Saoirse: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Saoirse is an Irish girl's name meaning “freedom, liberty.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Freedom, liberty
- Gender
- Girl
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 17 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Saoirse?
Saoirse is pronounced SEAR-sha. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Saoirse mean?
Irish word saoirse “freedom, liberty”. It has only been used since the 1920s and has strong patriotic overtones. It has become a very popular baby girl name in Ireland in recent years.
How popular is Saoirse in Ireland?
In 2025, 176 baby girls in Ireland were named Saoirse, which made it No. 17 that year. Another 9 were registered as Saoírse. It was most popular in 2016, when 324 baby girls were named Saoirse, No. 12 that year. The most babies got the name in 2010: 355. It first appears in the records in 1971, with 4 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | No. 17 (Saoirse) |
| 2024 | 172 | No. 24 (Saoirse) |
| 2023 | 157 | No. 27 (Saoirse) |
| 2022 | 215 | No. 18 (Saoirse) |
| 2021 | 193 | No. 23 (Saoirse) |
| 2020 | 214 | No. 20 (Saoirse) |
| 2019 | 205 | No. 23 (Saoirse) |
| 2018 | 230 | No. 20 (Saoirse) |
| 2017 | 281 | No. 15 (Saoirse) |
| 2016 | 324 | No. 12 (Saoirse) |
| 2015 | 282 | No. 18 (Saoirse) |
| 2014 | 263 | No. 23 (Saoirse) |
| 2013 | 264 | No. 22 (Saoirse) |
| 2012 | 317 | No. 17 (Saoirse) |
| 2011 | 339 | No. 19 (Saoirse) |
| 2010 | 355 | No. 18 (Saoirse) |
| 2009 | 275 | No. 25 (Saoirse) |
| 2008 | 279 | No. 24 (Saoirse) |
| 2007 | 247 | No. 26 (Saoirse) |
| 2006 | 217 | No. 29 (Saoirse) |
| 2005 | 186 | No. 36 (Saoirse) |
| 2004 | 176 | No. 35 (Saoirse) |
| 2003 | 172 | No. 36 (Saoirse) |
| 2002 | 181 | No. 31 (Saoirse) |
| 2001 | 192 | No. 28 (Saoirse) |
| 2000 | 176 | No. 30 (Saoirse) |
| 1999 | 160 | No. 31 (Saoirse) |
| 1998 | 117 | No. 37 (Saoirse) |
| 1997 | 142 | No. 44 (Saoirse) |
| 1996 | 113 | No. 51 (Saoirse) |
| 1995 | 67 | No. 80 (Saoirse) |
| 1994 | 70 | No. 83 (Saoirse) |
| 1993 | 41 | No. 129 (Saoirse) |
| 1992 | 30 | No. 164 (Saoirse) |
| 1991 | 34 | No. 147 (Saoirse) |
| 1990 | 24 | No. 192 (Saoirse) |
| 1989 | 6 | No. 377 (Saoirse) |
| 1988 | 10 | No. 304 (Saoirse) |
| 1987 | 8 | No. 348 (Saoirse) |
| 1986 | 10 | No. 305 (Saoirse) |
| 1985 | 9 | No. 325 (Saoirse) |
| 1984 | 10 | No. 308 (Saoirse) |
| 1983 | 6 | No. 401 (Saoirse) |
| 1982 | 7 | No. 369 (Saoirse) |
| 1981 | 6 | No. 386 (Saoirse) |
| 1980 | 4 | No. 483 (Saoirse) |
| 1979 | 3 | No. 523 (Saoirse) |
| 1977 | 5 | No. 429 (Saoirse) |
| 1974 | 6 | No. 374 (Saoirse) |
| 1973 | 5 | No. 402 (Saoirse) |
| 1972 | 5 | No. 389 (Saoirse) |
| 1971 | 4 | No. 417 (Saoirse) |
Saoirse 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 Saoirse, letter by letter.
- SSail, willow
- AAilm, pine
- OOnn, gorse
- IIodhadh, yew
- RRuis, elder
- SSail, willow
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Saoirse
Questions about Saoirse
- How do you pronounce Saoirse?
- Saoirse is pronounced SEAR-sha. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Saoirse mean?
- Saoirse means “freedom, liberty.”
- Is Saoirse a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Saoirse is a girl's name.
- How popular is Saoirse in Ireland?
- In 2025, Saoirse was No. 17 for girls in Ireland, with 176 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2016, at No. 12.