Girl's name

Banba

“BAN-uh-va”

one of the three names of Ireland; the derivation is not settled

Banbha

The story behind the name

Sister of Ériu and Fódla, and the first of the three to meet the Milesians. Each of the three asked that the island be named for her and each was promised it would; Ériu's name won out, and Banba survives as a poetic name for Ireland in verse.

Where the name belongs

Westmeath

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Banba?

Banba is pronounced “BAN-uh-va”. 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 Banba mean?

Banba means one of the three names of Ireland; the derivation is not settled.

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

Banba is traditionally a girl's name in Ireland.

How else is Banba spelled?

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

Related names

Fionnuala Ériu Fódla

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