Pronunciation
Mak-da-ra
Meaning
Son of the oak
Alternate spellings
Mac Dara
Fun fact
Mac means son and dara is connected with dair, the oak tree. There's also a Saint Mac Dara associated with an island off the Connemara coast. So it brings together a tree meaning and a connection with the west of Ireland.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Macdara, 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.
2025 ranking#432Among boy names
Babies named in 20258With this spelling
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 | 8 | #432 |
| 2024 | 5 | #582 |
| 2023 | 6 | #516 |
| 2022 | 12 | #349 |
| 2021 | 5 | #552 |
| 2020 | 9 | #402 |
| 2019 | 5 | #564 |
| 2018 | 5 | #572 |
| 2017 | 4 | #610 |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | 8 | #421 |
| 2014 | 3 | #715 |
| 2013 | 7 | #448 |
| 2012 | 7 | #457 |
| 2011 | 5 | #540 |
| 2010 | 4 | #611 |
| 2009 | 3 | #701 |
| 2008 | 8 | #412 |
| 2007 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2006 | 4 | #493 |
| 2005 | 4 | #448 |
| 2004 | 7 | #322 |
| 2003 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2002 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2001 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2000 | 5 | #312 |
| 1999 | 3 | #379 |
| 1998 | 3 | #369 |
| 1997 | 4 | #337 |
| 1996 | 4 | #336 |
| 1995 | 3 | #334 |
| 1994 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1993 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1992 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1991 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1990 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1989 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1988 | 3 | #319 |
| 1987 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1986 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1985 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1984 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1983 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1982 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1981 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1980 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1979 | 3 | #324 |
| 1978 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1977 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1976 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1975 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1974 | 3 | #321 |
| 1973 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1972 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1971 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1970 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1969 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1968 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1967 | 3 | #265 |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | 4 | #222 |
| 1964 | 5 | #204 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.
