girl's name
Aoife
EE-fa
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 34,745
Northern Ireland
#4
2024 births
Aoife is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "beautiful" or "radiant." It comes from aoibh, beauty, and belongs to a warrior in Irish legend who fought Cú Chulainn to a standstill.
- Aoife is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 1997, when 727 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in Ireland.
- Today about 1 in 1,988 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1964.
Aoife over time
Births per decade in Ireland, 1960s to 2020s. Aoife is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 135 |
| 1970s | 1,778 |
| 1980s | 4,581 |
| 1990s | 5,847 |
| 2000s | 5,466 |
| 2010s | 3,384 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 872 |
What Aoife means
Aoife means beautiful or radiant, from the Irish aoibh, meaning beauty or a pleasant appearance. It is an adjective made personal rather than a compound of two elements, which is unusual among Irish names.
Where Aoife comes from
Aoife comes from the Old Irish Aífe, from aoibh, beauty. In the Ulster Cycle, Aífe is a warrior woman of Alba who fights Cú Chulainn in single combat and bears his son Connla — whom Cú Chulainn later kills without recognizing him, one of the darkest episodes in Irish literature. A separate Aoife, daughter of Diarmait Mac Murchada, married Strongbow in 1170, a marriage that began the Norman involvement in Ireland. The name is usually anglicized as Eva or Eve, though the connection is by sound alone.
Aoife in use
Our data shows Aoife rising and it first appears in our records in 1964. Its spelling is the most common reason English speakers meet Irish orthography — the -aoi- is pronounced EE, which is regular in Irish and opaque to everyone else.
How popular is Aoife?
In 2025, Aoife was given to 265 babies in England and Wales, ranking #192 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Aoife is used
Irish figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. The Central Statistics Office began recording the síneadh fada in 2018, so accented and unaccented spellings are counted separately from that year on. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Aoife
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Aoife also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Aoife over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Aoife in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Aoife
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Aoife — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Aoife
What does the name Aoife mean?
Aoife means "beautiful" or "radiant," from the Irish aoibh, beauty.
How do you pronounce Aoife?
EE-fa. The -aoi- spelling regularly represents an EE sound in Irish.
Who was Aífe in Irish legend?
A warrior woman who fought Cú Chulainn in single combat and bore his son Connla, whom he later killed unknowingly.
How popular is the name Aoife?
In 2025, Aoife was given to 265 babies in England and Wales, ranking #192 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Aoife a girl's or a boy's name?
Aoife is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Aoife?
Aoife has 2 syllables.
When was Aoife most popular?
Aoife peaked in 1997, when 727 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Aoife a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Aoife currently ranks #4 in Ireland. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.