Laoise: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Laoise is an Irish girl’s name of uncertain origin, possibly a newer form of the old name Luighseach. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Gender
- Girl
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 124 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Laoise?
Laoise is pronounced LEE-sha. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Laoise mean?
Laoise is an Irish girl’s name of uncertain origin. It may be a newer form of Luighseach (Old Irish Luigsech), the feminine of Lughaidh, a name thought to come from the god Lugh; an early Irish saint called Luigsech is recorded in the medieval martyrologies. Others link the name with County Laois, which takes its name from the Loígis, a people said to descend from a chieftain called Lugaid Laígsech.
Laoise is also used as an Irish form of Lucy and Louise. The harper Laoise Kelly, from Westport in County Mayo, is a well-known bearer.
Sources: Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Wikipedia.
How popular is Laoise in Ireland?
In 2025, 38 baby girls in Ireland were named Laoise, which made it No. 124 that year. That's down from No. 106 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2021, when 57 baby girls were named Laoise, No. 96 that year. The most babies got the name in 2013: 67. It first appears in the records in 1971, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | No. 124 |
| 2024 | 48 | No. 98 |
| 2023 | 36 | No. 130 |
| 2022 | 45 | No. 116 |
| 2021 | 57 | No. 96 |
| 2020 | 46 | No. 111 |
| 2019 | 41 | No. 131 |
| 2018 | 40 | No. 138 |
| 2017 | 45 | No. 128 |
| 2016 | 37 | No. 150 |
| 2015 | 58 | No. 106 |
| 2014 | 52 | No. 115 |
| 2013 | 67 | No. 98 |
| 2012 | 66 | No. 97 |
| 2011 | 61 | No. 106 |
| 2010 | 46 | No. 134 |
| 2009 | 40 | No. 156 |
| 2008 | 56 | No. 116 |
| 2007 | 44 | No. 135 |
| 2006 | 51 | No. 112 |
| 2005 | 42 | No. 119 |
| 2004 | 45 | No. 113 |
| 2003 | 52 | No. 99 |
| 2002 | 50 | No. 100 |
| 2001 | 37 | No. 120 |
| 2000 | 43 | No. 101 |
| 1999 | 36 | No. 110 |
| 1998 | 22 | No. 159 |
| 1997 | 36 | No. 137 |
| 1996 | 27 | No. 174 |
| 1995 | 17 | No. 224 |
| 1994 | 13 | No. 255 |
| 1993 | 15 | No. 242 |
| 1992 | 8 | No. 338 |
| 1991 | 4 | No. 457 |
| 1989 | 3 | No. 503 |
| 1988 | 5 | No. 407 |
| 1986 | 3 | No. 521 |
| 1985 | 5 | No. 421 |
| 1984 | 5 | No. 414 |
| 1983 | 6 | No. 401 |
| 1982 | 4 | No. 467 |
| 1981 | 5 | No. 423 |
| 1980 | 4 | No. 483 |
| 1979 | 6 | No. 391 |
| 1978 | 4 | No. 469 |
| 1977 | 4 | No. 468 |
| 1976 | 5 | No. 392 |
| 1975 | 3 | No. 503 |
| 1971 | 3 | No. 466 |
Laoise 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 Laoise, letter by letter.
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- OOnn, gorse
- IIodhadh, yew
- SSail, willow
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Laoise
Questions about Laoise
- How do you pronounce Laoise?
- Laoise is pronounced LEE-sha. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- Is Laoise a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Laoise is a girl's name.
- How popular is Laoise in Ireland?
- In 2025, Laoise was No. 124 for girls in Ireland, with 38 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2021, at No. 96.