Darby

Meaning- (Deer Farm, Deer Settlement, From the Deer Estate, Free from Envy, it is a place name and surname)

Origin- (Old English, Irish, Norse)

Pronunciation- (DAR-bee)

Gender- (Female, Uni-Sex)

I was looking up unique girls names and came across this one. It reminds me of Derby and or Derbyshire but it is a cute name and seems unique having once been a place name and surname. The meanings are sweet and the over all looks is nice. I can see preppy character being named this, think Buffy and Darby lol!

Mechthild

Meaning: (Mechthild is a variant of Matilda (English, Italian, Portuguese, and Scandinavian). Matilda of Gothic derivation, derived from words corresponding to Old High German "Maht" (meaning "Might, Strength") and "Hild" (meaning "Battle").)

Origin: (Irish, Germanic)

Pronunciation: (MEKHT-hilt, MEHK-THAYLD)

Gender: Female

I was looking at a YA novel a few days ago and after seeing one of the characters being named Mairead *see on list of posts* I looked at the authors name and it is Mechthild and I think is a very interesting looking name. The meanings are very strong and brave. This is a derivation of Matilda *see on list of posts* and so if you want something that has the same meaning as Matilda but that looks vastly different then Mechthild is the way to go.

The pronunciation again just throws me off like most Irish names and sounds funny when I say this name so I wouldn’t be likely to use it and it may be a down fall to readers so it should be used sparingly by an author lest the reader be so thrown off by the names pronunciation that it becomes burdensome to read anymore.

Mairead

Meaning: (Scottish form of Margaret from the root for Pearl, name of a saint.)

Origin: (Irish, Scottish)

Pronunciation: (Muh-raid)

Gender: Female

I was looking at a YA novel a few days ago and one of the characters had this name. I love Irish names just as much as Japanese names as the meanings are lovely but with Irish names the look of the name is what gets me the most. This name has such a very pretty look about it and the meaning is very old but beautiful. The only down fall is the pronunciation of this name but that’s the down fall with me and many Irish names, the pronunciation throws me off often.

Lynlee

Meaning: (Lake, Beautiful, Affectionate, Adoring, Coming from the Castle, Pool below a Waterfall, Ruddy-Complected, a form of Lynn.)

Origin: (English, Welsh, Irish, Gaelic, Italian)
 

Pronunciation: (LYNN-lee)

Gender: Female

I was reading an article the other day that said a baby girl named Lynlee was the first baby to be taken from her mother’s womb and had a surgery and then was put back in the womb, so she was the first baby to successfully be born twice. She has thus far reached all her milestones and is healthy so I found that to be really quite interesting and I really came to like her name Lynlee. The meanings are all very gorgeous and feminine and exude a delicate beauty as does the name itself. I see an artistic shy girl with an amazing imagination being named this. This is a lovely name that I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more often.

Maureen

Meaning: (Dark, Black, Bitter, Anglicized form of Máirín, a pet form of Máire, which is the Irish cognate of Mary, which is in turn derived from the Hebrew Miriam. It may also be a feminine form of Maurice.)

Origin: (Irish, English, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (maw-REEN, MAWR-een, moh-REEN)

Gender: Female

A friend of a friend of mines name is Maureen and the funny thing is she is married to a man named Charlton *see on list of posts*. Both their names are also names of famous older actor and actress from classic movies, Maureen O’Hara and Charlton Heston! Maureen is a nice older classic name with decent meanings! I do think of an old classic Hollywood type when I hear and see this name as I do think of actress Maureen O’Hara! I can see a historical fiction novel surrounding a country girl who moves to Hollywood or Manhattan looking to break into the 1920’s – 1940’s screen or stage scene!

Trevor

Meaning: (Prudent, Industrious, Tight, Large Village, Goodly Town, also a habitational name from any of the numerous places in Wales, in particular the one near Llangollen, from the Welsh tre(f), meaning "Homestead", or "Settlement" and a form of mawr, meaning "Large, Big". Transferred use of the English surname meaning "belonging to Trevear." Trevear is a place-name in Cornwall meaning "the Big Farm, the Big Estate." It is derived from the Cornish and Welsh tre (a Homestead, an Estate) and mear, mawr (Great, Large). Alternatively, Trevor was used as an Anglicized form of the Irish Treabhar (discreet).)

Origin: (Welsh, Irish, English, Cornish)

Pronunciation: (TREH-ver, TRE-vər (English))

Gender: Male

I saw a movie advertised the other day and the male lead actors first name is Trevor and this is a name I associate with both a handsome slightly sexy guy and a very preppy guy as well and that can be handsome and sexy in a way too. I love all the meanings a lot and it has a good interesting history. It’s a name though that is too common for my actual character naming tastes but I don’t mind seeing it in other author’s novels and at least it’s easily pronounceable.

