Scores of first names that were popular with Irish parents half a century ago are being shunned by today’s parents. In fact there are very few names that were the Top 100 in 1965 feature in the Top 100 baby names for 2015.
In descending order, the first names that have suffered the steepest decline in popularity are:
Mary
John
Patrick
In Association with
Michael
Margaret
Catherine
David
Paul
Anne
Gerard
Ann
Geraldine
Patricia
Bridget
Caroline
Deirdre
Helen
Brendan
Jacqueline
Sandra
Declan
Francis
Bernadette
Stephen
Noel
Martina
Eileen
Richard
Denis
Kathleen
Susan
Teresa
Alan
Angela
Nora
Linda
Pauline
Carmel
Brigid
Fiona
Karen
Marie
Sharon
Timothy
Joan
Derek
Kieran
Josephine
Siobhan
Carol
Paula
Bernard
Dermot
Raymond
Philip
Donal
Orla
Niall
Kenneth
Lorraine
• Here’s the complete analysis from the latest Central Statistics Office data, based on data for 100 most popular names for boys and girls.
| NAMES | 2015 | 1965 |
| Aaron | 281 | |
| Abbie | 97 | |
| Abigail | 117 | |
| Adam | 449 | |
| Adrian | 82 | |
| Adrienne | 81 | |
| Aidan | 154 | 233 |
| Aine | 105 | |
| Aisling | 80 | |
| Alan | 316 | |
| Alannah | 83 | |
| Alex | 361 | |
| Alexander | 169 | |
| Alexandra | 82 | |
| Alfie | 124 | |
| Alice | 150 | 102 |
| Amber | 108 | |
| Amelia | 400 | |
| Amy | 185 | |
| Andrew | 131 | 236 |
| Angela | 314 | |
| Ann | 807 | |
| Anna | 297 | 285 |
| Annabelle | 76 | |
| Anne | 840 | |
| Annette | 97 | |
| Annie | 78 | |
| Anthony | 88 | 663 |
| Antoinette | 70 | |
| Aoibheann | 78 | |
| Aoibhinn | 100 | |
| Aoife | 321 | |
| Arthur | 42 | |
| Audrey | 90 | |
| Ava | 421 | |
| Barbara | 153 | |
| Barry | 59 | |
| Bartholmew | 38 | |
| Ben | 265 | |
| Benjamin | 134 | |
| Bernadette | 389 | |
| Bernard | 211 | |
| Billy | 97 | |
| Bobby | 158 | |
| Brenda | 120 | |
| Brendan | 436 | |
| Brian | 76 | 585 |
| Bridget | 555 | |
| Brigid | 293 | |
| Caitlin | 66 | |
| Callum | 173 | |
| Caoimhe | 252 | |
| Cara | 185 | |
| Carmel | 294 | |
| Carol | 217 | |
| Caroline | 501 | |
| Cathal | 118 | |
| Catherine | 1,351 | |
| Charles | 145 | |
| Charlie | 399 | |
| Charlotte | 110 | |
| Chloe | 362 | |
| Christina | 148 | |
| Christine | 108 | |
| Christopher | 87 | 270 |
| Cian | 358 | |
| Ciara | 205 | |
| Ciaran | 120 | 124 |
| Cillian | 299 | |
| Claire | 99 | |
| Clara | 96 | |
| Clare | 132 | |
| Clodagh | 130 | |
| Colette | 144 | |
| Colin | 48 | |
| Colm | 133 | |
| Conor | 558 | 107 |
| Cormac | 84 | 41 |
| Cornelius | 158 | |
| Cyril | 41 | |
| Daire | 71 | |
| Daithi | 78 | |
| Damian | 86 | |
| Damien | 63 | |
