Siofra: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Siofra is an Irish girl's name meaning “elf, sprite.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Síofra
- Meaning
- Elf, sprite
- Gender
- Girl
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 110 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Siofra?
Siofra is pronounced SHEE-fra. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Siofra mean?
Síofra comes from the Irish word síofra, meaning “elf” or “sprite.” The word is related to sí, the fairy mounds of Irish tradition, and it can also mean a changeling, the fairy child that folklore said might be left in place of a human baby, or a precocious child.
As a given name Síofra is modern, created in the 20th century from the Irish word. The judge Síofra O’Leary, who in 2022 became the first woman to serve as president of the European Court of Human Rights, is a well-known bearer.
Sources: Behind the Name, Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), en.wiktionary.org, Wikipedia, thejournal.ie.
How popular is Siofra in Ireland?
In 2025, 42 baby girls in Ireland were named Síofra, which made it No. 110 that year. That's up from No. 222 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2024, when 48 baby girls were named Síofra, No. 98 that year. The most babies got the name in 2011: 55. It first appears in the records in 1972, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | No. 110 (Síofra) |
| 2024 | 48 | No. 98 (Síofra) |
| 2023 | 53 | No. 100 (Síofra) |
| 2022 | 33 | No. 157 (Síofra) |
| 2021 | 25 | No. 190 (Síofra) |
| 2020 | 33 | No. 152 (Síofra) |
| 2019 | 38 | No. 141 (Síofra) |
| 2018 | 44 | No. 124 (Síofra) |
| 2017 | 32 | No. 165 (Siofra) |
| 2016 | 33 | No. 166 (Siofra) |
| 2015 | 23 | No. 222 (Siofra) |
| 2014 | 47 | No. 127 (Siofra) |
| 2013 | 30 | No. 193 (Siofra) |
| 2012 | 38 | No. 151 (Siofra) |
| 2011 | 55 | No. 116 (Siofra) |
| 2010 | 44 | No. 139 (Siofra) |
| 2009 | 41 | No. 150 (Siofra) |
| 2008 | 43 | No. 141 (Siofra) |
| 2007 | 49 | No. 121 (Siofra) |
| 2006 | 32 | No. 159 (Siofra) |
| 2005 | 29 | No. 155 (Siofra) |
| 2004 | 35 | No. 133 (Siofra) |
| 2003 | 29 | No. 150 (Siofra) |
| 2002 | 18 | No. 208 (Siofra) |
| 2001 | 28 | No. 147 (Siofra) |
| 2000 | 15 | No. 227 (Siofra) |
| 1999 | 18 | No. 194 (Siofra) |
| 1998 | 7 | No. 319 (Siofra) |
| 1997 | 20 | No. 219 (Siofra) |
| 1996 | 18 | No. 216 (Siofra) |
| 1995 | 16 | No. 232 (Siofra) |
| 1994 | 6 | No. 374 (Siofra) |
| 1993 | 15 | No. 242 (Siofra) |
| 1992 | 9 | No. 322 (Siofra) |
| 1991 | 6 | No. 393 (Siofra) |
| 1990 | 8 | No. 336 (Siofra) |
| 1989 | 6 | No. 377 (Siofra) |
| 1988 | 7 | No. 359 (Siofra) |
| 1986 | 6 | No. 388 (Siofra) |
| 1985 | 5 | No. 421 (Siofra) |
| 1984 | 5 | No. 414 (Siofra) |
| 1982 | 3 | No. 523 (Siofra) |
| 1981 | 3 | No. 533 (Siofra) |
| 1980 | 4 | No. 483 (Siofra) |
| 1978 | 3 | No. 522 (Siofra) |
| 1977 | 3 | No. 518 (Siofra) |
| 1974 | 5 | No. 393 (Siofra) |
| 1973 | 3 | No. 508 (Siofra) |
| 1972 | 3 | No. 471 (Siofra) |
Siofra 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 Siofra, letter by letter.
- SSail, willow
- IIodhadh, yew
- OOnn, gorse
- FFearn, alder
- RRuis, elder
- AAilm, pine
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Siofra
Questions about Siofra
- How do you pronounce Siofra?
- Siofra is pronounced SHEE-fra. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Siofra mean?
- Siofra means “elf, sprite.”
- Is Siofra a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Siofra is a girl's name.
- How do you spell Siofra in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Síofra. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- How popular is Siofra in Ireland?
- In 2025, Síofra was No. 110 for girls in Ireland, with 42 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2024, at No. 98.