Balor

Meaning: (Sea Giant, (modern spelling: Balar) was king of named Fomorians, a group of supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye in his forehead that wreaks destruction when opened. He has been interpreted as a god or personification of drought and blight. It is suggested that Balor comes from Common Celtic *Baleros, meaning "the Deadly One", cognate with Old Irish at-baill (Dies) and Welsh ball (Death, Plague).

He is also referred to as Balor Béimnech (Balor the smiter), Balor Balcbéimnech (Balor the strong smiter) and Balor Birugderc (Balor of the piercing eye). The latter has led to the English name Balor of the Evil Eye.)

Origin: (Celtic, Irish, Irish Mythology)

Pronunciation: (b'-lor, BAL-or)

Gender: Male

I was watching WWE wresting a few months ago and there is a wrestler with the ring name of Finn Balor and I really liked the look of the last name. When I learned about the meanings and origin it is quite a bit of a dark and destructive name but that might be what an author is looking for or maybe to name a character this whose personality is quite the opposite, who knows, so I decided to add this so that it may be able to be the perfect name for an author out there that has been looking for just the right name and hadn’t yet stumbled upon this one. It definitely has an interesting albeit disturbing history and mythology behind it.

Airlie

Meaning: (Promise, variant of ERROL. A place name in countries including Australia, Scotland and the US, for example Airlie Beach in Queensland, Australia and Airlie Castle in Scotland.)

Origin: (Scottish, Irish)

Pronunciation: (AIR-lee, EHRLiy)

Gender: Uni-Sex

When I was looking up Harley *see on list of posts* and Harleen *see on list of posts* I came across Airlie. I think this is actually a very beautiful unique looking name and I really kind of love it a lot. The meaning is lovely and it’s very interesting this is a variant of Errol but that would be amazing if a characters father was named Errol and Airlie was used in honor of the father or maybe even the grandfather.

The pronunciation is easy enough for most but I still want to say it ARE-lee instead of AIR-lee for some reason so I might have to try and rewire my brain to take the proper pronunciation just as I will have to for Irie *see on list of posts*, lol! I can see a very proper lady being named this for some reason like, Lady Airlie or Duchess Airlie.

Ava

Meaning: (A variation of Eve. May be from the Latin "Avis," meaning "Bird." It could also be a short form of the name Chava ("Life" or "Living One"), the Hebrew form of Eve. Saint Ava was a 9th-century princess, daughter of Pepin II of Aquitaine. Ava was also the name of a medieval German woman poet. This name is the origin of the Norman French name of Aveline, which in turn gave rise to the English given name of Evelyn.

As evidence for the name is lacking between the later medieval and the modern period, the Oxford Dictionary of First Names supposes that it was coined anew as a modern innovation, presumably as a variant of Eva or (like Eva) used as an Anglicization of the Irish name Aoife.

Beautiful, Radiant, and Joyful. Known as the greatest woman warrior in the world, Aoife was the mother of Cuchulainn’s only son, Connlach. Aoife Dearg (“Red Aoife”) was a daughter of a king of Connacht who had her marriage arranged by St. Patrick himself. In 2003 Aoife was the third most popular Irish girls name for babies in Ireland.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Germanic, French, English, Irish)

Pronunciation: (AY-və, A-və, Ah-vah)

Gender: Female

I was in a nursing home visiting two friends who are of the same religion that I am and when walking to their rooms I was looking at the tags of names on the outside of the doors and saw Ava and said you know I’m not usually one for short common names but maybe others are and the name Ava has a lot to offer an author for their character. It has great meanings and is easily recognized and pronounceable. It has a great history of use and such a long history that it could be used in just about any era.

It says that Eva which Ava comes from is an Anglicization of Aoife *see on list of posts* which I had forgotten about which is surprising as Aoife is one of my favorite Irish names and I think I’ve used it before in one of my novels but can't remember. Anyway Ava would be great as a first or middle name or it could maybe be in a double-barrel name like Ava Marie or Ava Belle or Ava Kelly.

Aislyn

Meaning: (Dream, Vision, Day-Dream, The name has been Anglicized as Esther.)

Origin: (Irish, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Ash-leen, AYz-lin, eye-leen)

Gender: Female

I saw this as the name of a main character in a novel a few months ago but I didn’t read the book as it wasn’t my cuppa tea but I did like the name as it looks like a name on one of my old naming lists from years ago and I thought I had added it to my blog but apparently I hadn’t. I love the look and the meanings though I don’t see it being an anglicized version of Esther *see on list of posts* when I see this name.  The closest pronunciation to the way I pronounce it I found is AYz-lin. It’s just one of those Irish names that looks nothing like they are pronounced but for some reason I love Irish names.

