The Irish name “Saoirse” has landed on the top 1,000 list of U.S. baby names for the first time.
The rising popularity of the name is thanks to Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who most recently starred in Lady Bird.
In a report of predictions for popular names in 2018, the baby-name website Nameberry.com, found that the use of Saoirse in the U.S. nearly doubled from 2015 to 2016, landing it at #983 on the top 1,000 list of names.
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The interest in the name began when Ronan, 21 at the time, was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for her work in the film Brooklyn. But now Lady Bird has really helped to keep the name in American popular culture.
"Her prize-winning role in Lady Bird really cements her stature as one of today's leading young actresses, making the name Saoirse even more famous and giving it real star quality," says Pamela Redmond Satran, cofounder of Nameberry.
Saoirse Ronan in 'Lady Bird.'
Satran added that part of the name's appeal is its soft, pretty sound, but because the pronunciation might be difficult for some, "I fully expect phonetized spellings like Seersha and Syrshah to spring up."
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In the film, Ronan plays the teenage protagonist who refuses to go by her birth name Christine until the very end of the movie. Satran says she sees Lady Bird inspiring other names, such as Birdie.
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"I love the whole name theme of the film, how closely your name expresses your identity, how the name you choose for yourself signifies so many deep issues about...family and ambition and belonging.”
H/T Refinery 29
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