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100 Most Popular Men's Names in Early Medieval Ireland

compiled by Heather Rose Jones
copyright c 1998, all rights reserved

Formatted by Arval Benicoeur


Introduction

The following list contains the (slightly less than) one hundred most common masculine given names in M.A. O'Brien's Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae (Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1976), a collection of Irish genealogical material from the pre-Norman period (i.e., roughly pre-12th century). While O'Brien's collection includes some legendary genealogies, the "popularity" requirement for this selection should filter out any questionable names.

The complete collection contains roughly 10,000 masculine names, so even the most popular name in this list represents only about 2.5% of the total. Needless to say, this selection only represents a small number of the names in the original document, and some "old favorites" will not have made the cut, however it provides a selection of names that were very typical in the early medieval period in Ireland.

In the data below, the first column contains the nominative (regular) form of the name, the second column notes how many different people bore that name in O'Brien's sources, and the third shows one or two typical genitive (possessive) forms of the name (the form that would be used in a patronym, after mac or ua). When more than one spelling is given in either the first or third column, generally one is slightly older than the other. Where the two vary between nd and nn, the nd is older; where they vary between -aich and -aig, the -aich appears to be older (but may simply be a variant). Spelling was not fixed at the time of these documents, and there are spelling variants included in the originals that I have not listed here, rather I have stuck to the most common or "regular" forms, but always ones found in the original documents. The use of hyphens in names like máel-dúin is a modern editorial convention and does not represent historic practice.

In the first section, the names are organized in order of descending popularity, in the second, they are alphabetical.

Ordered By Popularity

Name Count Genitive
 
Note: The genitive form of a name is the possessive form, like John's in English. It is not simply an alternate spelling of the name.
 
Áed 248 Áeda
Óengus, Áengus 191 Óengusa, Áengusa
Ailill 145 Ailella
Fergus 140 Fergusa
Eochaid 130 Echuid, Eochada
Lugaid 129 Lugdach
Domnall 120 Domnaill
Cairpre 109 Cairpri
Conall 108 Conaill
Cormac 105 Cormaic
Fland, Flann 96 Flaind, Flainn
Muiredach 93 Muiredaich, Muridaig, Muiredaig
Cellach 93 Cellaich, Celaig
Éogan 87 Éogain
Eochu 85 Echach
Diarmait 78 Diarmata
Colmán 74 Colmáin
Conchobor 69 Conchobuir, Conchobair
Fiachra 64 Fiachrach
Énnae 59 Énnai
Cináed 58 Cináeda
Crimthann 58 Crimthaind, Crimthainn
Fedelmid 53 Feidelmid, Feideilmid, Feidlimid
Murchad 53 Murchada
Cathal 49 Cathail
Donnchad 48 Donnchada
Máel-dúin 47 Máel-duin
Rónán 47 Rónáin
Muirchertach 46 Muirchertaig
Ercc 45 Eircc
Maine 45 Maine
Bran 44 Brain
Cobthach 44 Cobthaich, Cobthaig
Niall 44 Néill
Fogartach 44 Fogartaich, Fogartaig
Crundmáel 44 Crundmaíl, Crunnmaíl
Bressal 43 Bressail
Congal 43 Congaile
Cenn-fáelad 42 Cinn-fáelad
Dunchad 42 Dúnchda
Suibne 41 Suibne
Faílbe 41 Faílbe
Fiachu 41 Fiachach
Móenach 39 Móenaig
Donngal 39 Donngaile
Sétnae 39 Sétna, Sétnae
Scandlán 38 Scandláin
Dímmae 37 Dímmai
Senach 37 Senaich, Senaig
Fáelán 36 Fáeláin
Tuathal 35 Tuathail
Cummascach 35 Cummascaich, Cummascaig
Fiachna 34 Fiachnae
Artt 33 Airt
Dúngal 31 Dúngaile
Congalach 31 Congalaich
Fergal 31 Fergaile
Blathmac 30 Blaithmeic
Dubthach 30 Dubthaig
Dúnlang 30 Dúnlainge, Dúnlaing
Corcc 29 Cuircc
Find 29 Find
Lóegaire 29 Lóegairi, Láegaire
Feradach 29 Feradaig
Findchad 29 Findchada, Finnachta
Finán 28 Fináin
Cernach 28 Cernaich, Cernaig
Dáire 28 Dáire
Ruaidrí 28 Ruaidrí
Fintan 28 Fintain
Guaire 27 Guaire
Trian 27 Trena, Trien, Triain, Treno
Tigernach 27 Tigernaich, Tigernaig
Sechnassach 27 Sechnassaich, Sechnassaig
Nath-í 26 Nath-í
Tadc 26 Taidc
Báetán 25 Báetáin
Columb 25 Coluimb
Forannán 25 Forannáin
Máel-tuili 25 Maili-tuile
Cillíne 24 Cillíni
Máel-ruanaid 24 Máel-ruanaid
Rechtabra 24 Rechtabrat
Bróccan 23 Broccáin
Duinechaid 23 Duinechda
Colcu 23 Colgan
Amalgaid 23 Amalgada
Indrechtach 23 Indrechtaich, Indrechtaig
Condlae, Conlae 23 Condlae, Conlae
Fothud 23 Fothaid
Máelodor 23 Máeludir
Flaithbertach 22 Flaithbertaich, Flaithbertaig
Imchad 22 Imchada
Bécc 21 Beicce
Carthach 21 Carthaich, Carthaig
Cerball 20 Cerbaill
Cúán 20 Cúáin
Tipraite 20 Tipraite
Cáirthenn 20 Cáirthind, Cáirthinn
 

