Clodagh is an Irish place name taken from the River Clodiagh, used as a given name since the modern era.
Clodagh (pronounced KLOH-dah) is one of Ireland's most authentically Celtic names, drawn directly from the River Clodagh that winds through County Tipperary. Unlike many Irish names borrowed from saints or mythology, Clodagh is a pure toponym — a name born from the landscape itself, carrying the quiet authority of water and stone. The river's name likely derives from old Irish roots relating to the land's character, though its precise etymology remains warmly debated among scholars of Gaelic linguistics.
The name gained cultural currency in the early twentieth century, championed by the Irish Revival movement that sought to reclaim native names against centuries of Anglicization. It was popularized in part by Clodagh Anson, an Irish-born socialite and writer of the 1920s whose memoirs brought the name to wider attention. In Ireland, Clodagh carries an effortless national pride — it signals roots without proclamation.
Today Clodagh enjoys a quiet renaissance both in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora. It sits in that appealing space between rare and recognizable: distinctive enough to prompt curiosity, grounded enough never to feel invented. For parents seeking a name that is genuinely Celtic rather than generically Irish, Clodagh offers something irreplaceable — the sound of a real river, still running.