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Irish (Gaeilge) name generator

This name generator will generate 10 random Celtic Irish names and surnames.

While both genders share the same last names, they have different prefixes with different meanings. The men either have 'Ó' or 'Mac'. 'Ó' before a surname means 'grandson of' and 'Mac' means 'son of'.
If the surname starts with a vowel, the prefix 'Ó' will cause a lowercase 'h' to be attached to the surname. So you either get 'Mac Earáin' or 'Ó hEaráin'.

It's slightly more complicated for women. Unmarried women will either have 'Ní' (daughter of the grandson of) or 'Nic' (daughter of the son of). However, if her surname starts with 'C' or 'G', the prefix will always be 'Nic'.
Once a woman marries, she can choose to take her husband's surname with a new prefix. If his prefix is 'Ó', hers will be 'Uí' (wife of the grandson of), if his prefix is 'Mac', hers will be 'Mhic' (wife of the son of). However, if the husband's surname starts with either a 'G' or 'C', her prefix will always be 'Mhic'.

To start, simply click on the button to generate 10 random names. Don't like the names? Simply click again to get 10 new random names.

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