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    The first name Irish

    A girl’s name from Norse meaning “irishmen”, “ireland”, “fat land”.

    Pronounced /ˈaɪɹɪʃ/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Norse origin

    Irish means “irishmen”, “ireland”, “fat land” in Norse.

    From Middle English Irish (12th c.), from Old English *Īrisċ, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)), further origin heavily debated but probably from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European *péyh₂wr̥ (“fat, swelling”), from *peyh₂- (“to swell; to be fat”), akin to Ancient Greek πῑ́ειρα (pī́eira, “fertile land”), Sanskrit पीव॑री (pī́varī, “fat”).

    More names that mean earth.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Irish at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 6 girls born in the United States were named Irish, the 13,864th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1960, when 40 were.

    02040 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    1,608
    babies named Irish since 1880
    #13,864
    rank in 2025
    1960
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Irish

    2 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Irish McCalla
      American film and television actress (1928-2002)
    • Irish Magno
      Filipino amateur boxer (born 1991)

    More Norse girls’ names

    All 32 names of Norse origin

    Questions

    What does the name Irish mean?
    Irish means “irishmen”, “ireland”, “fat land” in Norse.
    What is the origin of the name Irish?
    From Middle English Irish (12th c.), from Old English *Īrisċ, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)), further origin heavily debated but probably from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European…
    Is Irish a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 1,608 US babies named Irish since 1880, 90% were girls and 10% boys.
    When was Irish most popular?
    1960 in the United States, when 40 babies were named Irish, its highest rank at 1,798th.
    How do you pronounce Irish?
    Irish is /ˈaɪɹɪʃ/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Irish?
    Enya.
    Is Irish also a surname?
    Yes. Irish is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.