These Irish dog names (and Irish-themed choices) are all pulled from Rover’s massive dog names database. We’ve also added a few of our favourite Gaelic dog names, and other choices from Irish history and culture.
So how do you find a great name for your new dog? Consider size, look, and personality. Choosing the best dog name, like choosing the perfect dog sitter, is a fun and important task for every pet parent. Luckily, we’ve rounded up some great options for you—and this list has options to fit any dog and many of the names are gender-neutral.
We’ve handpicked these choices by digging through our Rover database of dog names worldwide. Many of these names are unique, while others show up on the list of top 100 dog names. Good luck and have fun choosing the perfect name for your new wee friend!
Top Irish Human Names for Female Dogs
- Molly
- Aoife
- Riley
- Fiona
- Annabelle
- Nola
- Niamh
- Caoimhe
- Kayla
- Anna
- Reagan
- Claire
- Siobhan
- Tara
Irish Wolfhound
Top Male Irish Dog Names
- Riley
- Cody
- Connor
- Finn
- Declan
- Dermot
- Brody
- Logan
- Miles
- Griffin
- Kieran
- Finley
- Kane
- Finnegan
- Seamus
- Liam
- Flynn
Gaelic Dog Names
Dogs and wolves are important in Irish Gaelic culture and often represent strength and warrior-like qualities. The Irish Gaelic word for “dog” is “madra,” and there are other Gaelic dog-related words that might make great names for your pet. These include ‘Madigan’ (meaning ‘little dog’), Murphy (meaning ‘hound of the sea’) and Conan (meaning ‘hound’).
- Aislinn or Aisling (dream – pronounced Ash-lin)
- Bran (raven)
- Cael (slender)
- Conan (hound)
- Conry (king of the hounds)
- Felan or Phelan (wolf – spelled Faolan in Gaelic)
- Keeva (gentle and precious)
- Lorcan (little wild one)
- Madigan (little dog)
- Murphy (hound of the sea)
- Roisin (little rose)
- Rogan (red-haired)
Via Flickr/Beth Jusino
Irish Food & Drinks
- Bailey (Baileys)
- Soda (soda bread)
- Stew
- Colcannon (mash of potatoes, cabbage (or kale), butter (or cream), and spring onions)
- Champ (mashed potato flavoured with spring onions, milk and butter)
- Guinness
- Porter
- Whiskey
- Boxty (Potato dumpling/pancake)
- Jameson
Irish Culture
- Emerald
- Cranberry (The Cranberries)
- Patrick (or Paddy—St Patrick)
- Blarney (Blarney Stone)
- Clover
Irish Place Names for Your Dog
- Dublin
- Galway
- Sligo
- Kerry
- Shannon
- Liffey (River Liffey)
- Dingle
- Kilkenny
- Wexford
Irish Celebrities
- Sinéad (Sinéad O’Connor)
- Shane (Shane MacGowan)
- Liam (Liam Neeson)
- Saoirse (pronounced SOR-cha or SEER-sha—Saoirse Ronan)
- Graham (Graham Norton)
- Pierce (Pierce Brosnan)
- Colin (Colin Farrell)
- Ronan (Ronan Keating)
- Oscar (Oscar Wild)
- Bono (U2)
- Dolores (Dolores O’Riordan)
- Gabriel (Gabriel Byrne)
Dog Naming Advice
If you’re having trouble deciding, keep in mind that a great Irish dog name can come from many different sources of inspiration, such as your favourite foods, books, bands, celebrities, or even dog breed history. For example, a Lab puppy might sport a water-inspired name like Liffey!
Another consideration when choosing your dog’s name? Dog training. This is of particular importance for puppies. When you’re teaching your new dog to respond to commands like sit, stay, or come, you’ll want to be sure their name isn’t a source of confusion. In other words, avoid puppy names that sound like a common dog training cue, such as “Bit,” which could easily be misheard as “sit.”
Of course, what matters most is that the dog name you choose rolls off your tongue. The best names will make you happy. We’re fans of the “backdoor test” for dog name selection. It’s pretty much what it sounds like: stand at the back door and call out your new dog‘s potential name. Saying “Sinéad, it’s time for dinner!” or “Connor, leave it!” helps take the name out of your imagination and into reality.
Good luck, have fun and make sure to check out our other dog name coverage. As dog lovers through and through here at Rover, we find dog names absolutely fascinating, and we love searching through our data on the topic to discover hot trends, quirky choices, and unique twists on classics. Over the years, we’ve compiled plenty of names for you to peruse—and we keep our lists updated with new dog name data each year. You can also check out our list of unique dog names or take a look at our list of Scottish dog names!
The Dog Name Generator
If you need some more name inspiration, check out our Dog Name Generator! We’ll delve into our huge Rover database of dog names and based on the information you provide, we’ll give you some dog-name-related intel. We’ll tell you the two most popular dog names for your dog’s breed and gender, and if you’re looking for a name that stands out from the pack, you’re in luck! We’re throwing in a third, decidedly random option that’s just for fun. That’s right, we won’t just give you one result, we’ll give you three whole dog names to choose from! Then we’ll leave it up to you to decide if your new addition is more of an Alfie or a Captain Merrylegs.
Good luck and have fun choosing the perfect name for your new wee friend.
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Featured image via 98fm.com
