Saoirse
Say it: SEER-sha/ˈsˠiːɾʲʃə/
GirlIrishMeans freedom7 letters2 syllables
#17
in Ireland (2025)
#16 with spellings combined
185
babies in 2025
#12
best rank (2016)
6,999
babies since 1971
Up 2
10-year rank change
Saoirse through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #16 |
| 2024 | 172 | #22 |
| 2023 | 157 | #28 |
| 2022 | 215 | #18 |
| 2021 | 193 | #23 |
| 2020 | 214 | #20 |
| 2019 | 205 | #23 |
| 2018 | 230 | #19 |
| 2017 | 281 | #15 |
| 2016 | 324 | #12 |
| 2015 | 282 | #18 |
| 2014 | 263 | #23 |
| 2013 | 264 | #22 |
| 2012 | 317 | #17 |
| 2011 | 339 | #19 |
| 2010 | 355 | #18 |
| 2009 | 275 | #25 |
| 2008 | 279 | #24 |
| 2007 | 247 | #26 |
| 2006 | 217 | #29 |
| 2005 | 186 | #36 |
| 2004 | 176 | #35 |
| 2003 | 172 | #36 |
| 2002 | 181 | #31 |
| 2001 | 192 | #28 |
| 2000 | 176 | #30 |
| 1999 | 160 | #31 |
| 1998 | 117 | #37 |
| 1997 | 142 | #44 |
| 1996 | 113 | #51 |
| 1995 | 67 | #80 |
| 1994 | 70 | #83 |
| 1993 | 41 | #129 |
| 1992 | 30 | #164 |
| 1991 | 34 | #147 |
| 1990 | 24 | #192 |
| 1989 | 6 | #377 |
| 1988 | 10 | #304 |
| 1987 | 8 | #348 |
| 1986 | 10 | #305 |
| 1985 | 9 | #325 |
| 1984 | 10 | #308 |
| 1983 | 6 | #401 |
| 1982 | 7 | #369 |
| 1981 | 6 | #386 |
| 1980 | 4 | #483 |
| 1979 | 3 | #523 |
| 1977 | 5 | #429 |
| 1974 | 6 | #374 |
| 1973 | 5 | #402 |
| 1972 | 5 | #389 |
| 1971 | 4 | #417 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Saoirse mean?
Freedom
Irish, from the everyday word saoirse (freedom), built on saor (free).
Say it right
SEERsha
In Irish, "ao" sounds like "ee", and the slender "rs" softens towards "sh".
Not:SAY-or-seeSAIR-see
The story of Saoirse
Saoirse is simply the Irish word for freedom, from saor, meaning free. Unlike most traditional Irish names it has no saint or hero behind it. It is a word that parents turned into a name during the twentieth century, when Irish-language words with a strong meaning became a popular choice.
It first appears in the CSO records in 1971, given to just four baby girls. It climbed steadily through the 1990s and peaked in 2010 with 355 babies. Its best year for rank was 2016, when it reached number 12.
Outside Ireland the name is known mostly through the actor Saoirse Ronan, which is why so many people abroad first meet it in writing and are unsure how to say it.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: saoirse (Irish noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Saoirse | 176 | 6,971 |
| Saoírse | 9 | 28 |
In Northern Ireland
#44 in 2025 with 41 babies. Best rank #37 (2023); 838 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.