Pronunciation
Fer-gul
Meaning
Man of valour
Alternate spellings
Fergal; Farrell
Fun fact
Fearghal appears in the history of Irish families including the O'Neills, O'Rourkes and MacDonnells. Fergal is an anglicised spelling you're more likely to recognise. So it's the same name with a simpler spelling.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Fearghal, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Less than 3Babies registered in 2025; no ranking shown
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | 3 | #785 |
| 2023 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2022 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2021 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2018 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2013 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2012 | 3 | #718 |
| 2011 | 3 | #730 |
| 2010 | 5 | #542 |
| 2009 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2008 | 5 | #529 |
| 2007 | 3 | #629 |
| 2006 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2005 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2004 | 7 | #322 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
| 2002 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2001 | 6 | #297 |
| 2000 | 6 | #274 |
| 1999 | 3 | #379 |
| 1998 | 6 | #242 |
| 1997 | 7 | #261 |
| 1996 | 8 | #251 |
| 1995 | 12 | #198 |
| 1994 | 9 | #208 |
| 1993 | 6 | #255 |
| 1992 | 10 | #202 |
| 1991 | 12 | #186 |
| 1990 | 8 | #216 |
| 1989 | 9 | #199 |
| 1988 | 11 | #186 |
| 1987 | 11 | #190 |
| 1986 | 19 | #153 |
| 1985 | 6 | #234 |
| 1984 | 9 | #205 |
| 1983 | 8 | #214 |
| 1982 | 8 | #223 |
| 1981 | 9 | #217 |
| 1980 | 8 | #232 |
| 1979 | 11 | #203 |
| 1978 | 10 | #205 |
| 1977 | 7 | #234 |
| 1976 | 3 | #316 |
| 1975 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1974 | 10 | #208 |
| 1973 | 6 | #254 |
| 1972 | 8 | #219 |
| 1971 | 5 | #257 |
| 1970 | 7 | #219 |
| 1969 | 4 | #270 |
| 1968 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1967 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | 3 | #232 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.