Irish names have been a popular choice for the parents of Ireland for decades, but these days the Irish names you will hear in the classroom are completely different to 20 or 30 years ago.
Back then, your best friend was probably called Niamh, Aoife or Seán, and the likes of Rían and Fiadh were unheard of.
While we do adore the plethora of new Irish names we have to choose from, and there are many beautiful options for both boys and girls, it does mean that some of the older names are fading away.
Which is sad in a way, while these names may not be trendy or ‘in’ they were once the height of fashion, and they all have an important place in our history.
Once popular Irish name at risk of extinction
One such name is Sinéad, and if you are of a certain age, then you definitely know someone called this. It’s pronounced shin-aid, and means ‘god is gracious’.
The moniker can be spelled with or without the fada on the ‘e’, and at the moment, the version with the é is slightly more popular, but historically, without a fada was favored.
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Back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Sinead featured in the top 10 time and time again, peaking at number two in the mid 70s. However, throughout the 2000s and 2010s, its popularity dropped, and it is now on its way to extinction.
In both 2024 and 2025, Sinead was given to fewer than three baby girls, while Sinéad was given to 17 in 2023, 11 in 2024 and in 2025, and four babies, according to the CSO.
Interestingly, the less popular version was given to slightly more babies in recent years, but it’s still on its way to extinction. And Sinéad isn’t the only familiar name that is on its way to extinction, either. Other names that were popular among the parents of Gen X and Millennials, such as Jessica and Karen, are also fading out.
Do you think it’s time that any of these names had a revival?
* This article was originally published on EveryMum.ie.
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