50+ Great Gaelic Dog Names for an Irish Wolfhound

Irish Wolfhound Names

In three isolated parts of westernmost Ireland, where the wind blows off the ocean and black tea is still suspected of causing leukemia, the people still speak Gaelic. My favorite is the sound of the people from Kerry, a green county in the west. The west coast/east coast rivalry exists in Ireland, just like in the United States. The Kerry people may sound odd to those from other regions, but then again, they think everyone else speaks strangely—especially those people from back east.

I have put together a few names that work for dogs, and many of them are from Kerry. I hope you consider giving your Irish dog a Kerry name. They are great for Irish Wolfhounds, of course. Those that claim the Irish Wolfhound is not even Irish anymore because of all the outbreeding do not know much about Irish history.

Kerry Blue Terriers should like these names, too. Even Anglo-Irish dogs, like the Irish Setter, will sound appropriate with one of these names. You can name him Jack instead of Conan, and no one will notice, but all you need to do is choose the best from the list.

Anyone fluent in Gaelic might disagree with my pronunciation. Too bad. Words vary from county to county, and if I do not choose to say a word the same way you do, it is only wrong to you.

Unique Irish Dog Names

Can you tell what your puppy’s personality is going to be like? Here are some great names for some unusual dogs.

• Ailean (pronounced al-an, “like a rock”)
• Anluan (pronounced on-lin, “great hound”)
• Aodh (pronounced oogh or hugh, “Celtic god of fire”)
• Artair (“like a bear”)
• Bran (“raven”)
• Brian ( “strong”)
• Cailean (pronounced cahl-een, “young girl”)
• Cathal (pronounced ca-hool, “mighty in battle”)
• Coilean (pronounced Collin, “young pup”)
• Cona (“wolf pup”)
• Conan (“hound”)
• Conchur (“wolf lover”)
• Conmhaol (pronounced con-vel, “wolf warrior”)
• Conn (“intelligent man”)
• Connal (“powerful” or “strong as a wolf”)
• Connor (“lover of hounds”)
• Conry (“king of the hounds”)
• Cosgrach (pronounced cosk-ruch, “victor”)
• Faolan (pronounced phe-lan, “wolf”)
• Eochaidh (pronounced yoch-ee, “warrior on a horse”)
• Latharn (pronounced Lorne, “like a fox”)
• Luag (pronounced lu-ag, “the winner,” the name of the god of the sun)
• Madadh (pronounced mad-ug, “dog”)
• Madin (“little dog”)
• Maidrin (“little puppy”)
• Milish (“sweetie”)
• Mungan (“beloved”)
• Murchu (pronounced mur-fee, “hound of the sea”)
• Onchu (“mighty dog”)
• Olcan (“wolf”)
• Sionn (pronounced shon, “fox”)

Gaelic Names for Your Dog’s Color

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning
Ailpein	alpine	white
Barra		fair-haired
Blaine		yellow
Brandubh	bran-duff	black raven
Donnan		brown
Dubh	duff	black
Dughal	du-gall	black stranger
Odhran	o-ran	dun
Lios liadh	les-lee	grey fort
Róidh	roy	red

More Names From Ireland

• Aiden (popular boy’s name that means “born of fire”)
• Blarney (castle in Cork County)
• Blasket (islands off the Kerry peninsula)
• Boru (surname of Brian, one of the greatest Irish kings in history)
• Caeli (pronounced “kaylee,” an Irish folk dance)
• Darragh (pronounced di-re, a popular boy’s name based in mythology)
• Derry (city and a river in the north)
• Dingle (peninsula in Kerry County)
• Dylan (popular boy’s name that means “faithful and loyal”)
• Keeva (popular girl’s name that means “gentle and precious”)
• Kerry (county)
• MacCool (the surname of Fionn, a giant from Ireland)
• Niamh (popular girl’s name that means “radiant”)
• Shannon (a famous river)
• Siobhan (popular girl’s name pronounced shev-awn)
• Tara (burial place of the Kings of Ireland)

Tips for Naming a Dog

If you’ve decided to call your puppy “MacCool,” “Connor,” or one of the other great names on this list, go ahead and try it out and see how he responds. If you choose a name that is not on this list, though, keep a few things in mind:

• Don’t make your dog walk around with one of the overused dog names. He is special and unique and deserves a special name that emphasizes his Irish heritage.
• Do not give your dog a name that sounds like his training commands. Avoid anything that sounds like sit, stay, come, and any other words you are going to use.
• Don’t give your dog a long name (three or more syllables) that he is not going to remember and respond to.
• Do not give him a name that sounds like a dog that you already have. Your old dog will be confused every time you call the puppy, and your puppy will be confused if you call the old dog but not him!
• Do enjoy your new puppy! Take lots of pictures!

Name Tags Are Important

Get a name tag for your puppy as soon as possible. Name tags should include a name, your name, and your telephone number. If your dog is lost and he does not have a name tag, you may never see him again. You can find out about microchipping on your next visit to your puppy’s veterinarian.

More Dog Name Guides

• Macho Dog Names
  If your dog is not the toughest one at the dog park, at the very least, he needs to strut around with a macho name!
• Tough Dog Names: Outlaws and Gangstas
  Some dogs are outlaws-some just jump on their bikes and pretend to be. One of these names will be the perfect accessory to make your dog tough. Or at least sound tough!
• Sitcom and Other Funny Dog Names
  It doesn’t matter if you grew up with Barney Fife, Mork, or Cosmo Kramer—one of these names is perfect for a little dog who will keep you entertained!