Boy's name

Amhlaoibh

“OW-leev (Munster OW-lee)”

IPA: /ˈəulˠiːvʲ/

from Norse Óláfr, 'ancestral relic'

AuliffeOlaveHumphrey

Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The story behind the name

A Viking name the Irish adopted. Woulfe says it first appears in the annals in 851 and was still common in West Munster in his day, though, as he put it, 'absurdly anglicised Humphrey'.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Amhlaoibh?

Amhlaoibh is pronounced “OW-leev (Munster OW-lee)” (IPA: ˈəulˠiːvʲ). Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Amhlaoibh mean?

Amhlaoibh means from Norse Óláfr, 'ancestral relic'.

Is Amhlaoibh a boy's or a girl's name?

Amhlaoibh is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How else is Amhlaoibh spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Auliffe, Olave, Humphrey. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z