Art
Say it: ART
BoyIrishMeans bear, and so "champion"3 letters1 syllable
#329
in Ireland (2025)
#319 with spellings combined
12
babies in 2025
#241
best rank (2019)
226
babies since 1965
Up 78
10-year rank change
Art through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #319 |
| 2024 | 12 | #317 |
| 2023 | 10 | #351 |
| 2022 | 13 | #320 |
| 2021 | 13 | #315 |
| 2020 | 13 | #315 |
| 2019 | 19 | #241 |
| 2018 | 16 | #280 |
| 2017 | 14 | #305 |
| 2016 | 16 | #283 |
| 2015 | 9 | #397 |
| 2014 | 8 | #428 |
| 2013 | 3 | #712 |
| 2012 | 4 | #616 |
| 2010 | 7 | #448 |
| 2009 | 3 | #701 |
| 2008 | 12 | #328 |
| 2007 | 5 | #473 |
| 2006 | 5 | #423 |
| 2004 | 4 | #440 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
| 2001 | 3 | #409 |
| 2000 | 3 | #390 |
| 1998 | 3 | #369 |
| 1995 | 3 | #334 |
| 1994 | 3 | #342 |
| 1987 | 3 | #303 |
| 1973 | 3 | #320 |
| 1965 | 3 | #250 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Art mean?
Bear, and so "champion"
Irish, from Old Irish art (bear); in English also a short form of Arthur.
Say it right
ART
Said like the English word "art".
The story of Art
Art is an old Irish name meaning “bear”. Bears were among the strongest animals the early Irish knew, so the word was also used for a champion or warrior. In English Art is often simply short for Arthur, but in Ireland it has its own long history.
In the old tales Art mac Cuinn, son of Conn of the Hundred Battles, is a legendary high king of Ireland. Several later kings also bore it, including Art Mór Mac Murchadha Caomhánach, the king of Leinster who held out against the English crown in the late 1300s.
As a baby name in modern Ireland it is small but growing. It first reached the CSO list in 1965, then turned up only now and then until the 2000s. Its best year was 2019, with 19 babies and a rank of number 241 in 2019, and 12 boys were named Art in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Art (English and Scottish Gaelic proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Art (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Art | 12 | 226 |
In Northern Ireland
#344 in 2025 with 4 babies. Best rank #295 (2021); 13 babies since 2021.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.