Bain - (BAYN) short version of Bainbridge, "fair bridge".

Bainbridge - "fair bridge".

Baird - (BAYRD) "bard, poet, ballad singer, traveling minstrel". Bairde, Bar, Bard, Barr.

Bairre - (BAW-re) form of names Bearach and Finnbarr, also used as a name in its own right; anglicized as Barry; Barra.

Bairrfhionn - (BAR-fin)(Celt) "fair-haired" or "good marksman". Barrfind, Barram, Barre, Barra, Bairre, Barry.

Bairtlem�ad - Irish Gaelic form of Bartholomew.

Banning - "fair and small".

Barclay - Scottish, Irish; transferred use of the Scottish surname, which was taken to Scotland in the 12th C. by Walter de Berchelai, who became a chamberlain of Scotland in 1165. Probably derived from Berkeley in Gloucestershire, which is from OE beorc "birch tree" + leah "wood or clearing". In Ireland, its been anglicized in the form of Parthal�n.

Barra - (Celt) "good marksman". Bearach (BAHR-akh), Bearchan, Barry.

Barram - version of Barrfhionn.

Barry - "spearman". Irish anglicized form of Gaelic name Barra (Old Irish Bairre), a short form of Fionnb(h)arr (see Finbar). Pet forms: Baz, Bazza (Australia).

Bartel - (Aramaic) "ploughman". Bartholomew.

Bartley - (Aramaic) "ploughman". Barclay, Berkley, Parthalan.

Batt - from Bartley (Aramaic) "ploughman". Bat.

Beac�n - (BE-kawn or BA-kawn) from Old Irish bec "little, small" + dim. -an. St. Becan founded a monastery in Westmeath in the 6th C. Becan.

Beagan - "small" or "little one".

Bearach - (BA-rak) from Old Irish berach "pointed, sharp". Berach was the name of many Irish saints, including the patron siant of the O'Hanlys. Berach.

Bearchan - (BAR-uh-kawn or BAR-uh-hawn) Dim. of Bearach. Common name in early Ireland; name of numerous saints, including Bearchan of Inishmore in Galway, whose feast day is April 6.

Bearn�rd - (BEHR-nard)(OGer) "having the courage of a bear". Barney; Irish, Scottish Gaelic form of Bernard.

Beartlaidh - (BEHRT-lee)(Aramaic) "ploughman". Bartley.

Belenus - (bel-eh-nuss) name of a sun and fire god similar to Greek Apollo and connected with the druids. His name is seen in Beltane, the May 1 festival.

Benen - (BEH-non)(L) "blessed". Beine�n (BEH-non), Bine�n (BIN-ahn).

Bevan - (Celt) "youthful warrior".

Blaine - (BLAYN) "thin" or "lean". Blain, Blane, Blayne.

Blair - "plain" or "field". Blaire, Blayre.

Blathmac - (BLAW-vak) from Old Irish blath "flower" + mac "son". Popular in early Ireland. Blathmacc mac Con Brettan was an 8th C. poet.

Bodb - (BOVE) Bodb the Red was a son of The Dagda and suceeded his father as king of the Tuatha De Danann. At Lough he had a sidhe, underground fairy palace.

Bogart - "bog" or "marshland".

Bowen - "son of Owen".

Bowie - (BOO-ee)(Gael) "yellow-haired, blonde". Bow, Boyd.

Brady - "spirited". Bradaigh.

Bram - (BRAHM) "raven". Irish form of Abraham. Abracham.

Bran - (BRAWN) from Old Irish bran "raven". Bran was the name of a pagan Celtic god in both Irish and Welsh myth. Popular in the Middle Ages.

Brandubh - (BRAWN-doov) from Old Irish bran "raven" + dubh "black". Name of a medieval king of Leinster and 2 saints.

Brasil - (Celt) "battle, brave, strong in conflict". Breasal, Basil, Brazil.

Br�anainn - (BREH-neen)(Celt) "sword". Brendan, Breand�n.

Breandan - (BRAWN-dan) Poss. a borrowing of Welsh word brenhin "king or prince". In the medieval Latin tale, The Voyage of Saint Brendann, the 6th C. Irish saint known as Brendan the Navigator explored regions perhaps as far as N. America in a leather-clad boat, or curragh; Brendan; Brendis, Brannon, Bryn, Breanainn (BREH-neen).

Breasal - (BREE-sal) "land of the young" or "land of the blessed". Hi Breasil was another name for Tir-na-Nog.

Brendan - (Gael) "raven". Bran, Bram, Broin (bree-AHN), Brennan.

Breck - "freckled". Brec, Brexton.

Bress - son of Elathan of the Fomors who married the goddess Brighid. The Fomors were a sea-dwelling race who opposed the Tuatha De Danann over Ireland and lost.

Bret - (Celt) "from Brittany".

Brett - (Celt) "native of Brittany". Britt.

Brian - (BREE-an or BRI-an) Of uncertain derivation, poss. from Celtic brig "high, noble"; "the strong". In Irish myth, Brian was one of the three sons of the goddess Danu of the Tuatha De Danaan. High King Brian Boru ruled Ireland from 1002-1014 and defeated the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf. Brant, Brien, Bron, Bryon, Bryan, Bryant.

Bricriu - (bree-cri-oo?) a mischief-maker at the court of Conchobar, where he instigated a rivalry among the heroes Cu Chulainn, Conall, and Loegaire.

Brody - (bro-dee) "man from the muddy place, ditch".

Brogan - St. Brogan was scribe to St. Patrick during his meeting with the Fianna. Broccan.