Murphy, Kelly, Byrne, O'Brien, and Walsh were the most common surnames for babies born in Ireland in 2024, the CSO found. Of the 54,060 live births in Ireland in 2024, 20,812 had unique surnames.

This naming convention isn’t as backward as it seems. Choosing surnames as first names for newborns is a growing trend among parents, according to baby name experts. “Many surnames are so well ...