UK girl's name
Eire
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "Ireland".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Eire is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Eire popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5669, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 5 births.
This profile covers 23 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2002 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 63 living people in the UK are called Eire. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Eire ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 5 girls were registered as Eire.
- • Eire ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #192 in 2024.
- • About 63 living people in the UK are estimated to have Eire as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5669
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2006
5 births
Estimated living
63
2026
Meaning
What does Eire mean?
The name Eire has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language. It is derived from the Old Irish word "Ériu," which was the name of a goddess in Irish mythology. This goddess was believed to be the matron and namesake of Ireland, also known as Éire in the Irish language.
The name Ériu is thought to have come from the Proto-Celtic word "Iveriu," which means "abundant land." This name was likely given to Ireland due to its fertile soil and abundance of natural resources. The earliest recorded use of the name Ériu for the island of Ireland dates back to the 8th century AD, in the work of the Irish monk and scholar Dicuil.
In Irish mythology, the goddess Ériu was one of the three sovereigns of Ireland, along with Banba and Fódla. These three goddesses were said to have welcomed the first settlers to Ireland, the Milesians, and gave the island its name. The story of Ériu and the other goddess sovereigns is recounted in the ancient Irish text known as the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions).
One of the earliest historical figures known to have borne the name Eire was Eire mac Dedad, a legendary king of Ireland who is said to have ruled in the 5th century BC. Another notable figure was Eire mac Miled, a legendary prince of the Milesians, who was believed to have been one of the first settlers of Ireland.
In more recent history, the name Eire has been associated with several notable individuals. Eire Garven (1895-1974) was an Irish singer and actress who performed on stage and in films. Eire O'Brien (1900-1982) was an Irish-American journalist and author known for her work on Irish culture and history.
Eire Neville (1905-1999) was an Irish-born American actress and dancer who appeared in several Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. Eire O'Connor (1917-1995) was an Irish poet and novelist, best known for her works exploring themes of identity and the Irish experience.
Eire Maguire (1920-2008) was an Irish painter and sculptor whose work was heavily influenced by Irish mythology and folklore. She was a member of the prestigious Royal Hibernian Academy and is recognized as one of Ireland's most significant 20th-century artists.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Eire over time
The chart below shows babies named Eire registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Eire, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eire by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Eire 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 | #5581 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #5784 | 9 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3843 | 8 | 2 |
Geography
Where Eire is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Eire. 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.
Eire ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #192 in 2024.
Across the UK
Eire in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#192 in 2024
8 years of NISRA records, 40 total registered
Related
Names similar to Eire
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Eire: questions and answers
How popular is the name Eire in the UK right now?
In 2022, Eire was ranked #5669 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Eire most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 5 babies registered as Eire in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Eire?
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "Ireland".
How many people are called Eire in the UK?
A total of 23 babies have been registered as Eire across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 40 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Eire most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Eire ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #192 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.