Names

Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings

Jane Bertin
By Jane Bertin, Journalist specialized in animal welfare. Updated: September 6, 2020
Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings
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When adopting a cat, choosing their name is a fun and important task. This name will need to be well thought out as you will be calling your cat out for many years to come. If you're Irish or enjoy Irish culture, then it's no surprise that you want to name your cat in Gaelic or a Gaelic inspired name.

In this AnimalWised article we've created a long list of Irish names for cats with their meanings. This way, you're sure to find the best name for your new furry friend!

You may also be interested in: Cornish Names for Cats - With Meanings

Contents

  1. How to choose a name for a cat
  2. Irish names for male cats
  3. Irish names for female cats
  4. Unisex Irish names for cats
  5. Irish cat names from cities
  6. Other Irish-inspired names

How to choose a name for a cat

Besides its sound and meaning, there are some practical aspects you should consider before picking an Irish name for your cat. Take our guidelines into account and you'll notice that training your new kitten and building a relationship with them becomes much easier. These are our top tips for choosing a good name for your cat:

  • Keep it short: names for cats should be relatively short and easy to understand. Cats learn to identify their names just like dogs do, and you can make it easier by choosing a name that's no more than two syllables long.
  • Choose a unique name: the most popular cat names in Ireland overlap with popular baby names, and most of them are of English origin. However, Celtic names are less common and choosing one of these names for your cat will feel more special.
  • Choose a name that suits your pet: in this article we've compiled Irish names for cats with their meanings. This way you can choose a name that suits your pet, whether it refers to their physical aspect or their personality.

Irish names for male cats

  • Abban: Abbot
  • Aengus: Strong; god of love and youth
  • Aidan: Flame
  • Ainmire: Great lord
  • Baird: Bard
  • Banbhan: Piglet
  • Barram: Handsome
  • Buckley: Boy
  • Carraig: Rock
  • Ceallach: Strife
  • Cían: Ancient; Lugh's father in Irish mythology
  • Cillian: Battle
  • Colm: Dove
  • Conan: Little wolf
  • Cormac: Son
  • Dagda: God of agriculture and wisdom; druid
  • Damon: Tame
  • Dempsey: Proud
  • Doyle: Dark stranger
  • Eames: Protector
  • Eimhin: Swift
  • Eoin: God's gift
  • Finley: Fair hero
  • Finnegan: Fair or white
  • Fintan: From Fintan mac Bóchra, mythological seer
  • Flannery: Red-skinned
  • Giolladhe: Golden
  • Godfrey: Peace from God
  • Goídel: Mythologic creator of Goidelic languages
  • Haley: Clever
  • Hogan: Youth
  • Hurley: Sea tide
  • Kavan: Handsome
  • Keenan: Ancient
  • Kieran: Dark-haired
  • Lochlann: Home of the Norse
  • Lugh: Warrior god, father of Cú Chulainn
  • Mal: Chief
  • Mannuss: Great
  • Midir: Mythological hero
  • Morgan: Fighter of the sea
  • Nevan: Holy
  • Niall: Champion
  • Nolyn: Noble
  • Odran: Light green
  • Padraig: Noble
  • Phelan: Joyful
  • Pierce: Rock
  • Quigley: Shaggy
  • Raghnall: Strong
  • Rafferty: Prosperous
  • Ronan: Little seal
  • Rory: Red king
  • Scully: Herald
  • Sean: God's grace
  • Sheridan: Wild
  • Tyrell: Tyr, Norse god of battle
  • Tuan: From Tuan mac Cairill, a mythological figure
  • Ualtar: Fighter

Irish names for female cats

  • Airleas: Pledge
  • Alaine: Beautiful
  • Blair: From the fields
  • Breana: Strong and honorable
  • Brigid: Exalted; goddess of spring, wisdom and fire
  • Boan: Goddess of the river Boyne
  • Caffara: Helmet
  • Ceire: Saint
  • Cessair: Sorrow; mythological leader of the first Irish
  • Ciara: Dark-haired
  • Colleem: Young girl
  • Darcelle: Dark
  • Deirdre: Unknown; mythological heroine
  • Duvessa: Dark beauty
  • Eavan: Fair
  • Ena: Fire
  • Erin: Ireland
  • Étaín: Jealousy; mythological heroine
  • Ethniu: Kernel; mythological mother of the god Lugh
  • Fallon: In charge
  • Fiona: Fair or white
  • Glenda: Holy
  • Gobinet: Brings joy
  • Gormly: Sad
  • Hiolair: Happy
  • Islene: Vision
  • Kelsey: Brave
  • Kira: Black
  • Mairead: Pearl; form of "Margaret"
  • Meara: Merry
  • Morrígan: Goddess of fate and doom
  • Muirne: Beloved
  • Neala: Champion
  • Noreena: Honor
  • Oona: Lamb
  • Orla: Golden princess
  • Padraigin: Noble
  • Quinn: Intelligent
  • Raegan: Impulsive
  • Ranalt: Charming
  • Riley: Corageous
  • Saoirse: Freedom
  • Siobhan: God is gracious
  • Tara: King's hill
  • Teagan: Beautiful
  • Vevila: Harmony

Unisex Irish names for cats

There are many beautiful names of Irish origin that refer to geography or abstract concepts that will suit both male and female cats. We've chosen some place names from all parts of the island because of their sound; if you have Irish heritage it can be a very good idea to name your pet after the place your family comes from.

