Type Island
Usage Irish

Meaning & History

From the name of the stone on the Hill of Tara where Irish high kings were crowned, called the "stone of destiny", the Lia Fáil. This is from Irish lia meaning "stone" and probably fál (genitive fáil) meaning "enclosure, fence" and figuratively "king, chief".

According to legend, this stone would roar when the legimate king set his feet upon it. Later the term was used in the compound Inis Fáil (from inis meaning "island") referring to the island of Ireland, and thus Fál has come to be used as a poetic name for Ireland.

Related Names

Given Name DescendantsDearbháil, Dearbhla, Derval, Dervila, Dervla(Irish)
Entry added January 21, 2022