If you are as interested in baby name trends as we are then you will surely want to know about this gorgeous Irish name that has soared in popularity in recent years.
Irish names have always been beloved in Ireland, but they seem to have become extra popular in recent years both here and abroad. And the sheer number of monikers to choose from is truly unmatched at the moment; so whether you like something traditional, simple, easy to spell and pronounce or something a little more complicated or unusual, you will have plenty to choose from.
But it wasn’t always this way. Sure, we have always had Irish names, but they were the Aoifes, Fionas, Seáns, and Conors, which are all lovely. But now we also have the Fiadhs and Tadhghs and Fionns – names that are currently mainstream and popular but would have been much rarer 30 years ago.
Previously unheard of Irish name
One Irish name that was previously unheard of but is now one of the most popular in the country is the name Rían.
The name is now the third most popular name for little boys in Ireland, according to the most recent CSO statistics, and the most popular Irish language boy name. However it wasn’t always this way, Rían was unranked less than 10 years ago, being given to fewer than three babies in 2017. Just a year later it shot up in popularity, ranking at number 33 in popularity, being given to 193 little boys that year.
The next year it shot into the top 20 and by 2021 Rían made it to the top five.
This name is absolutely gorgeous, so we are not surprised how popular it has become. It is pronounced ree-an and means ‘little king’.
Some other lovely names appear in the top five also, with the top two being Jack and Noah and Cillian and James rounding out the list.
Meanwhile, for the girls, the name Éabha has become increasingly popular in recent years but, just like Rían, it was unranked in 2017.
*This article was originally published on EveryMum.ie.