Ordered Alphabetically

Name Count Genitive
 
Note: The genitive form of a name is the possessive form, like John's in English. It is not simply an alternate spelling of the name.
 
Áed 248 Áeda
Ailill 145 Ailella
Amalgaid 23 Amalgada
Artt 33 Airt
Báetán 25 Báetáin
Bécc 21 Beicce
Blathmac 30 Blaithmeic
Bran 44 Brain
Bressal 43 Bressail
Bróccan 23 Broccáin
Cairpre 109 Cairpri
Cáirthenn 20 Cáirthind, Cáirthinn
Carthach 21 Carthaich, Carthaig
Cathal 49 Cathail
Cellach 93 Cellaich, Celaig
Cenn-fáelad 42 Cinn-fáelad
Cerball 20 Cerbaill
Cernach 28 Cernaich, Cernaig
Cillíne 24 Cillíni
Cináed 58 Cináeda
Cobthach 44 Cobthaich, Cobthaig
Colcu 23 Colgan
Colmán 74 Colmáin
Columb 25 Coluimb
Conall 108 Conaill
Conchobor 69 Conchobuir, Conchobair
Condlae, Conlae 23 Condlae, Conlae
Congal 43 Congaile
Congalach 31 Congalaich
Corcc 29 Cuircc
Cormac 105 Cormaic
Crimthann 58 Crimthaind, Crimthainn
Crundmáel 44 Crundmaíl, Crunnmaíl
Cúán 20 Cúáin
Cummascach 35 Cummascaich, Cummascaig
Dáire 28 Dáire
Diarmait 78 Diarmata
Dímmae 37 Dímmai
Domnall 120 Domnaill
Donnchad 48 Donnchada
Donngal 39 Donngaile
Dubthach 30 Dubthaig
Duinechaid 23 Duinechda
Dunchad 42 Dúnchda
Dúngal 31 Dúngaile
Dúnlang 30 Dúnlainge, Dúnlaing
Énnae 59 Énnai
Eochaid 130 Echuid, Eochada
Eochu 85 Echach
Éogan 87 Éogain
Ercc 45 Eircc
Fáelán 36 Fáeláin
Faílbe 41 Faílbe
Fedelmid 53 Feidelmid, Feideilmid, Feidlimid
Feradach 29 Feradaig
Fergal 31 Fergaile
Fergus 140 Fergusa
Fiachna 34 Fiachnae
Fiachra 64 Fiachrach
Fiachu 41 Fiachach
Finán 28 Fináin
Find 29 Find
Findchad 29 Findchada, Finnachta
Fintan 28 Fintain
Flaithbertach 22 Flaithbertaich, Flaithbertaig
Fland, Flann 96 Flaind, Flainn
Fogartach 44 Fogartaich, Fogartaig
Forannán 25 Forannáin
Fothud 23 Fothaid
Guaire 27 Guaire
Imchad 22 Imchada
Indrechtach 23 Indrechtaich, Indrechtaig
Lóegaire 29 Lóegairi, Láegaire
Lugaid 129 Lugdach
Máel-dúin 47 Máel-duin
Máel-ruanaid 24 Máel-ruanaid
Máel-tuili 25 Maili-tuile
Máelodor 23 Máeludir
Maine 45 Maine
Móenach 39 Móenaig
Muirchertach 46 Muirchertaig
Muiredach 93 Muiredaich, Muridaig, Muiredaig
Murchad 53 Murchada
Nath-í 26 Nath-í
Niall 44 Néill
Óengus, Áengus 191 Óengusa, Áengusa
Rechtabra 24 Rechtabrat
Rónán 47 Rónáin
Ruaidrí 28 Ruaidrí
Scandlán 38 Scandláin
Sechnassach 27 Sechnassaich, Sechnassaig
Senach 37 Senaich, Senaig
Sétnae 39 Sétna, Sétnae
Suibne 41 Suibne
Tadc 26 Taidc
Tigernach 27 Tigernaich, Tigernaig
Tipraite 20 Tipraite
Trian 27 Trena, Trien, Triain, Treno
Tuathal 35 Tuathail


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