These once-popular traditional Irish names are going extinct

These Irish baby names are going out of style

They're proving popular with new parents too, with Rían being named the most popular baby boy name in Ireland in 2025.

However, some Irish names are dwindling in popularity and are even at risk of becoming extinct.

My Nametags (Ireland’s leading personalised name label company) investigated what Irish names are going extinct in Ireland today, and you may be surprised.

They found that the following names are falling in popularity in Ireland:

Seamus – The Irish for ‘James’ struggled to make an impact in the baby name charts in 2025, ranking at just 402nd place. When we compare this to its ranking of 70th in 1990, we can really see that the name is at risk of extinction in the next couple of years.

Sinéad – A once very popular name for Irish babies, there was less than 3 babies named ‘Sinéad’ in 2025. A big fall from grace, considering it was 4^th in the rankings in 1990.

Enda – Meaning ‘bird-like’, this name has decreased in popularity steadily over the years. In 2025, it ranked at the 557th spot, while in 2000, it was at 146th on the boys’ name listing. In 1980, it was more popular, ranking at the 72^nd spot.

Commenting on the findings, Lars B. Andersen, Founder and Managing Director of My Nametags, commented, “At My Nametags, we really notice what names are increasing in popularity each year, so we were interested to see what the trend is for Irish baby names in Ireland for 2026. Based on the research we look forward to seeing orders increasing for Tadhg Sadhbh & Éabhas from all across the country over the coming few years!”