Duvessa

Meaning: (A Dark Beauty, Dark Haired Nurse, Dark One of the Waterfall)

Origin: (Irish, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Du-ve-ssa, DIV-yah-sa, DIV-ə-sə)

Gender: Female

So I was looking for a name for a Beastly Beauty in one of my soon to be written retellings of a fairy-tale, minus the magic elements. The retelling will be a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a few changes and surprises. So Duvessa is one of the main characters names and I love it a lot but I’m not surprised as I love a lot of Irish names but unlike most harder to pronounce Irish names this one is actually easy enough to pronounce.

The meanings are very beautiful but I think Dark One of the Waterfall was one I couldn’t quite validate as to if it really was a meaning or not but I thought it was so beautiful I just had to add it. Either way these meanings make me see a very dark vixen type character with flowering dark hair, dark eyes and figure to die for, hopefully not literally, lol!

Grady

Meaning: (Illustrious One, Noble, Man of Rank, From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Grádaigh meaning "Descendant of Grádaigh". The name Grádaigh means "Noble" in Gaelic.)

Origin: (Irish, English, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (GRAY-dee)

Gender: Male  

I heard it as the last name of Owen *see on list of posts* an ex-navy guy who works with the Velociraptor on the Island in the Jurassic World movie and first name of one of the new Dual Survival guys. I love the meanings a lot as I love Noble meaning names as everyone who reads my blog well knows. I don’t think I will ever use the name for a character as the name doesn’t really make me love it. I mean I love the meanings but the name itself doesn’t really flow that great for me. I might use it as a surname but as a first name I just don’t see it but maybe if the right character came along then I might very well use it.

Merric / Merrick

Meaning: (Ruler of the Sea, Strong Ruler, Fame Rule, Armored Ruler, Mill Worker, Chieftain, Handmaiden, Slender, Delicate)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Gaelic, Welsh, Old English)

Pronunciation: (MEH-RihK, MEHR-ik)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching one of those shows on Investigate Discovery channel and one of the ladies talking was talking about her serial killer father. One of her sister’s names was Merric. Though I didn’t watch that whole show I did like the name of her sister, though what their father did was appalling.  

Merric or Merrick is great names with really great strong meanings. It does seem very Irish to me and I love that but is easily pronounced which I love as well. Merric O’ Conor seems a good name and so pairing this first name with an Irish last name you can see more of it being Irish as well. This also seems a name that could have fit in Arthurian Legend or in a High Fantasy sword wielding novel. Merric seems feminine to me and Merrick seems masculine to me. All in all I really love this name and I would love to see it used more often.

Sullivan

Meaning: (Little Dark Eye, Dark Eyes)

Origin: (Irish, English)

Pronunciation: (SUL-i-vən, SULL-uh-ven, Sul-ee-van)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I think Sullivan would be amazing if paired, perhaps as sibling names, with Donovan*see on list of posts*, Garrison*see on list of posts*, and Flannigan*see on list of posts*. The meaning and look is really great and very sexy if you think of it that way, lol! This is another great Irish name that is seemingly easily pronounced and recognizable.

I think an attractive nickname for this name would be Sully, but it reminds me of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Dr. Michaela’s *see on list of posts* (Dr. Mike) love interest and then husband, he went by his last name of Sully.

Flannigan

Meaning: (The Gaelic name was derived from the word "flann," which means red or ruddy. The chief septs (clans) were found in the counties of Roscommon, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Offaly. In Connacht, they were a part of the royal O Connors and were located near Elphin, in Co. Roscommon. They were hereditary stewards to the Kings of Connacht.

The clan's motto is commonly reported to be the Latin phrase Certavi et Vici, meaning "I have fought and conquered"; this motto is also shared by the Byrne clan.

There is another motto, Latin, that is attributed to Ó Flannagáin Clan, Sept of Kelly being Fortuna audaces iuvat (juvat) or Fortune Favours the Bold.

