UK girl's name
Ailish
A feminine given name of Irish-Gaelic origin meaning "being sought after".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ailish is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ailish popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3015, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 47 births.
This profile covers 392 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 17% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 614 living people in the UK are called Ailish. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ailish ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 47 girls were registered as Ailish.
- • Ailish ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 2024.
- • About 614 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ailish as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3015
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
1997
47 births
Estimated living
614
2026
Meaning
What does Ailish mean?
The name Ailish is believed to have its origins in the Irish Gaelic language. It is derived from the Old Irish name Oilish, which itself is a diminutive form of the name Ailis or Alice. The name is thought to stem from the ancient Germanic name Adalhaidis, composed of the elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "haid" meaning "kind" or "heathy."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ailish can be found in the 12th century Irish text known as the Annals of Inisfallen, where it appears as the name of a noblewoman. This suggests that the name has been in use in Ireland for centuries.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Ailish. One of the earliest was Ailish Ó Maoil Chonaire (born around 1570), an Irish poet and historian from County Clare. Another was Ailish Ní Charra (1628-1705), an Irish noblewoman and landowner from County Mayo.
In the 19th century, Ailish Nic Dhonnchadha (1838-1907) was a renowned Irish language scholar and educator from County Cork. She played a significant role in preserving and promoting the Irish language during a time when its use was declining.
In more recent times, Ailish Tynan (born 1982) is an Irish operatic soprano who has performed with leading opera companies around the world. Ailish Craven (born 1995) is an Irish actress known for her role in the television series Penny Dreadful.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the name Ailish throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance within Irish culture and society.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ailish over time
The chart below shows babies named Ailish registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ailish, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 47 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ailish by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ailish was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3487 | 32 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2999 | 87 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1909 | 134 | 10 |
| 1990s | #707 | 139 | 4 |
Geography
Where Ailish is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ailish. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Ailish ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 2024.
Across the UK
Ailish in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#315 in 2024
32 years of NRS records, 214 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#370 in 2013
3 years of NISRA records, 12 total registered
Related
Names similar to Ailish
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Ailish: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ailish in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ailish was ranked #3015 for girls in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Ailish most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 47 babies registered as Ailish in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ailish?
A feminine given name of Irish-Gaelic origin meaning "being sought after".
How many people are called Ailish in the UK?
A total of 392 babies have been registered as Ailish across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 214 more in Scotland and 12 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Ailish most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ailish ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #315 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.