Aoife
Say it: EE-fa/ˈiːfʲə/
GirlIrishMythologyMeans possibly "beauty, radiance"5 letters2 syllables
#34
in Ireland (2025)
#35 with spellings combined
121
babies in 2025
#1
best rank (2000)
22,063
babies since 1964
Down 22
10-year rank change
Aoife through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #35 |
| 2024 | 107 | #46 |
| 2023 | 148 | #31 |
| 2022 | 158 | #31 |
| 2021 | 159 | #33 |
| 2020 | 179 | #24 |
| 2019 | 229 | #16 |
| 2018 | 240 | #17 |
| 2017 | 256 | #17 |
| 2016 | 300 | #15 |
| 2015 | 321 | #13 |
| 2014 | 364 | #10 |
| 2013 | 424 | #6 |
| 2012 | 426 | #11 |
| 2011 | 399 | #13 |
| 2010 | 425 | #10 |
| 2009 | 459 | #9 |
| 2008 | 518 | #8 |
| 2007 | 527 | #7 |
| 2006 | 546 | #4 |
| 2005 | 492 | #5 |
| 2004 | 534 | #5 |
| 2003 | 571 | #3 |
| 2002 | 585 | #2 |
| 2001 | 601 | #2 |
| 2000 | 633 | #1 |
| 1999 | 612 | #2 |
| 1998 | 529 | #4 |
| 1997 | 727 | #2 |
| 1996 | 584 | #5 |
| 1995 | 621 | #3 |
| 1994 | 524 | #6 |
| 1993 | 575 | #5 |
| 1992 | 570 | #4 |
| 1991 | 576 | #4 |
| 1990 | 529 | #7 |
| 1989 | 437 | #10 |
| 1988 | 471 | #10 |
| 1987 | 492 | #9 |
| 1986 | 465 | #12 |
| 1985 | 526 | #9 |
| 1984 | 420 | #16 |
| 1983 | 489 | #10 |
| 1982 | 466 | #14 |
| 1981 | 471 | #15 |
| 1980 | 344 | #28 |
| 1979 | 379 | #21 |
| 1978 | 290 | #31 |
| 1977 | 252 | #36 |
| 1976 | 186 | #46 |
| 1975 | 157 | #56 |
| 1974 | 162 | #58 |
| 1973 | 137 | #67 |
| 1972 | 104 | #80 |
| 1971 | 58 | #122 |
| 1970 | 53 | #123 |
| 1969 | 44 | #136 |
| 1968 | 23 | #181 |
| 1967 | 18 | #189 |
| 1966 | 17 | #189 |
| 1965 | 20 | #175 |
| 1964 | 13 | #206 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Aoife mean?
Possibly "beauty, radiance"
Irish, from Old Irish Aífe, possibly linked with aoibh (beauty, radiance).
Say it right
EEfa
"Aoi" sounds like "ee". It is not related to Eva, though it was often written as Eva in English.
Not:AY-oh-feeOY-fa
The story of Aoife
Aoife comes from the Old Irish name Aífe. It is often linked with aoibh, meaning beauty or radiance, but that link is not certain. It has nothing to do with Eve, even though Aoife was often turned into Eva in English records.
Several women of Irish legend carry the name. One Aífe is a warrior woman of the Ulster Cycle, a rival of Cúchulainn and the mother of his son. Another is the jealous stepmother in the story of the Children of Lir, who turns them into swans. In history, Aoife MacMurrough, daughter of a king of Leinster, married the Norman lord Strongbow.
Aoife is one of the defining Irish names of recent decades. It was number 1 in 2000, and its busiest year was 1997, with 727 babies. It has eased back in the Republic since, but it is still a top-ten name in Northern Ireland, where it ranked 4th in 2024.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Aoife (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Aoife
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Aoife | 121 | 22,063 |
In Northern Ireland
#8 in 2025 with 85 babies. Best rank #4 (2024); 3,731 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.