8 standout rare Irish girl names
These names combine a clear cultural or linguistic connection with current U.S. rarity.
Aoife
A compact Irish name with deep legendary roots and a sound that is much simpler than the spelling first suggests.
2025 U.S.: 88 births · #2,120Peak: 2018 · 117 births
Niamh
A famous Irish name meaning “bright,” but still rare in the United States by exact spelling.
2025 U.S.: 43 births · #3,561Peak: 2008 · 74 births
Roisin
The Irish diminutive of rose has a lyrical sound and remained far outside the U.S. Top 1,000 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 64 births · #2,716Peak: 2025 · 64 births
Orlaith
The traditional Irish form behind Orla, associated with “golden ruler” or “golden princess.”
2025 U.S.: 6 births · #14,486Peak: 2024 · 10 births
Aine
A traditional Irish name with mythological associations and a compact two-syllable sound.
2025 U.S.: 39 births · #3,781Peak: 2004 · 68 births
Caoimhe
Distinctively Irish on the page, with pronunciation that varies somewhat by dialect and family.
2025 U.S.: 24 births · #5,275Peak: 2025 · 24 births
Nuala
A short Irish form of Fionnuala with a warm, straightforward sound.
2025 U.S.: 7 births · #12,837Peak: 2009 · 26 births
Oona
An Anglicized form of Úna that feels intuitive in English while remaining uncommon.
2025 U.S.: 62 births · #2,768Peak: 2015 · 131 births
27 rare names to explore
Traditional Irish spellings with strong identity
These names keep a distinctly Irish spelling or form and remain outside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000.
Aoife
A compact Irish name with deep legendary roots and a sound that is much simpler than the spelling first suggests.
2025 U.S.: 88 births · #2,120Peak: 2018 · 117 births
Caoimhe
Distinctively Irish on the page, with pronunciation that varies somewhat by dialect and family.
2025 U.S.: 24 births · #5,275Peak: 2025 · 24 births
Eimear
An Irish form connected with Emer of legend; the exact spelling had no published 2025 U.S. count.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 2002 · 5 births
Eithne
An old Irish name found in legend and saint traditions, extremely uncommon in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 6 births · #13,673Peak: 2025 · 6 births
Grainne
A traditional Irish name strongly associated with legend and history, with no published 2025 U.S. count.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 1989 · 9 births
Laoise
A recognizably Irish choice that remains exceptionally uncommon in U.S. national data.
2025 U.S.: no published count
Niamh
A famous Irish name meaning “bright,” but still rare in the United States by exact spelling.
2025 U.S.: 43 births · #3,561Peak: 2008 · 74 births
Roisin
The Irish diminutive of rose has a lyrical sound and remained far outside the U.S. Top 1,000 in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 64 births · #2,716Peak: 2025 · 64 births
Orlaith
The traditional Irish form behind Orla, associated with “golden ruler” or “golden princess.”
2025 U.S.: 6 births · #14,486Peak: 2024 · 10 births
Meabh
An Irish form related to Medb and Maeve, retaining a much rarer traditional spelling.
2025 U.S.: 13 births · #8,176Peak: 2025 · 13 births
Rare Irish names that feel approachable in English
The sounds are relatively compact or familiar even when the names remain uncommon in U.S. birth data.
Aine
A traditional Irish name with mythological associations and a compact two-syllable sound.
2025 U.S.: 39 births · #3,781Peak: 2004 · 68 births
Aisling
From the Irish word for a dream or vision; established as a given name and still uncommon in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 39 births · #3,782Peak: 2002 · 61 births
Fiadh
A modern Irish favorite whose exact spelling remains rare in the U.S. despite stronger use in Ireland.
2025 U.S.: 96 births · #1,995Peak: 2025 · 96 births
Nuala
A short Irish form of Fionnuala with a warm, straightforward sound.
2025 U.S.: 7 births · #12,837Peak: 2009 · 26 births
Oona
An Anglicized form of Úna that feels intuitive in English while remaining uncommon.
2025 U.S.: 62 births · #2,768Peak: 2015 · 131 births
Orla
An Anglicized form of Órlaith that is easy to spell and still outside the U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 70 births · #2,532Peak: 2024 · 71 births
Una
A compact form associated with Irish Úna; simple to say and genuinely uncommon in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 49 births · #3,245Peak: 1921 · 217 births
Neve
An Anglicized spelling related to Niamh, useful for parents who want the sound with a more transparent spelling.
2025 U.S.: 51 births · #3,156Peak: 2010 · 95 births
Ciara
An established Irish name that is familiar enough to read yet remains outside the U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 155 births · #1,408Peak: 2005 · 2,325 births
Nessa
An Anglicized form of Neasa with Irish legendary associations and a familiar two-syllable shape.
2025 U.S.: 63 births · #2,744Peak: 2016 · 83 births
Saoirse
The Irish word-name associated with freedom is internationally recognizable but still just outside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000.
