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 Saoirse mean?
Saoirse is the Irish word for “freedom” or “liberty,” popularised in the 20th century.
Aoife vs Saoirse
Which is more popular?
Saoirse is more popular than Aoife today: about 222 US babies were given the name Saoirse in 2025, compared with 88 named Aoife.
| Aoife | Saoirse | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Radiant, beautiful | Freedom |
| Origin | Irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EE-fuh | SEER-shuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1985 | 1993 |
| Peak year | 2018 (117) | 2020 (373) |
| In 2025 | 88 | 222 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Aoife
Saoirse
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Aoife | Saoirse |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 592 | 1,768 |
| 2010s | 862 | 1,853 |
| 2000s | 503 | 383 |
| 1990s | 201 | 64 |
| 1980s | 23 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Aoife or Saoirse more popular?
Saoirse is more popular than Aoife today: about 222 US babies were given the name Saoirse in 2025, compared with 88 named Aoife.
What is the difference between Aoife and Saoirse?
Aoife means Radiant, beautiful (Irish origin), while Saoirse means Freedom (Irish origin).
Which name is older, Aoife or Saoirse?
In US records, Aoife first appears in 1985 and Saoirse in 1993, so Aoife has the longer recorded history.