Girl's name
Deirdre
“DEER-dra”
IPA: /ˈdʲɛɾˠdʲɾʲə/
uncertain; possibly 'she who chatters' or linked to a word for sorrow
The story behind the name
Deirdre of the Sorrows is Ireland's tragic heroine: prophesied at birth to bring ruin, promised to old King Conchobar, she fled to Scotland with young Naoise and his brothers. Lured back to Emain Macha under false guarantees, Naoise was killed and Deirdre died of grief. Yeats and Synge each wrote her a play.
Where the name belongs
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z