This surname with variant spellings Flannagan, Flanaghan, Falnagan, etc., is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic O' Flannagain, the prefix "O" meaning "descendant of" plus the personal name "Flannagan", a diminutive of the Gaelic element "flann" meaning "red(dish), ruddy". The main sept of the surname is found in Connacht, and Flannigan is numbered among the hundred most widespread surnames in Ireland, taking sixty-ninth place on that list. They sprang from one Flanagan who was of the same stock as the Royal O' Connors, and his line held the hereditary post of steward to the Kings of Connacht. The surname dates back to the early 14th Century (see below). Church Records include Robert, son of Richard and Margaret Flannigan who was christened on December 3rd 1797 at Dromore Parish, Co. Down, and Margaret Flannigan who married William Allen on October 23rd 1798 in St. Giles Cripplegate, London. Notable Irishmen of the name include Roderick Flanagan (1828-1861), founder of the "Sydney Chronicle", and Thomas Flanagan (1814-1865), author of the "History of the Church in England". David Flannigan, together with his wife Jane and daughter Elizabeth, were famine emigrants, who sailed from Liverpool aboard the Stephen-Whitney bound for New York on April 6th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Donough O' Flanagan, Bishop of Elphin, which was dated 1308, Medieval Records of Ireland, during the reign of King Edward 11, known as "Edward of Caernafon", 1307-1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.)

Origin: (Irish, Gaelic, Irish Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (FLAN-uh-gen)

Gender: Male

As promised here is the name Flannigan! I had put under the Garrison *see on list of posts* and Donovan *see on list of posts* posts that someone had pointed out that these would be great as sibling names and I am now getting to adding Flannigan. I do love this clan’s family’s mottos as I am a fan of old Latin family mottos. I particularly like the motto, Fortuna Audaces Iuvat (Juvat) or Fortune Favours the Bold. This being such a popular surname particularly in Ireland and it having such a long history of use it would be really cool if used by an author as the first name of a character in honor of that characters past heritage and ancestors. It also could be used on a character if they have red hair or a red or ruddy complexion upon birth. I really love this name and would love to use it in the future if the right character comes along.

I’m going to throw another similar name in the mix for possible sibling names to go with Donovan, Garrison, and Flannigan and that name is Sullivan *see on list of posts*. I think with most all being primarily last names or a surname that if used as sibling first names in honor of their heritage that would be way cool. And mix it with a common Irish last name that would be even cooler, I may do something similar in the future.

Madigan

Meaning: (Little Dog, Son of the Hound, High Tower, This is a famous Irish clan surname recorded as Madden, Madigan, and MacAvaddy. It derives from the pre 10th century Olde Gaelic O'Madain, translating as 'The descendant of the son of the hound'. Most Irish surnames originate from a chief's nickname, O'Kennedy, for instance means 'The descendant of the ugly headed one!' The O'Madain's originated from lands on the River Shannon in County Galway, at one time holding over 25,000 acres. Even today nameholders are still numerous in that part of Ireland. The Madigan branch of the clan are regarded as almost exclusively a Clare-Limerick family, although a branch are to be found in Counties Antrim and Derry in Ulster. Early surname holders included the Rev. Samuel Madden (1680 - 1760), a famed philanthropist, whilst Richard Madden, (1798 - 1886) was the author of the book 'The United Irishman'. During the infamous 'Potato Famine' of 1846, many name holders emigrated to both England and America. Amongst these were Walter Madden and his wife Mary, and their children Richard aged five and Alice, a baby. They sailed from Galway, bound for New York on the ship 'Junius ' on May 1st 1846. Another recording is that of Hannah Madigan aged twenty two, who left Belfast on the ship 'Howard' for New York, on July 23rd 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Dermot O'Madadhain, which was dated circa 1100. He was chief of the Ui Maine, Connacht, during the reign of King Henry Ist of England, known as 'The Just", 1100 - 1135. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.1135.)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Greek)

Pronunciation: (MA-di-gehn, MAEDihGAHN)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I’ve posted about Madden *see on list of posts* before and Madigan can come from that but is its own name as well so I decided to add it as such. The meanings are decent and the name is pretty cool looking to me. It seems a name that could replace much more common Irish names like Mackenzie Kenzie / Kinzie *see on list of posts*. It’s a great older name as well so it could potentially fit in different eras but maybe not as much as a first name as more of a last name if used in the past but more of a first name use in the current era and future. A cute nickname though could be Mad which could be an ironic play on a crazy acting character. If you want a much more normal nickname then Maddie / Maddy or Adi / Addi / Addie could work.

Kahlan

Meaning: (Beauty, Strong Leader)

Origin: (English, Irish, Literature, Pop Culture, Fictional)

Pronunciation: (kay-len, KAY-lən)

Gender: Female

I was looking up women’s warrior attire for one of my characters and I came across a pretty cool picture of this lady and I thought I had seen her before and well when looking it up she was the main character in a TV series some years back and her name was Kahlan. I don’t think I saw the series but I think I saw it advertised and that’s why I remembered the actress. Anyway the name is really cool but I hear the author of the novels that the TV series were based on was made up by him. So like other names like that I am not sure if it’s legal or not to use the name on anyone else’s character or not. I learned it was made up by him after I had already named a character Kahlan so I may have to go back and change it, looking back the name doesn’t really fit my character that well anyway.