| Daniel | 617 | 344 |
| Danny | 116 | |
| Dara | 102 | |
| Darragh | 302 | |
| David | 293 | 1,102 |
| Deborah | 87 | |
| Declan | 412 | |
| Deirdre | 470 | |
| Denis | 350 | |
| Denise | 134 | |
| Derek | 255 | |
| Dermot | 207 | |
| Desmond | 148 | |
| Diarmuid | 39 | |
| Dolores | 77 | |
| Dominic | 37 | |
| Donal | 189 | |
| Donald | 37 | |
| Donnacha | 112 | |
| Dylan | 343 | |
| Eabha | 126 | |
| Eamon | 75 | |
| Eamonn | 95 | |
| Edel | 71 | |
| Edmond | 59 | |
| Edward | 76 | 423 |
| Eileen | 367 | |
| Eimear | 67 | |
| Elaine | 117 | |
| Elizabeth | 106 | 779 |
| Ella | 384 | |
| Ellen | 117 | 281 |
| Ellie | 233 | |
| Emilia | 103 | |
| Emily | 626 | |
| Emma | 449 | |
| Enda | 66 | |
| Eoghan | 109 | |
| Eoin | 162 | 59 |
| Eric | 36 | |
| Erin | 136 | |
| Ethan | 181 | |
| Eugene | 135 | |
| Eva | 159 | |
| Evan | 207 | |
| Eve | 133 | |
| Evelyn | 82 | |
| Evie | 119 | |
| Faye | 139 | |
| Fergal | 46 | |
| Fergus | 66 | |
| Fiadh | 186 | |
| Finbarr | 60 | |
| Finn | 260 | |
| Fintan | 49 | |
| Fiona | 290 | |
| Fionn | 325 | |
| Frances | 163 | |
| Francis | 393 | |
| Freya | 188 | |
| Gabriel | 54 | |
| Garrett | 63 | |
| Gary | 51 | |
| George | 82 | 107 |
| Georgia | 64 | |
| Gerald | 78 | |
| Geraldine | 591 | |
| Gerard | 837 | |
| Grace | 367 | |
| Grainne | 133 | |
| Gregory | 55 | |
| Hanna | 76 | |
| Hannah | 338 | |
| Harry | 358 | |
| Helen | 453 | |
| Helena | 92 | |
| Henry | 88 | 72 |
| Hollie | 67 | |
| Holly | 208 | |
| Hugh | 118 | |
| Hugo | 80 | |
| Ian | 110 | |
| Imelda | 80 | |
| Irene | 66 | |
| Isaac | 100 | |
| Isabella | 135 | |
| Isabelle | 224 | |
| Isla | 94 | |
| Jacinta | 73 | |
| Jack | 752 | |
| Jacob | 159 | |
| Jacqueline | 431 | |
| Jake | 285 | |
| James | 697 | 1,464 |
| Jamie | 286 | |
| Jane | 94 | |
| Janet | 75 | |
| Jayden | 127 | |
| Jean | 101 | |
| Jennifer | 75 | |
| Jeremiah | 162 | |
| Jessica | 160 | |
| Joan | 262 | |
| Johanna | 80 | |
| John | 266 | 3,360 |
| Joseph | 174 | 705 |
| Josephine | 247 | |
| Josh | 78 | |
| Joshua | 162 | |
| Julia | 130 | 153 |
| Kai | 90 | |
| Karen | 289 | |
| Karl | 45 | |
| Kate | 283 | |
| Katherine | 91 | |
| Kathleen | 319 | |
| Katie | 247 | |
| Kayla | 98 | |
| Keith | 51 | |
| Kenneth | 182 | |
| Kevin | 86 | 469 |
| Kieran | 252 | |
| Killian | 73 | |
| Kyle | 217 | |
| Lara | 66 | |
| Laura | 133 | |
| Lauren | 265 | |
| Laurence | 123 | |
| Layla | 135 | |
| Leah | 187 | |
| Lena | 82 | |
| Leo | 148 | 35 |
| Leon | 147 | |
| Lexi | 67 | |
| Liam | 324 | 103 |
| Lilly | 81 | |
| Lily | 341 | |
| Linda | 309 | |
