint.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Lord of the people
- Popularity: Rare
The original Toole.
Gaulish and Ancient Continental Names
Before Caesar crossed the Rhine, the Celts of the Continent had their own names — kept alive in inscriptions, coins, and Roman histories. These are rare, weighty, and as old as Europe gets.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Raven, king
- Popularity: Rare
The chieftain who put Rome to the sword in 387 BC.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Great warrior-king
- Popularity: Rare
Caesar’s most formidable opponent.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: King of those around
- Popularity: Rare
The Eburones chieftain who destroyed a Roman legion.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Avenger
- Popularity: Rare
The Helvetii leader Caesar fought.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: World king
- Popularity: Rare
A Haeduan prince and resistance leader.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: King of warriors
- Popularity: Rare
A Treveri chieftain mentioned by Caesar.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: King of killers
- Popularity: Rare
The Helvetii noble who planned the great migration.
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Beloved
- Popularity: Rare
The British king who fought Rome for nine years.
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Victorious
- Popularity: Rare
The masculine root of Boudica.
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Hound of Belenus
- Popularity: Rare
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Beloved tunic
- Popularity: Rare
Caratacus’s brother.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Bright one
- Popularity: Rare
A Celtic sun god.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Boiling, hot spring
- Popularity: Rare
A god of healing waters.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Horned one
- Popularity: Rare
The antlered god of the forest.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Lord, master
- Popularity: Rare
A grim god of the sacred grove.
– **Lugus** — The Continental form of Lugh; bright and skilled.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Divine son
- Popularity: Rare
The god of youth, music, and hunting.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Good striker
- Popularity: Rare
The hammer-god of the Gauls.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Thunderer
- Popularity: Rare
The thunder god of the Continental Celts.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: God of the tribe
- Popularity: Rare
The Asterix swear is real — a war god.
- Origin: Gaulish/Brittonic
- Meaning: Champion
- Popularity: Rare
The war god behind Colchester (Camulodunum).
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Catcher, fisher
- Popularity: Rare
A river god; the root of Welsh Nudd.
- Origin: Brittonic
- Meaning: Red one
- Popularity: Rare
A warrior god of the Roman-British north.
- Origin: Gaulish
- Meaning: Victor
- Popularity: Rare
A war god worshiped from Ireland to Gaul.
How to Choose a Name From This List
Read the longlist out loud. Celtic names in particular look one way on paper and sing another way in air — Caoimhín is gorgeous spoken, terrifying typed. If you’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist, say each one in a sentence: “Come here, Oisín.” “Time for bed, Cadfael.” You’ll feel which ones fit and which ones don’t.
Think about what you want the name to carry. A hero name like Cú Chulainn or Vercingetorix is a lot to hand a four-year-old. A softer mythic name — Ronan, Cillian, Maël — carries the weight without the swagger. Both are good choices; they’re just different choices.
Consider the rest of the name. A long Welsh first name pairs well with a short, clean middle (Llywelyn James, Taliesin Cole). A short Gaelic name can carry a longer middle (Bran Alexander, Lugh Sebastian). Read the full name aloud the way a teacher would call it at graduation.
Don’t be afraid of the spelling. Yes, your in-laws will need a cheat sheet. Yes, you’ll spell it on the phone a thousand times. But a name like Caoimhín or Cadfael is a small daily gift — a moment of beauty and history in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday.
And finally: trust your gut. If a name keeps coming back to you weeks after you first read it, that’s the one. Lists are scaffolding. The name is yours.
Name Art for Your Favorite
Love a name from this list? MinimalistMama offers custom Name Art prints — personalized, minimalist nursery art with the name you choose, designed to match your aesthetic. A perfect gift for baby showers or to hang above the crib.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Breton names?
They all descend from a common Celtic root but split into two branches roughly two thousand years ago: Goidelic (Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx) and Brythonic (Welsh, Cornish, Breton). Irish and Scottish names share a lot — Eógan/Ewan, Niall/Niall — while Welsh and Breton share their own family — Yann/John, Erwan/Yves. Gaulish is the older Continental branch, mostly preserved in inscriptions.
How do I actually pronounce these names?
Irish and Scottish Gaelic use letter combinations that don’t follow English rules — “mh” and “bh” are usually a soft “v” or “w” sound, “dh” and “gh” are often silent, and a “fada” (the accent mark) lengthens a vowel. Welsh “dd” is the soft “th” in “this,” and “ll” is that breathy side-of-the-tongue sound. When in doubt, search the name on Forvo or YouTube — there’s almost always a native speaker saying it.
Are these names too hard for an English-speaking country?
Some, yes — Caoimhín or Llywelyn will need explaining. But Liam, Ronan, Declan, Owen, Rhys, and Tristan all started as “difficult” Celtic names and are now thoroughly mainstream. A name with a small learning curve is also a name that strangers remember.
Which Celtic boy names are rising the fastest?
Cillian, Ronan, Finn, Rhys, and Declan have climbed steadily over the last decade. Less common but rising: Oisín, Cormac, Cadfael, Maël, and Tadhg. Names like Lugh and Bran are starting to appear on lists too — short, mythic, and unusual.
Can I use a Celtic name if I don’t have Celtic heritage?
Yes — almost all of these names have been used outside their original cultures for centuries (think of how many Patricks live in Italy). The respectful thing is to learn the pronunciation, understand the meaning, and not pick a deity name as a casual aesthetic choice. Choose with care, and these names travel beautifully.
What’s a good “first Celtic name” if I want to ease in?
Ronan, Owen, Liam, Finn, Declan, and Rhys are all fully naturalized in English-speaking countries — your son will never have to spell them on the phone. They give you the Celtic root and the modern ease, both.
Are there Celtic names that work as middle names?
Beautifully — a Celtic middle name is a way to honor heritage without committing your child to spelling Llywelyn for life. Try short, punchy ones: Bran, Cian, Rhys, Finn, Lugh, Yann, Owen, or Cormac. They land hard in the middle slot.
📊 Curious how popular a name actually is? Look it up in our Baby Name Popularity Checker — pulls live SSA data to show ranking trends.
Final Thoughts
The Celtic world is generous with its names. It hands you sea gods and shepherd saints, battle kings and quiet poets — over fifteen hundred years of stories carried forward in single words. Whichever one you choose, you’re not just picking a sound. You’re tying your boy to a long, deep line of people who loved language enough to keep these names alive through famine, conquest, and the slow erasure of empire.
Take your time. Say them out loud. And when one of them won’t leave you alone, trust that.
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