Kahlan has pretty meanings and a pretty cool look but the pronunciation gets me. Kay-len is what I found as the pronunciation but many people felt the same as I do that it looks more like it would be pronounced like Colin just because most people see AH and say it like you would when you open your mouth for the doctor. But either way you say it looks pretty cool but I would probably suggest sticking to using it a as a screen name or pet name rather than for a character, personal name change or baby name.

Donovan

Meaning: (Brown-Haired Chieftain, Dark Brown, Strong Warrior, 'Descendant of Donndubhán, Descendant of the Dark Brown One'. The first name is derived from the Irish surname Ó Donnabhain meaning 'Descendant of Donndubhán'; Donndubhán is a given name from the Gaelic Donn and Dubh (meaning 'Dark, Black') and it could have originally been bestowed on someone with dark brown hair, eyes, or complexion. The name Donovan was first adopted by English speakers in the early 20th century. In modern times, it has largely lost its Irish associations, and the fame of the Scottish-born pop singer Donovan (1946-) has boosted its adoption since the 1960s.)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (DAHN-ə-vin, DAAN-aa-VahN)

Gender: Male

I was watching a contemporary Pride and Prejudice on Hallmark Channel which was called Unleashing Mr. Darcy and they gave the name Donovan as Mr. Darcy’s first name. Unleashing Mr. Darcy is also a novel. A few years back a friend of my sisters named her son Donovan which my sister loved and I kind of liked at the time. I think back then I didn’t really love it as I kind of saw it as a last name rather than a first name. I kind of like it a bit more now and the meanings are great. It’s a name that’s been around a while but isn’t over used. It’s easily pronounced which is great and there are great nickname options so all in a great name for a character. As someone pointed out and I agree this name would go well as a sibling name with other names such as Garrison *see on list of posts* and Flannigan *see on list of posts in June 2016*. It does have a sophisticated wealthy look about it but also I think could work on a street-wise Casanova, lol! So very versatile!

Keena

Meaning: (Brave, a Knot, Ancient One, Little Ancient One)

Origin: (Celtic, Gaelic, Irish, Hindi, English)

Pronunciation: (KIY-Naa, KEE-na)

Gender: Uni-Sex

My list is backed up for a while so I am finally getting to these names. Back during NaNoWriMo 2015 I had posted about it and a fellow blogger Apolla 13 commented about her experience with it and then told me a bit about the story she chose to write about. So for all of my posts for March I will be doing some of the names of her characters for the story she wrote for NaNoWriMo 2015 as I really like many of these names and have yet to add them so I am adding them now.

The meanings are great and the name itself has a very Mans Origin Mythology like look. So maybe this could be used by an author in their story if they add a history or origin story. It has a very old look and I often see an old man, a very father time look, wise and guide like. But also on the flipside sometimes it looks youthful like I can see a very lithe girl running around mischievous and care free. So it is a nice name that can bring about a different thought and feel for different people. So it’s up to the writer as to what kind of character and feeling they want to associate with this name.  

One funny thing though with me is when I say this name I think Quinoa and I have no clue why, lol! It doesn’t look the same obviously but when said I can kind of see going from Keena: KEE-na to Quinoa: KEEN-wah. But perhaps I am just weird that way, lol! Or maybe KEE-na and KEEN-wah are just fun to say, lol!

Catriona

Meaning: (Pure, Clear, is the French form of the Latin 'Katharina', from the Greek 'Aikaterina'. Famous bearer: the heroine of 19th century author Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Catriona'. )

Origin: (Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scottish, Literature, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ka-TREE-na, ka-TREE-oh-na)

Gender: Female

I heard this name someplace but I don’t remember where but then a while later I saw this as the name of a woman that died, she committed suicide and I think she was the girlfriend of actor Jim Carrey. It was really sad.

The meanings are lovely and beautiful and the name overall is gorgeous. It is a great alternative to its variants Catherine *see on list of posts*, Katherine *see on list of posts*, Katrina, Katharina, Catha *see on list of posts* Katya *see on list of posts* and Aikaterina.

As for the pronunciation I prefer ka-TREE-oh-na but that is an English speaker’s flaw apparently. It is pronounced ka-TREE-na by most in Ireland and Scotland where this name is popular.

Good Nicknames: Cat, Riona (REE-oh-na or REE-na), Tri (TREE or Try), and Triona (TREE-oh-na or TREE-na).