The name Róisín, pronounced "roh-SHEEN," is an Irish female name that means "little (or blooming) rose." In English, it is translated as Rosaleen. It has its earliest roots in the Latin name Rosa and has been used in Ireland since at least the 1500s. The name became especially popular once it became used in the 19th Century Irish nationalist poem Róisín Dubh, or "Dark Rosaleen." In modern times, it is usually in the top 25 most popular names for newborn Irish girls each year.
Some notable women named Róisín include:
A Róisín ná bíodh brón ort fár éirigh dhuit-
tá na bráithre ag dul ar sáile is iad ag triall ar muir,
tiocfaigh do phardún óa bPápa is ón Róimh anoir
is ní spáráilfear fíon Spáinneach ar mo Róisín Dubh.
Read the full poem, which is often sung, in Irish and English here.
