Pronunciation
Ay-lish / Ay-leesh
These spellings are a guide to the sound. Irish pronunciation can vary by dialect.
Meaning
Noble, of noble kind
Alternate spellings
Aelish; Ailis; Ailís; Ailish
Fun fact
Ailís is the Irish form of Alice. Ailish is an anglicised spelling that makes the sound easier to recognise. Eilís looks very similar, but it's a different name, the Irish form of Elizabeth.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Ailís, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2023 | 3 | #856 |
| 2022 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2021 | 4 | #764 |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | 3 | #871 |
| 2018 | 5 | #629 |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | 4 | #752 |
| 2013 | 3 | #894 |
| 2012 | 3 | #907 |
| 2011 | 4 | #798 |
| 2010 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2009 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2008 | 7 | #546 |
| 2007 | 3 | #842 |
| 2006 | 6 | #502 |
| 2005 | 5 | #523 |
| 2004 | 5 | #511 |
| 2003 | 3 | #655 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 2001 | 5 | #441 |
| 2000 | 8 | #324 |
| 1999 | 4 | #439 |
| 1998 | 3 | #498 |
| 1997 | 7 | #363 |
| 1996 | 5 | #429 |
| 1995 | 7 | #352 |
| 1994 | 5 | #411 |
| 1993 | 5 | #415 |
| 1992 | 3 | #523 |
| 1991 | 8 | #338 |
| 1990 | 5 | #409 |
| 1989 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1988 | 3 | #492 |
| 1987 | 5 | #417 |
| 1986 | 3 | #521 |
| 1985 | 4 | #456 |
| 1984 | 6 | #389 |
| 1983 | 7 | #365 |
| 1982 | 7 | #369 |
| 1981 | 7 | #363 |
| 1980 | 5 | #432 |
| 1979 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1978 | 3 | #522 |
| 1977 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1976 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1975 | 5 | #406 |
| 1974 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1973 | 4 | #449 |
| 1972 | 4 | #428 |
| 1971 | 4 | #417 |
| 1970 | 3 | #447 |
| 1969 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1968 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1967 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | 4 | #327 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.