Girl's name
Ériu
“AIR-oo”
the name Ireland itself comes from, with Old Norse or Old English 'land' added to it
The story behind the name
Daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the matron goddess of the island. She met the invading Milesians at Uisneach and was promised the country would keep her name forever. It has: Éire is the state's name in its own language, and England's word for it is hers with a Germanic word for land stuck on the end.
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