what did the romans call the irish

The Romans most commonly called the Irish Hiberni , and they called Ireland Hibernia.

Quick Scoop

• Hibernia was the Roman Latin name for Ireland.

• Hiberni was the name used for the people of Ireland.

• Ancient writers also used related forms like Ierne , Iouernia , and Iberio/Hiberio.

Why that name

The name is usually linked to an old Celtic root, though Roman writers also associated it with Latin hibernus (“wintry”), which made the name feel like “winter land” to them.

Small nuance

Some modern sources simplify this as “the Romans called the Irish Hibernia,” but strictly speaking that was the island’s name, while Hiberni was the people’s name.