2025 U.S.: 222 births · #1,089Peak: 2020 · 373 births
Especially uncommon Irish choices
Several of these exact spellings had fewer than 25 published U.S. births in 2025, or no published count at all.
Clodagh
An Irish place-name choice associated with the River Clodagh and exceptionally rare in the U.S.
2025 U.S.: 9 births · #10,268Peak: 2009 · 15 births
Eabha
The Irish form of Eve, short and traditional but little used in U.S. national records.
2025 U.S.: 14 births · #7,590Peak: 2025 · 14 births
Fionnuala
A traditional Irish legendary name with a long history and only a handful of published U.S. births in 2025.
2025 U.S.: 6 births · #13,770Peak: 2010 · 12 births
Ita
A compact Irish saint name that looks simple while remaining genuinely rare.
2025 U.S.: 25 births · #5,147Peak: 2013 · 25 births
Eilish
An Anglicized form of Eilís, made more familiar internationally while still rare in U.S. birth data.
2025 U.S.: 10 births · #9,626Peak: 1996 · 35 births
Sadhbh
A traditional Irish name with a spelling that preserves its cultural identity; no published 2025 U.S. count.
2025 U.S.: no published count
Eavan
An Anglicized Irish form connected with Aoibheann and rarely seen in current U.S. data.
2025 U.S.: no published countPeak: 2004 · 17 births
The data line uses the exact spelling shown. “No published 2025 count” can mean the spelling had zero births or fewer than five, because SSA does not publish counts below five.
Rarity check
Irish names that are not rare in the U.S.
Eileen and Maeve have clear Irish associations, but both ranked inside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000, so they are separated from the rare list.
Eileen
A distinctive choice worth saying aloud with your surname.
2025 U.S.: 437 births · #654Peak: 1947 · 4,251 births
Maeve
A distinctive choice worth saying aloud with your surname.
2025 U.S.: 3,153 births · #76Peak: 2025 · 3,153 births
Origin and pronunciation notes
Names can move between languages, spellings and regions. These notes focus on established associations and common English-language pronunciations, while acknowledging that family and regional usage can differ.
Aoife
- Origin or association
- Irish; a traditional name found in Irish legend
- Common pronunciation
- EE-fa
The spelling is highly distinctive in English, but the common Irish pronunciation is compact.
Niamh
- Origin or association
- Irish; means “bright”
- Common pronunciation
- NEEV
A strong example of a name that may be familiar in Ireland but remains rare by exact U.S. spelling.
Aisling
- Origin or association
- Irish; from the word for “dream” or “vision”
- Common pronunciation
- ASH-ling
The word also names a tradition of Irish vision poetry.
Saoirse
- Origin or association
- Irish; from the Irish word for “freedom”
- Common pronunciation
- SEER-sha or SUR-sha
Pronunciation varies by speaker; the name sat just outside the U.S. Top 1,000 in 2025.
Roisin
- Origin or association
- Irish; diminutive of rose
- Common pronunciation
- ro-SHEEN
The traditional spelling is Róisín; the SSA data line uses the exact unaccented spelling shown.
Orla
- Origin or association
- Irish; Anglicized form of Órlaith
- Common pronunciation
- OR-la
A comparatively accessible spelling with a clearly Irish background.
Oona
- Origin or association
- Irish; Anglicized form of Úna
- Common pronunciation
- OO-na
Short, readable and still uncommon in current U.S. use.
Caoimhe
- Origin or association
- Irish; traditional feminine name
- Common pronunciation
- KEE-va or KWEE-va
The pronunciation can vary with dialect, which is worth considering before choosing it outside Ireland.
Pronunciations can vary by language, region and family. We include origin or meaning details only when the association is well established; see our research standards.
Rare in the U.S. does not mean rare in Ireland
Our rarity labels use U.S. Social Security data. A name can be well established or even fashionable in Ireland while still being very uncommon among U.S. births.
Traditional spelling is part of the appeal
Irish names often preserve letter combinations that do not map neatly to English expectations. If that cultural spelling matters to you, learn the pronunciation rather than simplifying the name automatically.
Diacritics and U.S. data need context
The SSA data line uses the exact spelling found in the U.S. public file. Traditional Irish forms may include accents that are not represented by the U.S. spelling shown on this page.
Posy's pronunciation pick
Niamh
A traditional Irish name with a bright meaning, an elegant sound and genuinely uncommon U.S. usage.
More names to explore
Sources for this guide
We use these references for popularity, language, origin or historical context. External sources open in a new tab.
Questions parents ask
What are some rare Irish girl names in the U.S.?
Aoife, Aine, Caoimhe, Clodagh, Niamh, Nuala, Roisin, Orlaith and Meabh are all outside the 2025 U.S. Top 1,000 by the exact spellings shown.
Are Niamh and Saoirse rare in Ireland?
Not necessarily. This page measures rarity in U.S. national birth data, not popularity within Ireland.
Should I change an Irish spelling to make it easier?
That is a personal choice. Keeping the traditional spelling preserves more cultural identity, while an Anglicized spelling may reduce pronunciation corrections in an English-speaking setting.