Ailis: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Ailis is an Irish girl's name meaning “noble.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Ailís
- Meaning
- Noble
- Gender
- Girl
How do you pronounce Ailis?
Ailis is pronounced AY-lish. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Ailis mean?
Ailis, or Ailís with a fada, is the Irish form of Alice, a name the Anglo-Normans brought to Ireland. Alice comes from the Old French Aalis, a short form of Adelais, from the Germanic Adalheidis, made from adal “noble” and heit “kind, type,” so the name means “noble” or “of noble kind.” Adelaide comes from the same Germanic name.
Patrick Woulfe’s Irish Names and Surnames (1923) records the spellings Ailis, Ailís, Ailíse and Ailse, and Ailish is the anglicized spelling. Ailís is not connected to Elizabeth, “God is my oath”; that is the source of the separate Irish name Eilís. Eilís was sometimes written in English as Alice, which helps explain why the two get mixed up.
Sources: Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923).
How popular is Ailis in Ireland?
Ailis wasn't in the 2025 tables, which list names given to at least three babies. It was last recorded in 2023, when 3 baby girls got the name. It was most popular in 2000, when 8 baby girls were named Ailis, No. 324 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 4 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | No. 856 (Ailís) |
| 2021 | 4 | No. 764 (Ailís) |
| 2019 | 6 | No. 871 (Ailís) |
| 2018 | 5 | No. 629 (Ailís) |
| 2014 | 4 | No. 752 (Ailis) |
| 2013 | 3 | No. 894 (Ailis) |
| 2012 | 3 | No. 907 (Ailis) |
| 2011 | 4 | No. 798 (Ailis) |
| 2008 | 7 | No. 546 (Ailis) |
| 2007 | 3 | No. 842 (Ailis) |
| 2006 | 6 | No. 502 (Ailis) |
| 2005 | 5 | No. 523 (Ailis) |
| 2004 | 5 | No. 511 (Ailis) |
| 2003 | 3 | No. 655 (Ailis) |
| 2002 | 4 | No. 512 (Ailis) |
| 2001 | 5 | No. 441 (Ailis) |
| 2000 | 8 | No. 324 (Ailis) |
| 1999 | 4 | No. 439 (Ailis) |
| 1998 | 3 | No. 498 (Ailis) |
| 1997 | 7 | No. 363 (Ailis) |
| 1996 | 5 | No. 429 (Ailis) |
| 1995 | 7 | No. 352 (Ailis) |
| 1994 | 5 | No. 411 (Ailis) |
| 1993 | 5 | No. 415 (Ailis) |
| 1992 | 3 | No. 523 (Ailis) |
| 1991 | 8 | No. 338 (Ailis) |
| 1990 | 5 | No. 409 (Ailis) |
| 1988 | 3 | No. 492 (Ailis) |
| 1987 | 5 | No. 417 (Ailis) |
| 1986 | 3 | No. 521 (Ailis) |
| 1985 | 4 | No. 456 (Ailis) |
| 1984 | 6 | No. 389 (Ailis) |
| 1983 | 7 | No. 365 (Ailis) |
| 1982 | 7 | No. 369 (Ailis) |
| 1981 | 7 | No. 363 (Ailis) |
| 1980 | 5 | No. 432 (Ailis) |
| 1978 | 3 | No. 522 (Ailis) |
| 1975 | 5 | No. 406 (Ailis) |
| 1973 | 4 | No. 449 (Ailis) |
| 1972 | 4 | No. 428 (Ailis) |
| 1971 | 4 | No. 417 (Ailis) |
| 1970 | 3 | No. 447 (Ailis) |
| 1964 | 4 | No. 327 (Ailis) |
Ailis in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Ailis, letter by letter.
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- LLuis, rowan
- IIodhadh, yew
- SSail, willow
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Ailis
Questions about Ailis
- How do you pronounce Ailis?
- Ailis is pronounced AY-lish. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Ailis mean?
- Ailis means “noble.”
- Is Ailis a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Ailis is a girl's name.
- How do you spell Ailis in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Ailís. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.