Boy's name

Cormac

“KOR-mak”

possibly 'son of the charioteer' or 'raven's son'; disputed

CormackCharles

The story behind the name

Cormac mac Airt is the legendary wise high king of Tara, to whom a book of maxims is attributed. Cormac mac Cuilennáin, king-bishop of Cashel, died in battle in 908 and left behind Ireland's first known glossary — a dictionary of hard words a thousand years before dictionaries were normal.

Its age Associated with AD 908 — Norse Cities & the Rise of Brian. See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗

Where the name belongs

Meath Tipperary

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Cormac?

Cormac is pronounced “KOR-mak”. 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 Cormac mean?

Cormac means possibly 'son of the charioteer' or 'raven's son'; disputed.

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

Cormac is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How popular is the name Cormac in Ireland?

Cormac was the number 141 boys' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 89 ten years earlier. Its best year was 2005, at number 39. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Cormac spelled?

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

In the register

#141 for boys in 2025 (#89 in 2015) · best: #39 in 2005

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

Related names

Rian Muircheartach Aonghus Ultán Séafra Cronan Cianán

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