  • Ambros: Divine
  • Annaduff: From the black marsh
  • Aodhfin: White fire
  • Ardglass: Green height; village in County Down
  • Ballyclare: Pass of the plain; town in County Antrim
  • Bailey: Bailiff; popular Irish cream
  • Branduff: Black raven
  • Breanne: Strong
  • Caomh: Lovable
  • Cory: From the round hill
  • Elly: Torch
  • Fahey: From the green field
  • Finglas: Clear stream; suburb in Dublin
  • Glasnevin: Stream of the infants; neighborhood in Dublin
  • Gorman: Blue
  • Guinness: Popular Irish beer
  • Keely: Beautiful
  • Kildare: Church of the oak; town in County Kildare
  • Loughgall: Cabbage lake; village in County Armagh
  • Macushla: Darling
  • Mave: Joy
  • Shamrock: Clover
Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings - Unisex Irish names for cats

Irish cat names from cities

Another great idea is to name your cat after an Irish city name. These names can be for male or female cats. Many travel lovers enjoy choosing a city name for their cat. If you're one of these people, here are some good Irish city names that can suit your cat:

  • Dublin: is the capital and largest city of Ireland
  • Cork: is a famous city in the southwest of Ireland
  • Galway: is beautiful city in the west of Ireland
  • Limerick: is a ancient Irish city
  • Kilkenny: is a popular tourist destination located in southeast Ireland
  • Belfast: is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland
  • Blarney: is a town in Ireland and also home to the famed Blarney Castle and legendary Blarney Stone
  • Cashel: is inspired by the Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress
  • Liffey: is the river that flows through the center of Dublin

Other Irish-inspired names

Lastly, we want to share with you some fun, Irish-inspired cat names. These are cute and short names, perfect for a little Irish cat:

  • Bailey: Bailey’s Irish Cream, an Irish whiskey and cream liquor
  • Celt: medieval people in Europe who once lived in Ireland
  • Clover: we can’t forget the green four-leaf clover
  • Gael: a name for a person who is a native Irish speaker or from Ireland
  • Guinness: famous beer originally from Dublin but now known worldwide
  • Jameson: inspired by Jameson Irish Whiskey
  • Leprechaun: mischievous little character in Irish history
  • Lucky: we all know how lucky Irish are!
  • Patrick: from St. Patrick’s day, the world-famous Irish celebration
  • Rain: due to Ireland’s rain
  • Shamrock: a young spring of clover and the national symbol of Ireland
  • Smithwick: an Irish red ale-style beer from Kilkenny, Ireland
Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings - Other Irish-inspired names

Have you found the best Irish name for cats? Tell us which one it was in the comments section! And if you have more ideas, tell us and we'll add them to the list.

If you didn't find the perfect name for your cat, check out our other unique name lists:

If you want to read similar articles to Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings, we recommend you visit our Names category.

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2 comments
Lisa Ellis
I am going on my search very soon for 3 ink bkack female kittens. I have chose 2 names from your list...Duvessa and Teagan. But i am at a quarry as to name the 3rd. I was thinking of Baltray...but i don't know the meaning. Can you help?
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi Lisa,

We love these names and Baltray sounds great to us, so you could stick with that and be happy. However, since they are black cats, maybe this suggestions can help:

https://www.animalwised.com/names-for-black-cats-male-and-female-2033.html
Rating:
Magee
I like the name Magee for a new cream color male cat I will be getting this summer. The name seems to fit him but I am looking for some different spellings Can you help me?
Jane Bertin (AnimalWised editor)
According to BehindTheName, Magee comes from the surname Mac Aodha - which is a bit complicated for a cat's name, isn't it? Some variations include McKay, McCoy (great if you're a Star Trek fan!), McGee and Hughes.

Mac Aodha means son of Aodh, which means "fire" (perfect for a cream cat, then!). Variations of that include Áed, Aden and Aiden, but you lose the m- sound at the beginning. Hope that helps! :)
Magee
Thanks so much. We have ordered our Cream Cat and have decided if it is male to be McGee.
Jane Bertin (AnimalWised editor)
Adorable! Glad to be of help. :)
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Irish Names for Cats - With Meanings