MEANING: A diminutive form of the name Aed meaning “”fire”" and would imply “”born of fire.”" It became a popular name in honour of St. Aidan of Iona (c. 630 AD) who founded a famous monastery on the island of Lindisfarne which he used as a base to evangalize the North of England. In art Aidan is usually represented as a stag, a reference to the legend that he saved a deer that was being hunted by making it invisible.

MEANING: From aon ”"excellent”" and gus ”"strength, vigor.”" Aengus was the god of love and of youth. His words were as sweet as honey, attracting bees and birds. He fell deeply in love with a beautiful girl he saw in a dream and passed through many trials, including turning himself into a swan, to win her love. The poet William Butler Yeats immortalised his search in “”The Song of Wandering Aengus:”" I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream, And caught a little silver trout.

MEANING: A diminutive form of the name Aed meaning “”fire”" and would imply “”born of fire.”" It became a popular name in honour of St. Aidan of Iona (c. 630 AD) who founded a famous monastery on the island of Lindisfarne which he used as a base to evangalize the North of England. In art Aidan is usually represented as a stag, a reference to the legend that he saved a deer that was being hunted by making it invisible.

MEANING: A diminutive form of the name Aed meaning “”fire”" and would imply “”born of fire.”" It became a popular name in honour of St. Aidan of Iona (c. 630 AD) who founded a famous monastery on the island of Lindisfarne which he used as a base to evangalize the North of England. In art Aidan is usually represented as a stag, a reference to the legend that he saved a deer that was being hunted by making it invisible.

MEANING: From an old Irish word meaning “”white,”" the 6th century St. Ailbe was associated with the monastery at Emly in County Tipperary. The local people requested that he bless a river that had no fish. St. Ailbe did and that very day the river was filled with an abundance of fish. The people built five churches in St. Ailbe’s honor at the best fishing spots along the river. Ailbe may be used for a boy or a girl.

MEANING: From the Irish ailleacht ”"beauty.”" Ailill was the young husband of Queen Maebh, chosen by her because he was “”a man without meaness, fear or jealosy, a match for my own greatness.”" His argument with Maebh over who had the greater herd of cattle led to The Cattle Raid of Cooley (read the legend), one of the greatest epic tales in Irish mythology.

MEANING: From an old Irish word meaning “”white,”" the 6th century St. Ailbe was associated with the monastery at Emly in County Tipperary. The local people requested that he bless a river that had no fish. St. Ailbe did and that very day the river was filled with an abundance of fish. The people built five churches in St. Ailbe’s honor at the best fishing spots along the river. Ailbe may be used for a boy or a girl.

MEANING: From rua ”"red”" and would make an appropriate name for a red-headed child.

MEANING: From ardanach meaning “”high aspiration.”" Ardan was one of the sons of Usna who helped Deirdre escape to Scotland so that she would not be forced to marry King Conchobhar MacNessa.

MEANING: In Ireland a seperate name from Arthur it comes from an ancient word for “”a bear,”" used in the sense of “”outstanding warrior”" or “”champion.”" A pagan High King of Ireland, Art’s rule was so honest that two angels hovered over him in battle.