Girl · #1,124 in 2026

Saoirse

Saoirse is an Irish-language unisex given name meaning "freedom". It became popular in Ireland in the late 20th century. The actress Saoirse Ronan has given the name prominence internationally since her 2007 breakthrough in Atonement.

Current Rank
#1,124
Peak Rank
#732 (2020)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
1993
First Year
2026
Last Year
2020
Peak Year
#732
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
33
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Saoirse

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Saoirse is an Irish-language unisex given name meaning "freedom". It became popular in Ireland in the late 20th century. The actress Saoirse Ronan has given the name prominence internationally since her 2007 breakthrough in Atonement.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Saoirse

Saoirse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1993, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 373 Saoirses were born — ranking #732 that year. As of 2026, Saoirse ranks #1,124 for baby girls with 215 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 4K Saoirses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Saoirse

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Saoirse McHugh (born 1990), Irish-American environmentalist
  • Saoirse-Monica Jackson (born 1993), Northern Irish actress
  • Saoirse Ronan (born 1994), Irish and American actress
  • Saoirse Noonan (born 1999), Irish footballer

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Saoirse

Phonetically similar names — useful when Saoirse is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Source
  • Sorce
  • Sarse
  • Sears
  • Steers
  • Sours
  • Smears
  • Seers
  • Sauers
  • Seres
  • Stairs
  • Stares

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Saoirse

What does the name Saoirse mean?
Saoirse is an Irish-language unisex given name meaning "freedom". It became popular in Ireland in the late 20th century. The actress Saoirse Ronan has given the name prominence internationally since her 2007 breakthrough in Atonement.
How popular is Saoirse in 2026?
In 2026, Saoirse ranks #1,124 among girls' names in the U.S., with 215 babies given the name that year.
When was Saoirse most popular?
Saoirse reached its peak popularity in 2020, ranking #732 that year with 373 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Saoirse most popular?
Saoirse has historically been most popular in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Hawaii. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Saoirse.
Is Saoirse a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Saoirse is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Saoirse?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Saoirse include Stephania, Aubrielle, Lulie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Saoirse

Saoirse is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1993 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Saoirse's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #732. Use the chart and map above to compare Saoirse's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.