Dechtire: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Dechtire is an Irish girl's name from legend: the mother of the hero Cuchulainn. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Gender
- Girl
How do you pronounce Dechtire?
Dechtire is pronounced DECK-tir-ra. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Dechtire mean?
Dechtire was the sister of Conchubar and the mother of Cuchulainn (read the legend). deich means ten and perhaps she was the tenth child. The fairies, “Sive” in Irish, transformed her into a bird but at times she was able to be a woman again and conceived Cuchulainn with the sun-god Lugh.
How popular is Dechtire in Ireland?
Dechtire is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby girls a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its girls' names table.
Dechtire 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 Dechtire, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- EEadhadh, aspen
- CColl, hazel
- HUath, hawthorn
- TTinne, holly
- IIodhadh, yew
- RRuis, elder
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Dechtire
Questions about Dechtire
- How do you pronounce Dechtire?
- Dechtire is pronounced DECK-tir-ra. Three syllables, stress on the first.
- Is Dechtire a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Dechtire is a girl's name.
- Is Dechtire a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three girls a year are registered as Dechtire in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.