Deirdre

Deirdre: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “meaning uncertain”
Origin: Irish
Say it: DEER-druh · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Traditional Irish name from legend, borne by Deirdre of the Sorrows. Its etymology is uncertain; proposed meanings include connections with 'broken-hearted' or 'fear,' but none is secure. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

Irish names Classic names Mythological names Literary names

How popular is Deirdre?

20243.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Deirdre in 202410

Peak year1961

Total US babies since 188016,831

Deirdre is steady now but far below its 1961 peak.

Names like Deirdre

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Deidremeaning uncertain · Irish
Maeveshe who intoxicates · Irish
Kennedyhelmeted head · Irish
Sloaneraider · Irish
Delaneydescendant of the challenger · Irish
Reaganlittle king · Irish
Alannachild; or dear one · Irish
Teaganlittle poet · Irish

Deirdre questions

What does the name Deirdre mean?

Deirdre means "meaning uncertain". It comes from Irish. Traditional Irish name from legend, borne by Deirdre of the Sorrows. Its etymology is uncertain; proposed meanings include connections with 'broken-hearted' or 'fear,' but none is secure.

Is Deirdre a boy or girl name?

Deirdre is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Deirdre?

10 US babies were named Deirdre in 2024. Its peak year was 1961.

How do you pronounce Deirdre?

Deirdre is usually pronounced DEER-druh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.