Abb�n - (A-bahn or ah-BAN) "little abbot".

Abram - (A-brahm) "high father"; version of Abraham. �braham.

Achaius - form of Eochaidh.

Adair - (Ah-dare) "from the ford by the oak trees". Adare.

Adam - (H) "son of the red earth". Adhamh (A-thuhv). Anglicized version of Irish Gaelic �dhamh; Scottish Gaelic �dhamh. Pet form: Adie.

Adamnan - "the timid one" or "little Adam"; name of an abbot of Iona. Awnan, Adomnan, Adhamhan.

Adrian - "of the Adriatic"; from original form Latin Hadrianus. Aidrian.

Aed - derived from the word aedh "fire"; common in early Ireland; name of several early saints, and four Ui Neill High Kings.

Aedan - (EH-thahn) dim. form of Aed. St. Aodhan of Fern performed many miracles, including healing the lame and blind son of a British king.

Aeducan - common dim. form of Aed in medieval Ireland. Aodhagan.

Aeneas - "worthy of praise"; anglicization of Aengus. Aen�as.

Aghy - form of Eochaidh.

Ahern - "lord of the horses".

Aichlinn - possibly a form of Echlin.

Aidan - (AY-den)(Celt) "flame, fire, fiery"; derived from word aedh "fire". Edan, Aodhan (EH-thahn); anglicized form of Irish Aod�n; dim. of Aodh; Edan.

Ailbe - (AL-vyuh or AL-fe)(OGer) "noble, bright". Ailbhe, Alvy, Albert.

Ailbhe - (AL-vee) from Celtic albho "white". Ailbe, Alby, Albert, Ailbhis (AL-vis).

Ailbhis - (AL-vis) 6th C. Irish saint; perhaps a form of Ailbhe. Anglecized as Elvis.

Ailfrid - (AL-frid) Irish Gaelic form of Alfred, from OE �lf "elf, supernatural being" + r�d "counsel".

Ailill - (AL-ill) "sprite"; name of a legendary king of Connacht and husband of Medb.

Ail�n - (A-lin or ay-LEEN)(Gael) derived from Old Irish ail "noble". Alan, Allen.

Aindr�as - (AHN-dree-ahs) "manly"; Irish form of Andrew. Aindrea, Aindrias, Aindri�.

Ainmire - (AHN-meer?) "great lord".

Ainsley - (AYNS-lee) "one's own meadow"; occasionally used as a female name; probably originally a local name, either Annesley in Nottinghamshire, from Old English An "one, only" + leah "wood or clearing"; or Ansley in Warwickshire, from OE ansetl "hermitage" + leah. Ainslee.

Alan - "handsome" or "peaceful".

Alaois - (A-leesh)(Teut) "mighty battle". Aloys, Aloysius, Alabhaois.

Alastar - (AH-lah-star) Irish form of Greek Alexander, introduced to Ireland via Scotland; modern Gaelic form Alasdair. Alistair, Allister, Alister, Alastir, etc.

Albany - from Fionn, from find "white, fair"; anglicized as Albany from Latin albus "white".

Albert - (OGer) "noble, bright". Ailbe, Alby.

Albion - (AL-be-on)(Celt) "mountain".

Alby - (al-bee) anglicized from of Ailbhe.

Alexander - (Gr) "helper or defender of mankind". Alex, Alick, Alsandair, Alsander, Alastrom, Alastrann.

Allister - (Gr) "defender of mankind". Alastar, Alistair, etc.

Alphonsus - Irish; Latinized form of Alfonso, used as an equivalent of Gaelic name Anluan. Uncertain origin, could be composed of an intensive prefix + an element meaning "hound" or "warrior". Pet forms Fonsie, Fonso.

Alpin - "attractive".

Alsandair - (AHL-san-dare) Irish form of Alexander.

Amargein - (aw-VEER-een) from Old Irish ama "singing, song" + gein "birth". Most celebrated bearer of the name was the druid poet and judge of the Sons of Mil, legendary ancestor(s) of the Irish. He pronounced the first judgment given on Irish soil, and his magic ensured that the Sons of Mil would triumph over the Tuatha De Danann. A traditional name in the O'Cleary family.

Ambr�s - Irish Gaelic form of English Ambrose, from Greek Ambrosios "immortal". The surname MacAmbrois is anglicized as McCambridge.

Amhlaoibh - (A-leev)(Norse) "ancestral relic"; IrGael form of Olaf, an Old Norse name introduced to Ireland by Viking settlers. Anglicized Auliffe, Olave, Auliff, Humphrey.

Angus - "unique choice, chosen one, unique strength". Scottish and Irish; anglicized form of Gaelic Aonghus/Aonghas (EUN-eu-uss), composed of Celtic elements meaning "one" and "choice". Name of an old Celtic god, and is first recorded as a personal name in Adomnan's "Life of St. Columba," where it occurs in the form Oinogus(s)ius as the name of a man for whom the saint prophesied a long life and a peaceful death. Almost certainly the name of an 8th C. Pictish king variously recorded as Omnust and Hungus. Aengus, Aonghus, Aonghas, Enos, Oengus, Ungus. Short form Gus; pet form Angie; feminine form Angusina.

Annraoi - (AHN-ree)(Teut) "ruler of an estate". Henry, Harry.

Anrai - Irish Gaelic form of Henry. Einr�.

Antain(e) - Irish Gaelic cognate of English Anthony.

Antoine - (AN-ton)(L) "inestimable". Anntoin, Antoin.

Aodh - (EH or AY) from Old Irish aed "fire". Another name for the god The Dagda in Irish myth. Borne by six high kings and twenty saints in early Ireland. Name of two Irish rebels in Queen Elizabeth I's time, Aogh (Hugh) O'Neill and Aodh Rua (Red Hugh) O'Donnell. Anglicized as Hugh, Ea.

Aodhan - (EH-dawn or AY-dawn) version of Old Irish Aedan, dim. of aed "fire". Aedan was the name of 21 early Irish saints. Popular name, often anglicized as Aidan (AY-dahn).

Aodhfin - (EH-fin or AY-fin) "white fire".

Aonghus - (AYNG-ghus) from Old Irish oen "one" + gus "vigor". In Irish myth, Oengus was a god of youth and love, the son of the goddess Boand and god Dagda Oengus Tirech was the name of a legendary hero, said to be the ancestor of the O'Briens an MacNamaras. Five saints, including Oengus Ceile De bore this name. Angus.

Ardal - (AHR-dawl) from Old Irish art "bear" + gal "fury, valor"; also from Old German "eagle power". A version of Arnold; Irish anglicized form of Gaelic name Ard(gh)al, from ard "high" or art "bear" + gal "valour". Artegal, Arthgallo.

Ard-Greimne - "high power"; father of Scathach and Aoife.

Arlen - "pledge". Arland, Arlyn.

�r�n - possibly "high mountain"; Irish version of Aaron.

Art - (ART) from Old Irish art "bear". Ancient Irish name, not a nickname for English Arthur (but both derive from a common Indo-European bear word arth). In legend, Art Oenfer (Art the Lonely) was a high king of Ireland and father of Cormac mac Airt. A later, historical Art, Art McMurrough, was a medieval king of Leinster who fought the English. Both Irish and Scottish, now as an informal shortening of Arthur. Artagan.

Art�r - (AR-toor) "noble, bear man". Irish form of Arthur, first recorded in Ireland in the 9th C. Artair, Arthur, Artus, Arth, Art, Atty.

Auliffe - (AW-lif) Irish anglicized form of Amhlaoibh.

Austin - (L) "venerable". �guist�n (AH-guhs-teen).