Síofra
Say it: SHEE-fra/ˈʃiːfˠɾˠə/
GirlIrishMeans elf or changeling6 letters2 syllables
#110
in Ireland (2025)
#111 with spellings combined
42
babies in 2025
#96
best rank (2023)
1,116
babies since 1972
Up 111
10-year rank change
Síofra through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | #111 |
| 2024 | 48 | #97 |
| 2023 | 53 | #96 |
| 2022 | 33 | #156 |
| 2021 | 25 | #192 |
| 2020 | 33 | #152 |
| 2019 | 38 | #143 |
| 2018 | 44 | #130 |
| 2017 | 32 | #165 |
| 2016 | 33 | #166 |
| 2015 | 23 | #222 |
| 2014 | 47 | #127 |
| 2013 | 30 | #193 |
| 2012 | 38 | #151 |
| 2011 | 55 | #116 |
| 2010 | 44 | #139 |
| 2009 | 41 | #150 |
| 2008 | 43 | #141 |
| 2007 | 49 | #121 |
| 2006 | 32 | #159 |
| 2005 | 29 | #155 |
| 2004 | 35 | #133 |
| 2003 | 29 | #150 |
| 2002 | 18 | #208 |
| 2001 | 28 | #147 |
| 2000 | 15 | #227 |
| 1999 | 18 | #194 |
| 1998 | 7 | #319 |
| 1997 | 20 | #219 |
| 1996 | 18 | #216 |
| 1995 | 16 | #232 |
| 1994 | 6 | #374 |
| 1993 | 15 | #242 |
| 1992 | 9 | #323 |
| 1991 | 6 | #393 |
| 1990 | 8 | #336 |
| 1989 | 6 | #377 |
| 1988 | 7 | #359 |
| 1986 | 6 | #388 |
| 1985 | 5 | #421 |
| 1984 | 5 | #414 |
| 1982 | 3 | #523 |
| 1981 | 3 | #533 |
| 1980 | 4 | #483 |
| 1978 | 3 | #522 |
| 1977 | 3 | #518 |
| 1974 | 5 | #393 |
| 1973 | 3 | #508 |
| 1972 | 3 | #471 |
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 Síofra mean?
Elf or changeling
Irish, from the word síofra (an elf, sprite or changeling).
Say it right
SHEEfra
The "s" is said "sh" because of the "í" after it, and the "o" is not sounded.
Not:SEE-oh-frasee-OH-fra
The story of Síofra
Síofra is an Irish word before it is a name. In folklore a síofra is an elf or sprite, and especially a changeling, the fairy child said to be left in the cradle when a human baby was taken. The word can also describe a precocious child, and sometimes a weakling. Where the word itself comes from is not clear.
Like Saoirse, it is an everyday Irish word that parents turned into a girls’ name, rather than a name handed down from saints or old stories.
Síofra first reached three or more girls in a year in 1972 and grew slowly through the 1990s and 2000s. The CSO recorded no fadas before 2018, so older figures all appear as Siofra, and since then nearly every family has used the fada. The combined figures peaked in 2011 with 55 girls. Its best rank came later, at number 96 in 2023.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: síofra (Irish noun)
- Wikipedia: Síofra (given name)
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Síofra | 42 | 313 |
| Siofra | under 3 | 803 |
In Northern Ireland
#205 in 2025 with 8 babies. Best rank #134 (2024); 166 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.