Katherine Donnelly, an Irish woman who goes by kittydon06 online, is expecting her first child and hopes to choose an Irish name for her baby girl.
And while there are countless gorgeous Irish names to choose from, both unusual and common, Katherine lives in California, which makes things a bit more complicated. While some Irish names are popular in the US, others are completely incomprehensible to non-Irish people.
Her husband is from America, but is happy to choose a name that celebrates his wife’s heritage, and there are a few that are favorites of the couple.
Irish name that is popular in the US
Katherine has shared some of their favorite Irish names, and one they are devastated not to be able to use, but it’s just too popular in America.
The name is Maeve, which has shot up in popularity in recent years, even making the"world’s most popular list".
The name is also Katherine’s sister’s, but that’s not enough to deter the couple from choosing it. Its popularity, on the other hand, is.
The couple spells the name Meabh, which is a little less popular, and says that they "love it" in a video on TikTok. The mum-to-be said that it "makes [her] so sad" not to be able to choose it.
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"We love the name Meabh. My only hesitation on it, well, one my sister’s anme is Maeve but we like her enough to call our daughter Meabh. However, it’s just gotten so popular in the US that I don’t think people realize that it’s an Irish name anymore.[sic]"
@kittydon06 I’m Irish, he’s American, we live in America but are very proud to be Irish! HELP 😂 #irishname #babyname #irishtiktok ♬ original sound - Katherine Donnelly
Meaning of the name Maeve
Maeve is a traditional Irish moniker that comes from the Old Irish name Medb, which may mean "the intoxicating one" or "she who rules."
The name also appears in Irish mythology, too, as the name of the Queen of Connacht and the name of the queen of the fairies. The name is in the top 100 in the US, coming in at number 75 in 2025.
* This article was originally published on EveryMum.ie.