You've seen the postcards. Those impossibly green cliffs and rolling hills that look like they’ve been hit with a saturation filter. It’s the "Emerald Isle." That’s the big one, right? If you’re looking for another name of Ireland, that’s usually where your mind goes first. But honestly, the history of how this island got its nicknames is way messier—and more interesting—than just a marketing slogan for Guinness.
Ireland has been called a lot of things. Hibernia. Banba. Fódla. Eire. Each name carries a different weight, from Roman insults to poetic tributes by 18th-century rebels.
The Birth of the Emerald Isle
Surprisingly, the most famous another name of Ireland wasn't even coined by an Irishman living in Ireland. It comes from a poem called "Erin" written in 1795. The man behind the pen was William Drennan. He was a Belfast-born physician and a radical. He actually co-founded the Society of United Irishmen.
In his poem, he wrote: "Nor over thy steps shall be worthy of Erinn, / Till with zeal for thy liberty’s cause thou be fired; / Oh! then be thy light like the emerald isle."
He wasn't just talking about the grass. For Drennan, "emerald" was a political statement. It was about hope and green being the color of a new, independent identity. It’s kinda wild that a term we now see on cheap souvenir t-shirts started as a revolutionary cry. The greenery is real, though. Ireland stays that vibrant because it rains. A lot. The North Atlantic Drift keeps the temperature mild, and the clouds just dump moisture, creating about forty shades of green.
When the Romans Called it Hibernia
If you look at old Latin texts, you won't find "Ireland." You’ll find Hibernia.
The Romans never actually conquered the island, though they definitely thought about it. To them, it was the "Land of Winter." They saw the misty, cold coastlines from the shores of Britain and basically decided it wasn't worth the hassle of a full-scale invasion. Hibernus is the Latin word for wintry.
Some historians, like those studying the Roman general Agricola, suggest the Romans believed Ireland could be taken with a single legion. They were probably wrong. But the name stuck in academic circles for centuries. Even today, you’ll see "Hibernian" used in the names of football clubs or insurance companies. It’s the "classic" another name of Ireland that makes everything sound a bit more prestigious and ancient.
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The Three Sisters: Banba, Fódla, and Ériu
Before the British or the Romans showed up, the locals had their own vibe. Irish mythology is obsessed with the land being a person—specifically a woman.
According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), when the Milesians (the ancestors of the modern Irish) arrived, they met three goddesses: Banba, Fódla, and Ériu. Each goddess asked that her name be given to the island.
Ériu won the popularity contest in the long run.
- Ériu eventually evolved into Éire in Modern Irish.
- Banba is still used today, mostly in very formal poetry or by "traditionalist" writers who want to sound fancy.
- Fódla is the rarest of the three, but you’ll still spot it in older manuscripts.
When people ask for another name of Ireland, they are often surprised to learn that "Ireland" itself is just a mashup. It’s the goddess name Ériu plus the Germanic word land.
The "Island of Saints and Scholars"
During the Early Middle Ages, while the rest of Europe was basically falling apart after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Ireland was a powerhouse of literacy. This is where the nickname "The Island of Saints and Scholars" comes from.
Monks in places like Skellig Michael or Glendalough were busy copying manuscripts like the Book of Kells. They preserved Latin and Greek texts that might have been lost forever. It’s a bit of a flex, but it’s historically accurate. This another name of Ireland highlights the golden age of Gaelic monasticism. If you go to Trinity College Dublin today, you can see the physical evidence of why this name exists.
Why "The Old Sod" Actually Matters
You’ve probably heard Irish-Americans or the diaspora refer to Ireland as "The Old Sod."
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It sounds a bit derogatory if you don't know the context, but it’s actually deeply sentimental. It refers to the literal turf or soil of the homeland. During the Great Famine in the 1840s, millions of people fled. They took "a piece of the old sod" with them—sometimes literally. There are stories of emigrants carrying dried peat or a bit of earth in their pockets as they boarded ships for New York or Boston.
This nickname is less about geography and more about the emotional connection to the land. It’s a name born out of longing and displacement.
The Mystery of "Scotia"
This is a weird one that confuses everyone. For a long time in the Middle Ages, Ireland was actually called Scotia.
Wait, what?
Yeah. The people living in Ireland were called Scoti. Eventually, some of these people migrated to the north of Great Britain (Caledonia). They took the name with them, and that place eventually became Scotland. For a few centuries, maps were a nightmare because you had "Scotia Major" (Ireland) and "Scotia Minor" (Scotland). Eventually, the Scots kept the name, and the Irish moved back toward variations of Éire.
Putting the Names into Practice
If you’re traveling to Ireland or writing about it, knowing which another name of Ireland to use depends entirely on the "vibe" you want to project.
- Use Éire when you are being official. It is the name of the state according to the Constitution of 1937. It’s what you’ll see on the coins (the Euro) and stamps.
- Use the Emerald Isle for tourism, romance, or when describing the scenery. Just know that locals might roll their eyes a tiny bit if you overdo it.
- Use Hibernia if you’re looking for a historical or "Latinate" feel, especially in a formal or academic context.
- Use Erin if you’re feeling poetic. It’s the Hiberno-English derivative of Éire and shows up in a million folk songs.
The Political Side of the Name
Names are rarely just names in Ireland. They are heavy with politics.
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For instance, some people will strictly refer to the Republic of Ireland as "The Twenty-Six Counties" to highlight the fact that the island is partitioned. Conversely, others might use "The South" or "The Free State," though "Free State" is pretty dated now and mostly used by older generations or in a derogatory way to complain about the government in Dublin.
Calling the island "The North" or "The South" is technically a misnomer anyway. If you look at a map, the most northerly point in Ireland (Malin Head) is actually in the Republic, not in Northern Ireland. Geography is funny like that.
Myths People Still Believe
One big misconception is that the "Emerald Isle" refers to the literal gemstones found in the ground. Ireland doesn't really have emerald mines. It’s 100% about the vegetation.
Another myth is that "Ireland" is an English word meant to erase the Gaelic past. As we discussed, it’s actually a linguistic hybrid. It respects the goddess Ériu while adopting the standard naming convention for a country.
Understanding another name of Ireland gives you a shortcut into the soul of the place. It’s a country that has been reinvented by its poets, its invaders, its saints, and its refugees. Whether you call it the Land of Saints and Scholars or just The Rock in the Atlantic, each name tells a slice of a 2,000-year-old story.
To really get a feel for these names, you have to look beyond the surface. Don't just settle for the "Emerald Isle" branding. Look into the Celtic roots of Banba or the Latin history of Hibernia. If you're planning a trip, try to visit the sites associated with these names. Go to the Hill of Tara, where the High Kings—and the goddesses they represented—were said to rule. Or visit the monasteries where the "Scholars" actually did their work.
The names aren't just labels. They are layers of history you can still walk on today.
Next Steps for Your Research:
- Check out the Book of Invasions (Lebor Gabála Érenn) if you want the full, trippy mythological backstory of the goddess names.
- Look up William Drennan's original poetry to see how the "Emerald" nickname was actually a call for social justice.
- Visit the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin to see the artifacts from the "Saints and Scholars" era, which clarifies why that nickname was so deserved.
- Examine a 16th-century map of Europe to see how "Hibernia" and "Scotia" shifted positions over time.