Irish Mythology Names The names listed here occur in the mythologies and legends of Ireland. AILILL m Irish, Irish Mythology Means "elf" in Irish Gaelic. This name occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of queen Méabh. AOIFE f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: EE-fa Means "beauty" from the Gaelic word aoibh. In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. In war against her sister Scathach, she was defeated in single combat by the hero Cuchulainn. Eventually she was reconciled with her sister and became the lover of Cuchulainn. AONGHUS m Scottish, Irish, Irish Mythology Possibly meaning "one strength" derived from Irish óen "one" and gus "force, strength, energy". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed Mac Og meaning "young son") was the Irish god of love and youth. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king and several Irish kings. BILE m Irish Mythology Irish cognate of Bel (see BELENUS). BLÁTHNAT f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: BLAW-nit Means "little flower" from the Irish word blath "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by Cuchulainn, who killed her husband, but she was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants. BRAN (1) m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: BRAN Means "raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran was a mariner who was involved in several adventures. BRIDGET f Irish, Scottish, English, Irish Mythology Pronounced: BRIJ-it From the Irish name Brighid which means "high goddess". In Irish mythology she was the goddess of poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. This name was also borne by a patron saint of Ireland (also called Brigid) who established a convent at Kildare in the 5th century, and by the patron saint of Sweden (also called Birgitta). BRIGHID f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: BRIED Irish form of BRIDGET BRIGID f Irish, Irish Mythology Variant of BRIGHID CIAN m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: KEE-an, KEEN Means "ancient" in Gaelic. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of Brian Boru. CLÍODHNA f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: KLEE-u-na Possibly means "shapely" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhan and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave. CONALL m Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology Means "strong wolf" in Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of the son of Cuchulainn who was slain by his father. A separate character in Irish legend was Conall Cernach the son of Amorgin, who competed for the right to carve the roast at a feast. CONCHOBHAR m Irish, Irish Mythology Original Irish form of CONNOR CUCHULAINN m Irish Mythology Means "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Setanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. Irish legend tells of Cuchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defence of Ulster against the army of queen Méabh. DAGDA m Irish Mythology Pronounced: DAWG-da Means "good god" in Celtic. In Irish myth Dagda (called also The Dagda) was the powerful god of the earth, knowledge, magic, abundance and treaties, a leader of the Tuatha De Danann. He was skilled in combat and healing and possessed a huge club, the handle of which could revive the dead. DIARMAID m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: DEER-mid Perhaps means either "freeman" or "without envy" in Irish. This was the name of a hero in Irish legend, and it was also the name of several ancient Irish kings. EMER f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: EE-mur Possibly from Gaelic eimh "swift". In Irish legend she was the wife of Cuchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity. ÉTAÍN f Irish Mythology Pronounced: AY-teen Possibly derived from Old Irish ét "jealousy". In Irish mythology was a sun and horse goddess who was the lover of Midir. FACHTNA m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: FAKHT-na Perhaps means "hostile" in Irish Gaelic. He was the husband of Neasa in Irish legend. Some versions of the legends also have him as the father of Conchobhar. FIACHRA m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: FEE-akh-ra Derived from Gaelic fiach meaning "raven". In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners, a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France. FINNGUALA f Irish, Irish Mythology Variant of FIONNGHUALA FIONN m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: FIN, FYOON Means "fair" or "white" in Gaelic. Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary Irish hero who became all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon. He fought against the giant Fomors with his son Oisin and grandson Oscar. FIONNGHUALA f Irish, Irish Mythology Means "white shoulder" from Irish fionn "white, fair" and guala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnghuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. GOIBNIU m Irish Mythology Derived from Irish gobha meaning "smith". This was the name of the Irish smith god, a provider of weapons for the Tuatha De Danann. He was also skilled at brewing beer. GRÁINNE f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: GRAWN-ya Possibly derived from Gaelic grán meaning "grain". This was the name of an ancient Irish grain goddess. The name also belonged to the fiancée of Fionn mac Cumhail and the lover of Diarmuid in later Irish legend, and it is often associated with gráidh "love". LIR m Irish Mythology Irish cognate of LLYR. Lir was the Irish god of the sea, the father of Manannan Mac Lir. LUGH m Irish Mythology Irish form of Lug, the name of a Celtic god of the sun and craftsmanship, meaning "shining one" in Old Irish (ultimately from the Indo-European root *leuk "light, brightness"). Irish legend tells how he led the Tuatha De Danann against the Fomorii who were led by his grandfather Balor. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye. LUGHAIDH m Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: LOO-ee Derived from the name of the Irish god LUGH. This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lughaidh mac Con. MAEVE f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: MAYV From the Gaelic name Méabh meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen who killed the hero Cuchulainn. MORRIGAN f Irish Mythology Derived from Irish Mhór Rioghain meaning "great queen". In Irish myth she was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow. MÓRRÍGHAN f Irish Mythology Variant of MORRIGAN MUIREANN f Irish, Irish Mythology Means "fair sea", derived from Gaelic muir "sea" and fionn "fair, white". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of Fionn mac Cumhail. MUIRGEN f Irish, Irish Mythology Means "born of the sea" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend this was a maiden who was transformed into a salmon. NAOISE m Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: NEE-sha Meaning unknown, presumably of Gaelic origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who eloped with Deirdre, the beloved of Conchobhar the king of Ulster. Conchobhar eventually succeeded in having Naoise murdered, which caused Deirdre to die of grief. NEASA f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: NES-a Meaning unknown, presumably of Gaelic origin. In Irish legend she was the mother of Conchobhar, king of Ulster. NIAMH f Irish, Irish Mythology Pronounced: NEEV Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet Oisin, son of Fionn. NUADA m Irish Mythology Possibly means "protector" in Celtic. In Irish myth he was an Irish god and a leader of the Tuatha De Danann. He was killed in battle against the Fomorii. ÓENGUS m Scottish, Irish, Irish Mythology Variant of AONGHUS OISÍN m Irish, Irish Mythology Means "little deer", derived from Irish os "deer" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisin was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhail. PARTHALAN m Irish Mythology Pronounced: PAR-ha-lawn Meaning unknown. In Irish legend, he was the first man on Ireland after the biblical flood. It is sometimes used as the Irish form of BARTHOLOMEW. RÍOGHNACH f Irish Mythology Derived from Irish ríoghan meaning "queen". In Irish legend this was the wife of the Irish king Niall.