Top 100 baby names in Ireland 1986
CSO figures for babies registered in 1986. See the latest list for 2025.
Number 1 girls
Sarah
953 babies
Number 1 boys
John
1,330 babies
New to the top 100
Tracy, Victoria, Stacey, Sara, Nigel, Emmet
Girls
| # | Name | Babies | vs 1985 | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah | 953 | · | |
| 2 | Laura | 783 | · | |
| 3 | Michelle | 626 | · | |
| 4 | Jennifer | 609 | ▲2 | |
| 5 | Emma | 605 | · | |
| 6 | Ciara | 570 | ▲2 | |
| 6 | Mary | 570 | ▼2 | |
| 8 | Lisa | 542 | ▼1 | |
| 9 | Niamh | 494 | ▲2 | |
| 10 | Claire | 476 | · | |
| 11 | Sinead | 474 | ▲4 | |
| 12 | Aoife | 465 | ▼3 | |
| 13 | Louise | 414 | ▼1 | |
| 14 | Catherine | 394 | · | |
| 15 | Amanda | 371 | ▲2 | |
| 16 | Elaine | 354 | ▼4 | |
| 17 | Nicola | 342 | ▲8 | |
| 18 | Aisling | 337 | · | |
| 19 | Karen | 335 | ▼4 | |
| 20 | Amy | 330 | · | |
| 21 | Rachel | 327 | ▲1 | |
| 22 | Fiona | 309 | ▼3 | |
| 23 | Caroline | 304 | ▼2 | |
| 24 | Deirdre | 276 | ▼1 | |
| 25 | Orla | 238 | ▲2 | |
| 26 | Linda | 234 | ▼2 | |
| 27 | Lorraine | 230 | ▼1 | |
| 28 | Ann | 228 | ▲4 | |
| 29 | Maria | 225 | · | |
| 29 | Siobhan | 225 | ▲5 | |
| 31 | Edel | 219 | ▲5 | |
| 32 | Sharon | 207 | ▼1 | |
| 33 | Samantha | 206 | ▲20 | |
| 33 | Susan | 206 | ▲4 | |
| 35 | Elizabeth | 202 | ▼5 | |
| 36 | Anne | 201 | ▼1 | |
| 36 | Margaret | 201 | ▼9 | |
| 36 | Tara | 201 | ▲8 | |
| 39 | Patricia | 192 | · | |
| 40 | Aine | 189 | ▲1 | |
| 40 | Marie | 189 | ▼7 | |
| 42 | Stephanie | 185 | ▲13 | |
| 43 | Gillian | 180 | ▲6 | |
| 44 | Rebecca | 179 | ▲6 | |
| 44 | Sandra | 179 | ▼4 | |
| 46 | Danielle | 172 | ▲18 | |
| 47 | Donna | 169 | ▼9 | |
| 48 | Eimear | 165 | ▲3 | |
| 49 | Denise | 162 | ▲3 | |
| 50 | Grace | 159 | ▲3 | |
| 51 | Clare | 156 | ▼6 | |
| 52 | Helen | 155 | ▼5 | |
| 53 | Ruth | 153 | ▼11 | |
| 54 | Emer | 148 | ▼11 | |
| 55 | Roisin | 147 | ▲2 | |
| 56 | Christina | 142 | ▼8 | |
| 57 | Jessica | 140 | ▲19 | |
| 57 | Julie | 140 | ▲13 | |
| 59 | Yvonne | 138 | ▲1 | |
| 60 | Kate | 134 | ▼5 | |
| 61 | Anna | 130 | ▲11 | |
| 62 | Joanne | 129 | · | |
| 63 | Andrea | 128 | ▼1 | |
| 64 | Bridget | 126 | ▲19 | |
| 65 | Mairead | 125 | ▼7 | |
| 66 | Tracey | 124 | ▲14 | |
| 67 | Martina | 123 | ▼2 | |
| 68 | Christine | 122 | ▲10 | |
| 68 | Melissa | 122 | ▼8 | |
| 70 | Caitriona | 120 | ▲20 | |
| 71 | Carol | 119 | ▼12 | |
| 72 | Grainne | 118 | ▼5 | |
| 73 | Jacqueline | 113 | ▼4 | |
| 74 | Alison | 107 | · | |
| 74 | Gemma | 107 | ▼4 | |
| 76 | Deborah | 105 | ▼31 | |
| 77 | Paula | 100 | ▼2 | |
| 78 | Leanne | 98 | ▲4 | |
| 79 | Suzanne | 94 | ▼11 | |
| 80 | Kelly | 93 | ▲6 | |
| 81 | Geraldine | 92 | ▲2 | |
| 82 | Catriona | 88 | ▼6 | |
| 83 | Natasha | 87 | ▲17 | |
| 83 | Pamela | 87 | ▼17 | |
| 85 | Anita | 84 | ▲2 | |
| 85 | Tracy | 84 | New | |
| 87 | Kathleen | 81 | ▼15 | |
| 87 | Kim | 81 | · | |
| 87 | Lorna | 81 | ▼7 | |
| 90 | Bernadette | 78 | ▲1 | |
| 90 | Victoria | 78 | New | |
| 92 | Teresa | 77 | ▲5 | |
| 93 | Maeve | 76 | ▲2 | |
| 94 | Ashling | 75 | ▼3 | |
| 95 | Eileen | 73 | ▼12 | |
| 95 | Stacey | 73 | New | |
| 97 | Jane | 72 | ▼18 | |
| 98 | Natalie | 70 | ▲2 | |
| 99 | Ellen | 69 | ▼3 | |
| 99 | Sara | 69 | New |
