OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Celtic Mythology Name Generator
Irish and Welsh Style Gods, Sidhe, Druids and Heroes of Legend
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How the Celtic Mythology Name Generator works
A Celtic mythology name generator for gods and goddesses, the sidhe of the hollow hills, druids and heroes of legend. Choose Irish or Welsh and the names follow that tradition, with patronymics like mac and ap, tribes like the Tuatha De, and the epithets the old tales hang on their heroes.
How the Celtic mythology name generator works
Irish and Welsh are related but distinct, and so are their myths. Irish legend runs through the Book of Invasions and the Ulster and Fenian cycles, with the Tuatha De and the Fomorians; Welsh legend lives in the Mabinogion, with the children of Don and of Llyr. The generator keeps separate name tables for each. Irish names use sounds like -ach, -an and bh, Welsh names use -wen, -ydd and dd. Patronymics follow each language: mac and ni in Irish, ap and ferch in Welsh.
Kinds of figure
Gods are given a domain or a tribe. The sidhe, the people of the fairy mounds, are given a hill, since each sidhe was tied to one mound. Druids get a grove, the nemeton where they taught and judged. Heroes get an epithet or a lineage, the way Cu Chulainn is "the Hound" and Nuada "Silver-Hand". Epithets are shared between the traditions because the same kinds of hero appear in both.
Using the names
For a whole otherworld court, set the kind to Sidhe and generate twenty, then assign each hill to a region of your map. For a druid circle, the Druid option names both the person and the grove. If you want spellings that are easier for readers, many of these names have anglicised forms, but the generator keeps Gaelic and Welsh spellings for flavour.
For modern Celtic given names without the mythic dressing, see the Celtic name page.
FAQ
What is the difference between Irish and Welsh mythology names?
They come from different languages and story cycles. Irish names such as Eithne or Fiachra draw on Old Irish and the Ulster and Fenian tales. Welsh names such as Branwen or Gwydion draw on Middle Welsh and the Mabinogion. The generator keeps them separate so a setting stays consistent.
Who were the sidhe?
The sidhe, or aos si, are the people of the fairy mounds in Irish legend, often identified with the Tuatha De after they withdrew underground. Each lived in a particular hill or barrow. They are beautiful, dangerous and bound by strict rules of hospitality and bargain.
What do mac, ni and ap mean?
They are patronymics. Mac means son of and ni or inghean daughter of in Irish; ap means son of and ferch daughter of in Welsh. A hero named Lorcan mac Fergal is Lorcan, son of Fergal, which is how most figures in the tales are introduced.
How do I pronounce the Irish names?
Irish spelling looks unusual to English readers. Sadbh sounds like "sive", Caoimhe like "kee-va", Niamhan like "neev-an", Tadhg like "tige". If readers matter more than accuracy, you can use an anglicised spelling alongside the original.
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