| Saoirse | Siobhan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Freedom | God is gracious |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SEER-shuh | shiv-AWN |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1993 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2020 (373) | 1980 (282) |
| In 2025 | 222 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Saoirse | Siobhan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,768 | 543 |
| 2010s | 1,853 | 548 |
| 2000s | 383 | 758 |
| 1990s | 64 | 1,334 |
| 1980s | 0 | 2,086 |
| 1970s | 0 | 996 |
| 1960s | 0 | 869 |
| 1950s | 0 | 265 |
Saoirse is the Irish word for “freedom” or “liberty,” popularised in the 20th century.
The Irish form of Jeanne/Joan (Siobhán), a feminine of John, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' A John-root grace name.
Saoirse is more popular than Siobhan today: about 222 US babies were given the name Saoirse in 2025, compared with 0 named Siobhan.
Saoirse means Freedom (Irish origin), while Siobhan means God is gracious (irish origin).
In US records, Saoirse first appears in 1993 and Siobhan in 0, so Siobhan has the longer recorded history.