| Logan | 132 | |
| Lorcan | 86 | |
| Lorraine | 173 | |
| Louise | 116 | |
| Luca | 71 | |
| Lucas | 89 | |
| Lucy | 379 | |
| Luke | 382 | |
| Madison | 71 | |
| Maeve | 70 | |
| Maisie | 79 | |
| Maja | 69 | |
| Majella | 79 | |
| Margaret | 1,395 | |
| Maria | 119 | 243 |
| Marian | 80 | |
| Marie | 286 | |
| Mark | 119 | 318 |
| Martin | 88 | 843 |
| Martina | 369 | |
| Mary | 91 | 3,229 |
| Mason | 186 | |
| Matthew | 279 | 129 |
| Maurice | 128 | |
| Max | 173 | |
| Maya | 101 | |
| Meabh | 78 | |
| Megan | 102 | |
| Mia | 360 | |
| Michael | 434 | 2,057 |
| Michele | 101 | |
| Michelle | 69 | |
| Mila | 72 | |
| Millie | 104 | |
| Miriam | 99 | |
| Molly | 202 | |
| Monica | 93 | |
| Nathan | 231 | |
| Neil | 45 | |
| Niall | 184 | |
| Niamh | 143 | 73 |
| Nicholas | 75 | |
| Nicole | 86 | |
| Nigel | 35 | |
| Noah | 438 | |
| Noel | 374 | |
| Noeleen | 70 | |
| Nora | 310 | |
| Noreen | 89 | |
| Nuala | 91 | |
| Odhran | 113 | |
| Oisin | 365 | |
| Olive | 69 | |
| Oliver | 259 | 68 |
| Olivia | 297 | |
| Ollie | 118 | |
| Orla | 186 | |
| Oscar | 170 | |
| Owen | 65 | |
| Padraig | 52 | |
| Patricia | 581 | |
| Patrick | 350 | 2,281 |
| Paul | 1,323 | |
| Paula | 215 | |
| Pauline | 300 | |
| Peter | 103 | 578 |
| Philip | 202 | |
| Philomena | ||
| Rachel | 140 | |
| Raymond | 205 | |
| Rebecca | 104 | |
| Regina | 80 | |
| Rhys | 71 | |
| Rian | 200 | |
| Richard | 354 | |
| Rita | 85 | |
| Robert | 147 | 353 |
| Robyn | 237 | |
| Roger | 35 | |
| Roisin | 226 | |
| Ronan | 136 | 81 |
| Rory | 108 | 43 |
| Rose | 90 | 137 |
| Rosemary | 92 | |
| Rosie | 69 | |
| Ruairi | 73 | |
| Ruby | 211 | |
| Ruth | 96 | |
| Ryan | 329 | |
| Sadhbh | 123 | |
| Sadie | 198 | |
| Sam | 190 | |
| Samuel | 176 | |
| Sandra | 417 | |
| Saoirse | 282 | |
| Sara | 71 | |
| Sarah | 297 | 172 |
| Scott | 107 | |
| Seamus | 105 | |
| Sean | 530 | 163 |
| Sebastian | 74 | |
| Senan | 136 | |
| Shane | 109 | 75 |
| Sharon | 266 | |
| Shay | 98 | |
| Sheila | 161 | |
| Sienna | 96 | |
| Simon | 60 | |
| Siobhan | 247 | |
| Sofia | 144 | |
| Sophia | 251 | |
| Sophie | 407 | |
| Stephen | 379 | |
| Susan | 319 | |
| Suzanne | 107 | |
| Tadhg | 230 | |
| Tara | 65 | |
| Terence | 108 | |
| Teresa | 318 | |
| Theresa | 83 | |
| Therese | 67 | |
| Thomas | 379 | 1,367 |
| Timothy | 263 | |
| Tom | 192 | |
| Tomas | 79 | |
| Tommy | 121 | |
| Tyler | 90 | |
| Una | 73 | |
| Valerie | 141 | |
| Veronica | 130 | |
| Victoria | 69 | |
| Vincent | 154 | |
| William | 157 | 1,000 |
| Yvonne | 167 | |
| Zara | 97 | |
| Zoe | 204 |
