Girl's name
Éimear
“EE-mer”
uncertain; possibly 'swift'
The story behind the name
Emer, daughter of Forgall, was the wife of Cú Chulainn — and he won her only by proving himself in the six gifts she demanded: beauty, voice, sweet speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity. She is the standard by which the sagas measure a woman's accomplishment.
Where the name belongs
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