Exploring how names shape identity, culture, and the stories we carry.
This month on Roominate with Emily Rose Nulty, I explore the stories, meanings, and identities behind the names we carry in my latest article, The Name Game: Names, Identity and Trends.
Drawing on Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Irish naming trends, and personal reflection, the article explores how social media can influence the way we perceive names, while highlighting the difference between online trends and everyday reality. It also reflects on the cultural significance of names and why they often become meaningful because of the people and memories we associate with them.
Listen to the accompanying audio here:
Names are something I’ve always found beautiful because of how varied they are, whether they are modern or older names. I just love hearing the variety. It’s interesting how a name can shape how we see a person, and how other people with the same name become a part of our identity.
In 2000, Jack and Aoife were the most popular names in Ireland, and in 2024 the most popular names were Jack and Sophie, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Jack has been in the top boy names since 1998, and remained the most popular, with the exception of James taking the spot in 2016.
The top five girl and boy names in 2024 were:
It’s interesting to see typical names and how they are perceived on social media. Sometimes I come across accounts where people share a child’s name or names they love, and it does make me pause, because it’s interesting to think about a name outside of social media.
It’s easy to get caught up consuming videos or similar, and it almost creates a bubble between online and real-world perception. Names are an important part of our identity, and trends have always influenced naming, long before social media existed. People have always used trends to name their children, but in this era of the internet and how fast-paced it is, what feels like the perfect name in a trend moment might not always stay in that moment.
While there has been an increase in different names, it does show that specifically in Ireland there has been a huge rebirth of the Irish language and culture, and there has been a rise in Irish cultural visibility in recent years, with Irish celebrities like Cillian Murphy, Kneecap, and Saoirse Ronan. It feels like Irish names are finally getting the exposure they deserve.
Our language is beautiful, as is our culture; not those who spread hatred, but the true spirit of Irish culture; one that welcomes others rather than shuts the door on them.
That is the depth that some of these names carry, and it changes with your culture; it’s a personal part of you.
It’s funny to think how some of us may have names with a meaning, part of our culture, a family member, while others have names they just liked or that are related to a funny story. Even my own name is in the top five in Ireland, but my joint name isn’t, which I’ve always found interesting.
That part of naming is so personal, but I do think it shapes the person you name. You think of name X and you see them; it’s shaping a part of their identity. Names only feel unusual in isolation, but they make the people in your life, which is what makes them feel so personal.
In the end, names are everywhere, but the way we experience them is always personal; shaped by people, culture, and the moments we associate with them.
Social media has introduced me to names I may never have come across otherwise. It’s exposed me to different cultures, languages, and the stories behind them, which is something I’ve always loved. At the same time, writing this article reminded me that what we see online isn’t always a reflection of everyday life.
Certain names can feel more common simply because we’re exposed to them more often. In the end, though, a name becomes meaningful because of the person who carries it. Whether it’s traditional, modern, Irish, or from somewhere else in the world, it’s the memories, identity, and stories we attach to a name that give it meaning.
Take a moment to think about your own name, and what it means to you
Written by EmilyRose Nulty
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