Isla vs Saoirse
Isla and Saoirsecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Saoirse #196 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Saoirse #402 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Saoirse #37 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Saoirse #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Saoirse over time
Isla and Saoirse appear together in 4 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Saoirse in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Isla moved ahead of Saoirse in Northern Ireland · Girls — #131 and #77 the year before became #95 and #114.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Saoirse were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 52 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4 and #402.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Saoirse #37 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls52 shared years, 1996–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Saoirse in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Saoirse #307 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #4, Saoirse #402.
Scotland · Girls29 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Saoirse in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Saoirse #196 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Saoirse #196.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Saoirse in 17.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Saoirse #12 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Saoirse #17.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Saoirse in 4.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Saoirse #37 in 2023.
The order changed in 2008: Isla moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #131 and #77; by 2008 that had become #95 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Saoirse #37.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Isla | Saoirse |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | Means 'freedom' in Irish; first adopted as a given name in the 20th century, reportedly with nationalist/political resonance given the meaning. |
| Origin | Scottish | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Saoirse is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Isla and Saoirse both have 2 syllables.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Saoirse's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Saoirse a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Saoirse
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls