The Lilliput Press is delighted to be once again making available this quintessential guide to Irish names, a scholarly and authoritative classic now in its sixth reprinting. Listing almost a thousand names selected from the enormous wealth of historical sources – annals, genealogies, myth, legend and epic poetry – that make up the literature of early medieval Ireland, this is not only a book for parents-to-be, but also an important record of Irish history and culture. Of the extraordinary variety of names available to the early Irish – some twelve thousand are recorded – only a handful are in current use. This indispensible work of reference explains the background and meaning of these names, providing a fascinating insight into the society in which they had their origin.