Pronunciation
Ee-fa
Meaning
Beauty, radiance
Alternate spellings
Aífe
Fun fact
In Irish mythology, Aoife was a warrior princess, known for her strength. All the Aoifes I know are really nice, so it has that association for me too! It's an old Irish name that had a big revival in the 1980s and 1990s, so there are a lot of people my age called Aoife.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Aoife, 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 | 121 | #34 |
| 2024 | 107 | #45 |
| 2023 | 148 | #31 |
| 2022 | 158 | #30 |
| 2021 | 159 | #32 |
| 2020 | 179 | #24 |
| 2019 | 229 | #16 |
| 2018 | 240 | #17 |
| 2017 | 256 | #17 |
| 2016 | 300 | #15 |
| 2015 | 321 | #13 |
| 2014 | 364 | #10 |
| 2013 | 424 | #6 |
| 2012 | 426 | #11 |
| 2011 | 399 | #13 |
| 2010 | 425 | #10 |
| 2009 | 459 | #9 |
| 2008 | 518 | #8 |
| 2007 | 527 | #7 |
| 2006 | 546 | #4 |
| 2005 | 492 | #5 |
| 2004 | 534 | #5 |
| 2003 | 571 | #3 |
| 2002 | 585 | #2 |
| 2001 | 601 | #2 |
| 2000 | 633 | #1 |
| 1999 | 612 | #2 |
| 1998 | 529 | #4 |
| 1997 | 727 | #2 |
| 1996 | 584 | #5 |
| 1995 | 621 | #3 |
| 1994 | 524 | #6 |
| 1993 | 575 | #5 |
| 1992 | 570 | #4 |
| 1991 | 576 | #4 |
| 1990 | 529 | #7 |
| 1989 | 437 | #10 |
| 1988 | 471 | #10 |
| 1987 | 492 | #9 |
| 1986 | 465 | #12 |
| 1985 | 526 | #9 |
| 1984 | 420 | #16 |
| 1983 | 489 | #10 |
| 1982 | 466 | #14 |
| 1981 | 471 | #15 |
| 1980 | 344 | #28 |
| 1979 | 379 | #21 |
| 1978 | 290 | #31 |
| 1977 | 252 | #36 |
| 1976 | 186 | #46 |
| 1975 | 157 | #56 |
| 1974 | 162 | #58 |
| 1973 | 137 | #67 |
| 1972 | 104 | #80 |
| 1971 | 58 | #122 |
| 1970 | 53 | #123 |
| 1969 | 44 | #136 |
| 1968 | 23 | #181 |
| 1967 | 18 | #189 |
| 1966 | 17 | #189 |
| 1965 | 20 | #175 |
| 1964 | 13 | #206 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.