Ruairí Blondes, Brunettes and Especially Redheads

An ever-growing number of parents subscribe to the belief that you shouldn’t name a child until you see what he or she looks like. A number of traditional Irish names fit in with this notion, meaning ‘fair’ or ‘dark’ or ‘red-haired’. The catch, of course, is that a baby’s colouring at birth may differ considerably from what it is a year—or ten or twenty—down the road.

Many of the earliest Irish names connote dark colouring or dark hair—perhaps a hint that the Gaels who arrived around the time of Christ came from Spain. Fair colouring was more unusual among the early Irish, and so more prized, with mythical and heavenly creatures often described as having golden hair. The Vikings, who invaded Ireland in the ninth and tenth centuries, made blonde and red hair more common.

You may want to consider one of these colourful choices for your own little blonde, brunette or redhead.

NAMES for DARK BABIES

Girls

BARRDHUBH

DUIBHEASA/Duvessa

BRENNA

DUIBHLEAMHNA

CAREY

D?INSEACH

CIAR

KERRY

CIARA/Keara/Kiera/Kira

ORNA

CIARNAIT

Boys

BRANDUBH/Branduff DOUGAL

CIARAN/Kieran DOYLE

CIARMHAC DUALTACH/Duald

CR?N?N/Cronan DUBH?N/Duane

DOLAN DUBH/Duff

DONNCHADH/Donagh DUBHAG?N/Duggan

DONAHUE DUBHDARA

DONLEAVY FEARDORCHA/Farry

DONN KERWIN

DONNABH?N/Donovan SULLIVAN

DONNAG?N/Donegan TEIMHN?N/Tynan

DONN?N

Either

DARCY

DUBHTHACH/Dufach

DELANEY

DUFFY

DONNELLY

GORMAN

DUBH?G

NAMES for FAIR BABIES

Girls

B?INE

B?IBHINN/Bevin

CAOILINN/Keelin

CAOIMHINN

CEALLACH/Kelly

C?IBHIONN

FINNEACHT

FINN?ADAN

FINNSEACH

FIONA

FIONNUALA/Finola

FIONN?IR

MUIREANN

MUIRGHEAL/Muriel

NIAMH

NUALA

UAINIONN

Boys

CAOIMH?N/Kevin

FINN

FINNBARR

FINNEGAN

FINNIAN

FINTAN

LACHTNA

ORAN

Either

AILBHE/Alby

ALBANY

BAIRRFHIONN/Barry

MOINGIONN

NAMES for RED-HAIRED BABIES

Girls

COCHRANN

R?IS?N

CORCAIR

SCARLETT

FLANNAIT

Boys

ALROY

CORC

CORCR?N/Corcoran

DEARG?N

FLANN?N

LOCHLAINN (Though this name does not strictly mean redhaired, it’s a nod to the ‘land of the lochs,’ homeland of the Vikings who brought fair and red hair to Ireland.)

REED/Reid

ROAN/Rohan

ROONE/Rooney

Either

CLANCY

RUAIR?/Rory

DERRY

ROWAN

FLANN

FLANAGAN

FLANNERY

FLYNN

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