girl's name
Eireann
AIR-in
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 613
Northern Ireland
#130
2024 births
Eireann is a girl's name taken from Ireland's own name — and specifically from its genitive case, so it means "of Ireland" rather than Ireland. It ranks 130th in Northern Ireland and is rising.
- Eireann is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Northern Ireland in 2021, when 25 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in Northern Ireland.
- Today about 1 in 25,643 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1997.
Eireann over time
Births per decade in Northern Ireland, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 |
| 2000s | 77 |
| 2010s | 128 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 99 |
What Eireann means
Eireann means of Ireland. Éireann is the genitive of Éire, so the name is grammatically possessive rather than a straight naming of the country — Poblacht na hÉireann is the Republic of Ireland, using this exact form.
Where Eireann comes from
Eireann comes from Éireann, the genitive of Éire, the Irish name for Ireland. Éire descends from the Old Irish Ériu, a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann and one of three sisters — with Banba and Fódla — who each asked the invading Milesians to name the island after them; Ériu's name is the one that stuck. Its ultimate root is generally reconstructed as meaning abundant land. The use of the genitive as a personal name is grammatically odd and thoroughly modern: Éireann appears in phrases like Amhrán na bhFiann and Poblacht na hÉireann, and parents have taken the form they see in print rather than the nominative Éire. Erin is the older anglicization and comes from the same genitive by a different route.
Eireann in use
Eireann ranks 130th in Northern Ireland with 16 births in 2024 and only 730th in Ireland, which is the striking figure — the North uses a name meaning of Ireland far more heavily than the Republic does. It is rising in our data with a peak in 2021, and our records carry it from 1997. It appears in no other market we hold.
How popular is Eireann?
In 2024, Eireann was given to 23 babies in England and Wales, ranking #130 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Eireann is used
Figures for Northern Ireland withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
How Eireann is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Éireann | Éireann is a rare spelling of Eireann, written with a fada and recorded 34 times, mostly in Ireland. | 34 |
Names that peaked alongside Eireann
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Eireann also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Eireann over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Eireann in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Irish
- Erin
Sibling names for Eireann
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Eireann — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Eireann
What does the name Eireann mean?
It means "of Ireland" — Éireann is the genitive of Éire, so the form is grammatically possessive.
Is Eireann the same as Erin?
Both come from the genitive Éireann. Erin is the older anglicization.
Where does Éire come from?
From Ériu, a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann who asked the Milesians to name the island for her.
How popular is Eireann?
130th in Northern Ireland and 730th in Ireland.
Is Eireann a girl's or a boy's name?
Eireann is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
Is Eireann a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Eireann currently ranks #130 in Northern Ireland. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.