Eithne is a female personal name of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

origin, meaning "kernel" or "grain". Other spellings and earlier forms include Ethnea, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Eithene, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Ena, Edna, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, Edlend, Edlenn. The name is popular in Ireland, and is borne by a variety of historical and legendary figures.

Ancient

* Ethniu, daughter of Balor and mother of Lug in Irish mythology *

Eithne and Sodelb Eithne and her sister Sodelb are two relatively obscure Irish saints from Leinster who are supposed to have flourished in the 5th century. They are commemorated together in the Irish martyrologies on 29 March, though 2 and 15 January were also mar ...

, Leinster saints * Eithne, daughter of the king of Alba, wife of the High King

Fiacha Finnfolaidh Fiacha (earlier Fíachu) is a name borne by numerous figures from Irish history and mythology, including: * Fiacha Cennfinnán, High King of Ireland in the 16th or 20th century BC * Fiacha mac Delbaíth, High King in the 14th or 18th century BC * ...

and mother of Tuathal Teachtmhar * Eithne, the mother of

Saint Columba Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is tod ...

Eithne Tháebfhota Eithne Tháebfhota ("of the Long Side") was one of the daughters of the king Cathaír Mór. According to the Irish mythology, she was described as the queen of two kings of different generations. Queen of Ireland In most Old Irish writing, she ...

, third wife of

Conn Cétchathach Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irel ...

Modern

Eithne Coyle Eithne Coyle (1897–1985; ga, Eithne Ni Cumhaill) was an Irish republican activist. She was a leading figure within Cumann na mBan and a member of the Gaelic League.Cal McCarthy, ''Cumann na mBan and the Irish Revolution'', The Collins Press ...

, Irish republican activist *

Eithne Farry Eithne Farry is the former literary editor of ELLE. She is the author of "Yeah, I Made it Myself". She was a backing singer with Talulah Gosh and has reviewed a book for ''Marie Claire''. Works * ''Yeah, I Made it Myself: DIY Fashion for the No ...

, former literary editor of ''Elle'' * Eithne Fitzgerald, Irish economist and former Labour Party politician * Eithne Hannigan, Irish musician and actress who played one of five Dots in the children's TV show ''Playbus'' (later ''

Playdays ''Playdays'' (known as ''Playbus'' until December 1989) is a British pre-school television programme which ran from 1988 to 1997 on CBBC. The show was the successor to ''Play School'' and, like its predecessor, was designed as an educational p ...

'') *

Eithne Ní Uallacháin Eithne Ní Uallacháin (; 1 January 1957 – 19 May 1999) was an Irish singer, songwriter, and former teacher

, singer and musician * Eithne Walls, a physician and former dancer, who danced with the popular

Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions ...

group on Broadway, died in the

Air France Flight 447 Air France Flight 447 (AF447 or AFR447) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. On 1 June 2009, inconsistent airspeed indications led to the pilots inadvertently stalling the Airbus A330 se ...

crash on 1 June 2009 * Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (

Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...

), musician * LÉ ''Eithne'', a ship in the Irish Naval Service

References

{{Given name, , nocat Irish-language feminine given names

Ancient

Modern

See also

References