Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Atonement and The Lovely Bones, few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way edging its way into the mainstream, particularly, of course, with parents who have Irish roots. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising girls' name.
Saoirse has been a popular name in Ireland since it began to be used in the 1920s revolution as a statement of freedom,. It now ranks at Number 23.
Another related name Is Sorcha, pronounced SURK-ha and meaning "radiance": in the film Willow, the character's name is spelled Sorsha--another way to pronounce it.
