The Irish name Béibhinn is not as popular worldwide as, say, Maeve, Liam or Séan, but mark our words, it’s on the up! This writer first started noticing the name being uttered in mum groups as more parents are naming their baby girls the unusual but beautiful name.

But while I only know baby Béibhinns, a quick chat in RCHQ revealed that there are, in fact, some Béibhinns of all ages living their lives in Ireland (and, we presume, out of it, too). Béibhinn O’Connor, for example, has recently caught the public’s attention for being the force behind our new president, Catherine Connolly’s, campaign.

But what does the name Béibhinn mean, and is it poised to rise to the top of the name charts?

Spelling and pronunciation

Like with a great many names of Irish origin, the name Béibhinn can be spelled and pronounced in different ways, depending on where in Ireland you are from and also, of course, your preference.

While Béibhinn is the most common spelling, it is also spelt without the fada over the ‘e’. It sometimes loses an ‘n’ at the end, and, if you would like to go very old school, you could go with ‘Béḃinn’, the Old Irish spelling, which was used until the letters ‘bh’ were adopted to represent the ‘v’ sounds. It is also sometimes spelt without the ‘h’ (Bébinn), but the ‘v’ sound is still pronounced.

The pronunciation is ‘bay-vin’…but it can also be pronounced ‘bay-veen’ or ‘beh-vin’. It’s kind of like the name Aoibhín that way.

According to Library Ireland, the name can be anglicised to Vivian. However, it’s not associated with the gender-neutral name of Latin origin.

Béibhinn is a Celtic goddess associated with birth, the sister of the river goddess Boann. She also appears, in some accounts, as a beautiful giantess from the Fenian Cycle. Not only that, she is a goddess of the underworld in both Irish and Welsh mythology, as the wife of Áed Alainn.

In history, Béibhinn was the mother of the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, who also had a daughter with the name.

Popularity

The name Béibhinn has ebbed and flowed in popularity but it appears to be set for a rise. According to the most recent stats from the CSO, in 2024, Béibhinn was ranked 441 of all baby girls recorded in Ireland, with eight baby girls recorded with the name Béibhinn that year. Five baby girls were recorded with the name Beibhinn (without the fada) that year.

When the records began in 1964, there were three or fewer baby girls given the name, so nothing is recorded. In fact, the name Béibhinn does not enter the name charts at all until 2018 when seven baby girls were recorded with the name, making it the 512th most popular name that year.

It’s been in the charts ever since then, and we think this signals a serious revival!

Notable people called Béibhinn

It’s a rare name but there are plenty of women who bear it who have certainly made a mark, including:

  • Béibhinn O’Connor – campaign manager for Catherine Connolly
  • Béibhinn Parsons – Ireland women’s rugby union international
  • Béibhinn Collins – artist

*This article was originally published on RollerCoaster.ie.