Deirdre is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Deirdre means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Deirdre across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Deirdre has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Deirdre is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “sorrowful, or broken-hearted”. A tragic heroine of Irish legend.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 16,845 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 6 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 71 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 12,353 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Deirdre per year, United States (1921 to 2025). United States peaked in 1961 (799/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1966 (613/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (18/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (3/yr).
Deirdre has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1961, when it ranked #603 nationally (given to 799 babies that year).
Dierdre · Deirdra · Dierdra · Deardra · Deridre
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