Deirdre: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Deirdre is the name of the tragic heroine of an Irish legend, Deirdre of the Sorrows; the meaning of the name is unknown. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Gender
- Girl
How do you pronounce Deirdre?
Deirdre is pronounced DEER-dre. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. It can also be said DARE-dreh.
What does Deirdre mean?
Deirdre comes from Derdriu, the Old Irish name of the tragic heroine of the Ulster Cycle of legends, remembered as Deirdre of the Sorrows. The meaning of the name is unknown, though it may come from the Old Irish word der, “daughter.”
The druid Cathbad foretold that much blood would be shed because of her, and Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, had her raised in seclusion to be his wife. She fell in love with Naoise, and they fled to Scotland with his brothers. Conchobar lured them home under a promise of safe conduct carried by Fergus mac Róich, and Éogan mac Durthacht killed Naoise. A year later, as Conchobar was handing her over to Éogan, she threw herself from the chariot and was killed against a rock.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923).
How popular is Deirdre in Ireland?
Deirdre wasn't in the 2025 tables, which list names given to at least three babies. It was last recorded in 2019, when 3 baby girls got the name. It was most popular in 1966, when 613 baby girls were named Deirdre, No. 7 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 408 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | No. 871 |
| 2014 | 3 | No. 876 |
| 2013 | 4 | No. 747 |
| 2011 | 5 | No. 695 |
| 2010 | 5 | No. 663 |
| 2009 | 8 | No. 488 |
| 2008 | 11 | No. 403 |
| 2007 | 13 | No. 326 |
| 2006 | 17 | No. 247 |
| 2005 | 8 | No. 398 |
| 2004 | 9 | No. 340 |
| 2003 | 15 | No. 233 |
| 2002 | 21 | No. 182 |
| 2001 | 24 | No. 166 |
| 2000 | 16 | No. 213 |
| 1999 | 21 | No. 171 |
| 1998 | 23 | No. 152 |
| 1997 | 60 | No. 88 |
| 1996 | 64 | No. 80 |
| 1995 | 80 | No. 67 |
| 1994 | 90 | No. 61 |
| 1993 | 119 | No. 51 |
| 1992 | 119 | No. 52 |
| 1991 | 145 | No. 42 |
| 1990 | 143 | No. 43 |
| 1989 | 151 | No. 39 |
| 1988 | 191 | No. 32 |
| 1987 | 261 | No. 25 |
| 1986 | 276 | No. 24 |
| 1985 | 305 | No. 23 |
| 1984 | 309 | No. 20 |
| 1983 | 387 | No. 20 |
| 1982 | 463 | No. 15 |
| 1981 | 456 | No. 17 |
| 1980 | 464 | No. 15 |
| 1979 | 498 | No. 8 |
| 1978 | 499 | No. 8 |
| 1977 | 540 | No. 7 |
| 1976 | 483 | No. 9 |
| 1975 | 464 | No. 10 |
| 1974 | 495 | No. 8 |
| 1973 | 529 | No. 7 |
| 1972 | 516 | No. 9 |
| 1971 | 535 | No. 10 |
| 1970 | 514 | No. 9 |
| 1969 | 528 | No. 8 |
| 1968 | 468 | No. 7 |
| 1967 | 504 | No. 9 |
| 1966 | 613 | No. 7 |
| 1965 | 470 | No. 11 |
| 1964 | 408 | No. 14 |
Deirdre 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 Deirdre, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- EEadhadh, aspen
- IIodhadh, yew
- RRuis, elder
- DDair, oak
- RRuis, elder
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Deirdre
Questions about Deirdre
- How do you pronounce Deirdre?
- Deirdre is pronounced DEER-dre, with two syllables and the stress on the first. It can also be said DARE-dreh.
- What does Deirdre mean?
- Deirdre is the name of the tragic heroine of an Irish legend, Deirdre of the Sorrows; the meaning of the name is unknown.
- Is Deirdre a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Deirdre is a girl's name.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA60 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Behind the Name, Wikipedia and Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923). How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com