Saoirse vs Shauna
Saoirse and Shaunacompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Saoirse was ranked #17 and Shauna #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Saoirse was ranked #41 and Shauna #424 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Saoirse was ranked #402 and Shauna #5927 among girls in England and Wales.
Saoirse and Shauna over time
Saoirse and Shauna appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Saoirse held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shauna in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Shauna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Saoirse in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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 2005, Saoirse moved ahead of Shauna in Northern Ireland · Girls — #97 and #95 the year before became #106 and #133.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Saoirse rose about as far as Shauna fell — from #417 and #417 in 1971 to #17 and #885 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Saoirse and Shauna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #17 and #885.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1971–2025
Saoirse held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Shauna in 30.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #12 in 2016, Shauna #6 in 1993.
The order changed in 2005: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #35 and #32; by 2005 that had become #36 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Saoirse #17, Shauna #885.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Saoirse held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Shauna in 13.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #310 in 2022, Shauna #115 in 2000.
The order changed in 2009: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #722 and #668; by 2009 that had become #821 and #916.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Saoirse #402, Shauna #5927.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1997–2019
Saoirse held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Shauna in 8.
Highest recorded here: Saoirse #41 in 2019, Shauna #46 in 1997.
The order changed in 2005: Saoirse moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #97 and #95; by 2005 that had become #106 and #133.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Saoirse #41, Shauna #424.
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 | Saoirse | Shauna |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Means 'freedom' in Irish; first adopted as a given name in the 20th century, reportedly with nationalist/political resonance given the meaning. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #17 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Saoirse has a recorded origin (Irish); Shauna does not have one recorded yet.
- Saoirse and Shauna both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Saoirse; Shauna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
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
Shauna
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1966–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls