Most Common First Names In Ireland

What were the most common first names in Irish records?


We hear or see people talk all the time of the most common first names. The majority of Roman Catholic parish records that I transcribe give the person only 1 first name, the majority of gravestone records give the person 1 first name.  I emphasize the Roman Catholic religion here because when I work with Church of Ireland records the people generally have two first names.

I am giving an analysis of the first names given to the people listed on gravestones in Mount Bolus here.  The cemetery is a public one.  Outside of that fact I have numerous tables of names and I have sorted the first names out many times and the most popular names stay the same regardless of what time frame we are talking about in parish records and on gravestones.  That will change in time as first names are much more varied today.

Here with Mount Bolus in Co. Offaly (King’s Co.) I have 730 first names on stones and I have looked at these.  Of these 730 names I have 131 first names, some of these are nick names (or with a letter excluded) of some others. I kept them separate. 63 of these names are female and 67 male. Interesting that proportions are almost equal.

Most common male name is John
Most common female name is Mary

NameNumber
Alice2
Alphonsus1
Andrew6
Ann4
Anne16
Annie9
Annie Marie1
Arthur1
Benjamin2
Bernard1
Bill1
Bridget 25
Bridget ??Mary1
Brigid6
Catherine16
Charles5
Christopher3
Dan 4
Daniel19
David1
Delia1
Denis4
Dick1
Dora1
Eamon1
Edward6
Elizabeth20
Ellen12
Ellen Mary1
Emily1
Essey1
Esther 2
Fintan1
Francis3
Frank2
Garry1
George1
Hannagh1
Harriet1
Harry1
Helena1
Hugh3
Humphrey Joseph1
Jack1
James26
James Pascal1
Jane1
Jeremiah3
Jerry1
Jim1
Joe2
Johanna1
John 52
John F.1
John Joe1
John Joseph2
Johnny1
Joseph (Joe)20
Julia3
Kate7
Kathleen5
Katie5
Kieran3
Kiran1
Laurence1
Lawrence1
Liam1
Lillie1
Lizzie2
Lizzy1
Lucy1
Luke1
Maggie1
Malachy1
Margaret32
Margaret M.1
Maria9
Marie1
Martin4
Mary 57
Mary Ann4
Mary Anne 4
Mary C.1
Mary Ellen2
Mary Jo 1
Mary Joe1
Mary Kate3
Mary Patricia (Ciss)1
Matthew2
Maura2
Michael 45
Micl1
Molly1
Nancy1
Nellie1
Nicholas1
Nora3
Oliver1
Owen 4
Pat 4
Patk1
Patrick 41
Patrick J.1
Patsy2
Patt2
Peadar1
Peter 11
Philomena2
Richard2
Richie1
Robert4
Rose6
Rose Ann2
Rose Anne1
Sarah 5
Sheila1
Sonny1
Stephen1
Susan1
Teresa 4
Teresa M.1
Tessie1
Thaddeus1
Theresa1
Thomas (senior)29
Tom3
William (Willie)32
William Francis1
Willie1
Winifred1
Winnefred1