Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) has included a breakdown of the most common surnames associated with babies born in a given year since 2023.
For 2025, Murphy, Kelly, O'Brien, Walsh, and Byrne were the most common surnames for births registered in Ireland.
Though their rankings have shifted, the five surnames were also the most popular in 2024.
In 2025, the top 10 surnames accounted for 6.3% (or 3,403) of the 54,120 live births in Ireland. Of the 54,120 live births registered in 2025, 21,154 had unique surnames.
Read on to see the top ten surnames for babies born in Ireland in 2025, and their meanings!
1. Murphy (557 births)
2025 is the third year in a row that Murphy was the most common surname for babies born in Ireland.
This surname, which means “sea battler,” translates to Irish as MacMurchadh (son of Murchadh) and O'Murchadh (descendant of Murchadh), a derivation of the first name of Murchadh or Murragh.
O'Murchadh families lived in Wexford, Roscommon, and Cork, with the MacMurchadhs in Sligo and Tyrone.
The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century.
It has yet to rank among the most popular first names for babies born in Ireland.
2. Kelly (455 births)
Like Murphy, Kelly retained its spot from 2024, again landing in second behind Kelly for the most common surname for babies born in Ireland in 2025.
The Kellys are all over Ireland. The name originates from around ten unrelated ancient clans or septs, including O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway, and Roscommon.
O'Kelly comes from the Irish O Ceallaigh, meaning "descended from Ceallach," an Irish chieftain. “Ceallach” means war or contention.
The ancient name hasn't been ranked among the most popular names for girls born in Ireland since 2023, when it came in 404th. Similarly, it hasn't been ranked among the most popular names for boys born in Ireland since 2003, when it was ranked 500th.
3. O'Brien (354 births)
In the first shake-up in the rankings, O'Brien jumped to the third spot in 2025 from fourth in 2024. This follows the Irish surname rising from fifth in 2023 to fourth in 2024.
The name O’Brien, also spelled O'Bryan or O'Brian, translates to Ó Briain in Irish, which means "of Brian.” The name indicates the family is descendants of Brian Boru, the celebrated High King of Ireland. This gives O’Briens leave to call themselves “high” and “noble.”
Most O’Briens can be found in counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford.
While O'Brien generally isn't used as a first name, the name Brian was the 18th most popular first name for boys born in Ireland in 2025.
4. Walsh (342 births)
Walsh also jumped in the rankings, rising from fifth in 2024 to fourth in 2025.
The name Walsh is one of the most common of the Norman-associated names found in Ireland. It seems to have been the name used by the many different groups of Welsh people who arrived in Ireland with the Normans during the 12th century.
The name comes from Welsh, which simply means Welshman, and its early Norman form was "Le Waleys." But this became gradually anglicized to Walsh.
Walsh has yet to rank among the most popular first names for babies born in Ireland.
5. Byrne (337 births)
Byrnes can be found flying around all over counties Wicklow and Dublin, where it is one of the most common last names.
Byrne, originally O’Byrne, comes from the Irish O'Broin, meaning "descended from Bran,” an 11th-century King of Leinster.
The O'Byrnes were chieftains of what is now County Kildare until the Norman invasion when they were driven from their lands and migrated into the mountains of County Wicklow.
There, together with their allies, the O'Tooles, they successfully resisted Norman and English domination for centuries.
The name Byrne has yet to rank among the most popular names for babies born in Ireland.
6. Ryan (323 births)
The meaning of the Irish name Ryan comes from the old Gaelic word "righ" and the old Irish diminutive of "an," which together form the meaning of "little king."
The name Ryan comes from the Irish name O' Riain – a contraction of the older Irish form O'Mulriain, which is now virtually extinct.
The Ryan family motto is 'Malo More Quam Foedari,' which, when translated, means 'I would Rather Die than be Disgraced.'
Ryan was also the 57th most popular name for boys born in Ireland in 2025; it has yet to rank among the most popular names for girls born in Ireland.
7. O'Connor (289 births)
The O'Connor name, with its varied spellings, doesn't spring from a common source. The name arose in five areas of Ireland: Connacht, Kerry, Derry, Offaly, and Clare, and split into six distinct septs.
The most prominent sept is that of the Connacht O'Connors, who gave us the last two High-Kings of Ireland: Turlough O'Connor (1088-1156) and Roderick O'Connor (1116-1198). They trace their heritage and name from the Irish "Ua Conchobhair," meaning Conchobhar, a king of Connacht.
The first name Connor was the 829th most popular name for boys born in Ireland in 2025. It has yet to rank among the most popular first names for girls born in Ireland.
8. O'Sullivan (280 births)
O'Sullivan has held steady in the eighth spot in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Derived from "Ó Súilleabháin" in Gaelic, O'Sullivan translates to "descendant of Súilleabhán," where "Súilleabhán" means "dark-eyed."
The O'Sullivans have a notable presence in County Kerry.
The name O'Sullivan - and Sullivan - have yet to rank among the most popular names for babies born in Ireland.
9. Doyle (257 births)
Doyle is an Irish surname that comes from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhghaill," meaning "descendant of Dubhghall," which can be interpreted as "dark stranger" or "foreigner."
The name has yet to rank among the most popular names for babies born in Ireland.
10. McCarthy (209 births)
McCarthy is an Irish surname with Gaelic roots in "Mac Cárthaigh," signifying "son of Cárthach." The McCarthy clan was a powerful family in Munster, particularly in County Cork, and their name remains well-known.
McCarthy has yet to rank among the most popular first names for babies born in Ireland.
Comments