Boys
| # | Name | Babies | vs 1985 | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John | 1,330 | ▲1 | |
| 2 | David | 1,244 | ▼1 | |
| 3 | Michael | 1,065 | · | |
| 4 | James | 982 | ▲1 | |
| 5 | Patrick | 926 | ▲1 | |
| 6 | Stephen | 921 | ▼2 | |
| 7 | Mark | 831 | ▲1 | |
| 8 | Paul | 824 | ▼1 | |
| 9 | Shane | 685 | ▲2 | |
| 10 | Brian | 668 | ▼1 | |
| 11 | Thomas | 658 | ▼1 | |
| 12 | Kevin | 639 | ▲1 | |
| 13 | Alan | 579 | ▼1 | |
| 14 | Daniel | 557 | · | |
| 15 | Robert | 522 | · | |
| 16 | Sean | 519 | · | |
| 17 | Christopher | 442 | ▲1 | |
| 18 | Joseph | 409 | ▲5 | |
| 19 | Andrew | 398 | · | |
| 20 | Richard | 386 | ▲12 | |
| 21 | William | 383 | · | |
| 22 | Anthony | 381 | ▼2 | |
| 22 | Jason | 381 | ▲14 | |
| 24 | Conor | 370 | ▲1 | |
| 25 | Martin | 365 | ▼3 | |
| 26 | Niall | 362 | · | |
| 27 | Darren | 357 | ▲2 | |
| 28 | Peter | 356 | ▼4 | |
| 29 | Gerard | 343 | ▼2 | |
| 30 | Ian | 341 | ▲5 | |
| 31 | Barry | 339 | ▼14 | |
| 32 | Keith | 335 | ▼2 | |
| 33 | Eoin | 329 | ▼2 | |
| 34 | Gary | 325 | · | |
| 35 | Jonathan | 308 | ▼2 | |
| 36 | Ciaran | 295 | ▼8 | |
| 37 | Colm | 261 | ▲5 | |
| 38 | Brendan | 256 | ▼1 | |
| 39 | Philip | 247 | · | |
| 40 | Declan | 245 | ▲4 | |
| 41 | Colin | 232 | ▼3 | |
| 42 | Damien | 216 | ▼2 | |
| 43 | Kieran | 214 | ▲2 | |
| 44 | Ronan | 213 | ▼2 | |
| 45 | Derek | 212 | ▼4 | |
| 46 | Gavin | 205 | ▲4 | |
| 47 | Aidan | 191 | ▼1 | |
| 47 | Edward | 191 | ▼1 | |
| 49 | Liam | 187 | · | |
| 50 | Simon | 174 | ▲2 | |
| 51 | Padraig | 157 | ▲4 | |
| 52 | Noel | 156 | ▼4 | |
| 53 | Adrian | 141 | · | |
| 54 | Graham | 139 | ▲9 | |
| 55 | Timothy | 136 | ▲4 | |
| 56 | Denis | 135 | ▼1 | |
| 57 | Adam | 130 | ▲9 | |
| 58 | Francis | 128 | ▼5 | |
| 59 | Cian | 127 | ▲14 | |
| 59 | Matthew | 127 | ▲5 | |
| 61 | Steven | 126 | ▲1 | |
| 62 | Donal | 120 | ▼4 | |
| 63 | Karl | 119 | ▲2 | |
| 64 | Dean | 118 | ▲15 | |
| 65 | Kenneth | 117 | ▼14 | |
| 66 | Cathal | 116 | ▼7 | |
| 67 | Ross | 114 | ▲7 | |
| 68 | Aaron | 111 | ▲8 | |
| 69 | Enda | 110 | ▲1 | |
| 70 | Raymond | 108 | ▼13 | |
| 71 | Darragh | 106 | ▲4 | |
| 72 | Seamus | 105 | ▼3 | |
| 72 | Wayne | 105 | ▼13 | |
| 74 | Rory | 104 | ▼6 | |
| 75 | Neil | 102 | ▼9 | |
| 76 | Eoghan | 90 | ▲7 | |
| 76 | Owen | 90 | ▼5 | |
| 78 | Cormac | 88 | ▲8 | |
| 79 | Dermot | 87 | ▼7 | |
| 80 | Vincent | 84 | · | |
| 81 | Eamonn | 83 | ▼1 | |
| 81 | Eric | 83 | ▲11 | |
| 83 | Luke | 80 | ▲15 | |
| 84 | Lee | 75 | ▲2 | |
| 85 | Bryan | 73 | ▼7 | |
| 86 | Damian | 70 | ▼1 | |
| 87 | Diarmuid | 69 | ▲8 | |
| 88 | Bernard | 67 | ▼4 | |
| 88 | Nigel | 67 | New | |
| 90 | Hugh | 65 | · | |
| 91 | Craig | 64 | · | |
| 91 | Emmet | 64 | New | |
| 93 | Nicholas | 62 | ▼11 | |
| 93 | Trevor | 62 | ▼17 | |
| 95 | Micheal | 61 | ▲2 | |
| 96 | Gregory | 60 | ▼1 | |
| 96 | Jamie | 60 | ▼8 | |
| 98 | Shaun | 57 | ▼6 | |
| 99 | Eamon | 56 | ▼10 | |
| 99 | Garry | 56 | ▼1 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Ranks are the CSO's own, which count each spelling separately (for example Fiadh and Fíadh). Tied names share a rank. Figures before 1998 come from the CSO back series, which is not directly comparable with later years.