Saoirse
Saoirse was the 1089th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 222 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 735th with 373 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 362 places. More babies were named Saoirse in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning freedom (Irish) · Irish
Say it SEER-shuh /ˈsɪɹʃə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,089 girls, down 354 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 222girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020373 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,068babies recorded
What does the name Saoirse mean?
Saoirse is the Irish word saoirse 'freedom, liberty', from saor 'free'. It came into use as a given name in Ireland in the 20th century, after independence, as Wiktionary notes. The actress Saoirse Ronan made it widely known in the US, along with its pronunciation.
saoirse (Irish, “freedom”)saor (Irish, “free”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: Irish spelling: the letters 'aoi' make an 'ee' sound and 's' before 'i' is 'sh', so not 'say-OR-see'.
Related names: Saorla, Sersha.
See also: Irish names, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Saoirse', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'saoirse' (Irish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Saoirse popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,089 | 222 |
| 2020 | #735 | 373 |
| 2010 | #2,560 | 72 |
| 2000 | #5,284 | 22 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Saoirse, counting every spelling?
Saoirse has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,038 for girls in 2025, against #1,089 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Saoirse?
222 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Saoirse (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Saoirse born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 38 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Saoirse.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Saoirse?
About 4,000 people born in the US named Saoirse are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 11. That makes Saoirse a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Saoirse by state
How common Saoirse was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (3.5×), Massachusetts (3.3×), Connecticut (3.1×), Washington (2.4×), Colorado (2.2×). In 20 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Saoirse: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Saoirse, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Saoirse · Sibling names for Saoirse
Questions about the name Saoirse
What does Saoirse mean?
Saoirse means “freedom (Irish)” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Saoirse?
Saoirse was the 1089th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 222 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 735th with 373 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 362 places. More babies were named Saoirse in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Saoirse a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Saoirse in the US.
Where is Saoirse most popular?
In 2021–2025, Saoirse was most common in Oregon (0.60 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Connecticut.