What does Aoife mean?
Aoife comes from the Irish for “radiant” or “beautiful,” and is borne by a great warrior of Irish legend.
What does Deirdre mean?
Deirdre is usually read “sorrowful”; she is a tragic heroine of Irish legend.
Aoife vs Deirdre
Which is more popular?
Aoife is more popular than Deirdre today: about 88 US babies were given the name Aoife in 2025, compared with 13 named Deirdre.
| Aoife | Deirdre | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Radiant, beautiful | Sorrowful |
| Origin | Irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EE-fuh | DEER-druh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1985 | 1921 |
| Peak year | 2018 (117) | 1961 (799) |
| In 2025 | 88 | 13 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Aoife
Deirdre
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Aoife | Deirdre |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 592 | 85 |
| 2010s | 862 | 206 |
| 2000s | 503 | 544 |
| 1990s | 201 | 1,206 |
| 1980s | 23 | 2,049 |
| 1970s | 0 | 3,123 |
| 1960s | 0 | 6,321 |
| 1950s | 0 | 2,274 |
| 1940s | 0 | 822 |
| 1930s | 0 | 167 |
| 1920s | 0 | 48 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Aoife or Deirdre more popular?
Aoife is more popular than Deirdre today: about 88 US babies were given the name Aoife in 2025, compared with 13 named Deirdre.
What is the difference between Aoife and Deirdre?
Aoife means Radiant, beautiful (Irish origin), while Deirdre means Sorrowful (Irish origin).
Which name is older, Aoife or Deirdre?
In US records, Aoife first appears in 1985 and Deirdre in 1921, so Deirdre has the longer recorded history.