Setanta
Say it: seh-TAN-ta
BoyIrishMythology7 letters3 syllables
#286
in Ireland (2025)
#276 with spellings combined
15
babies in 2025
#276
best rank (2025)
107
babies since 2003
Setanta through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #276 |
| 2024 | 5 | #559 |
| 2023 | 6 | #497 |
| 2022 | 7 | #438 |
| 2021 | 6 | #479 |
| 2020 | 3 | #706 |
| 2019 | 4 | #616 |
| 2017 | 4 | #610 |
| 2016 | 5 | #541 |
| 2014 | 3 | #715 |
| 2012 | 4 | #616 |
| 2011 | 6 | #490 |
| 2010 | 5 | #542 |
| 2009 | 6 | #472 |
| 2008 | 8 | #412 |
| 2006 | 4 | #492 |
| 2005 | 8 | #302 |
| 2004 | 4 | #440 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Setanta mean?
Uncertain
Irish Sétanta, the boyhood name of Cú Chulainn, of uncertain origin.
Say it right
sehTANta
In Irish, the old spelling Sétanta points to something closer to SHAY-tan-ta, with the stress at the start.
The story of Setanta
Setanta is the English spelling of Sétanta, the name the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn had as a boy. Its meaning is not known. Some scholars link it with the Setantii, a Celtic people who lived on the west coast of Britain, but that link is only a suggestion.
In the story of how he got his better-known name, the young Sétanta comes late to a feast at the house of Culann the smith. Culann’s guard dog attacks him, and he kills it. Seeing the smith’s loss, the boy offers to guard the house himself until a new dog can be reared, and from then on he is Cú Chulainn, “Culann’s hound”. A well-known modern bearer is Setanta Ó hAilpín, the Cork hurler who went on to play Australian rules football.
Setanta reached the CSO lists in 2003 and has stayed a rare choice. Its best year so far was 2025, when 15 boys were given it and it was number 286 on the CSO list.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cú Chulainn
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Setanta | 15 | 107 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #299 (2003); 8 babies since 2003.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.