Compiled by Jennifer Clark

Betty Williams

What’s in a name?

Irish names have gained popularity in the United States. Here are the top ten names with Irish roots for boys and girls.

Boys:

Ryan: Anglicization of the Irish surname Ó Ríain, meaning "descendent of the little king."

Brandon: Anglicization of Breanainn, which possibly means "sword.” Also an English surname meaning “hill top.”

Logan: From the Irish surname O’Loughan; this is often mistranslated to mean “duck,” but is actually from the Gaelic word “lacha.”

Austin: Anglicization of the name Aghaistín, the Irish form of Augustine, a Latin name meaning “great” or “magnificent.”

Kevin: Anglicization of the Irish name Caoimhín, meaning “beautiful birth.”

Connor: Modern form of the Irish name Conchobhar, meaning “dog lover.” It is usually spelled Conor in Ireland.

Kyle: Anglicization of the Irish word “coil” meaning “woods.” It is more commonly used in Scotland, where it is from a place name meaning "narrow.”

Aidan: Anglicization of Aodhán, meaning “little fire.”

Brian: Anglicization of the Irish name Brion, meaning “noble.”

Sean: Irish form of John, which means “gift from God.”

Girls:

Brianna: Modern feminine form of Brian, an Anglicization of the Irish name Brion, meaning “noble.”

Kayla: Even though it’s probably a modern creation, it is similar to the Irish male name Cadhla, meaning “slender.”

Anna: Typically considered a Latin name, but Ana is also an ancient Celtic goddess known as the “Wealth Provider.”

Megan: Though technically not a Celtic name (it’s a Welsh pet form of Margaret), it’s similar to the Irish surname O’Meegan, meaning “descendent of the brave warrior.”

Kaitlyn: American form of the Irish Caitlín (Irish version of Catherine).

Makayla: Another modern creation possibly stemming from the Irish man’s name “Cadhla,” meaning “slender.”

Kaylee: This name is a modern invention based on the names Kay and Lee, but it also sounds like “céilí,” the Irish word for a gathering.

Kylie: Usually considered an Australian Aboriginal name meaning “boomerang,” but like the name Kayla, it’s also a form of Kiley, an Anglicization of the Irish name Cadhla, meaning “slender.”

Riley: Riley is an English surname meaning “rye field” or an Anglicization of the Irish surname O’Reilly, or Ó Raghaillaigh, meaning from “descendent of Raghaillaigh,” an Irish chieftan.

Erin: A poetic name for Ireland. The name is not usually used in Ireland, but it’s recently gained in popularity in the North.

 Nobel Prize laureate speaks at MU

Betty Williams, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, spoke with students at the University of Missouri about her efforts to end the violence in Northern Ireland.

In 1976, Williams witnessed the deaths of three children in Belfast, where she lived during the Troubles, a period of violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The children had been riding in a car driven by a member of the Irish Republican Army who was fatally shot by the British Army. The car careened out of control, killing the children inside.

After witnessing the deaths, Williams spent the night collecting 6,000 signatures for a petition calling for the end of violence in Northern Ireland.

Williams held a peace rally a few days later. After that success, Williams founded the Community of Peace People in Ireland, which worked for an end to the violence. She continues to work for peace, serving as a chairwoman of several foundations.

Williams was able to come to MU’s campus through collaboration with William Woods University and PeaceJam, an organization founded by 12 Nobel Peace Prize laureates to help promote peace work among young people.

As a result of her work with the Community of Peace People and her other efforts to end the violence in Ireland, Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

Victims of the Hunger monument

Throughout the United States, members of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians come together to remember the Great Irish Hunger, the famine period that killed as many as one million people in Ireland from 1845 to 1852.

The New Jersey members of the Order held a Mass of Remembrance at the Church of St. Ann in Keansburg. As%2