Aoife(/ˈiːfə/EE-fə,Irish:[ˈiːfʲə]) is anIrishand Gaelic feminine given name. The name is probably derived from theIrish Gaelicaoibh,which means "beauty" or "radiance".[1]It has been compared to theGaulishnameEsvios(LatinizedEsuvius,feminineEsuvia), which may be related to the tribal nameEsuviiand thetheonymEsus.[2]
| Pronunciation | English:/ˈiːfə/EE-fə Irish:[ˈiːfʲə] |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Goidelic languages |
| Meaning | "beautiful, radiant" |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Aífe, Aeife |
| Related names | fromAífe(Aeife) |
Irish mythology
editInIrish mythology,Aífethe daughter of Airdgeimm, sister ofScathach,is a warrior woman beloved ofCuchullainin theUlster Cycle.T. F. O'Rahillysupposed that the Irish heroine reflects an otherwise unknown goddess representing a feminine counterpart to GaulishEsus.[3]
Aífe or Aoife was also one of the wives of Lir in theOidheadh chloinne Lir( "Fate of the Children of Lir" ), who turned her stepchildren into swans. There is also Aoife (Áiffe ingen Dealbhaoíth), a woman transformed into a crane, whose skin after death becameManannán's "Crane-bag".[4]
Biblical rendering
editThe name is unrelated to the Biblical nameEva,which was rendered asÉabhain Irish, but due to the similarity in sound,Aoifehas often been incorrectlyanglicisedasEvaorEve.Aoife MacMurrough(also known as Eva ofLeinster) was a 12th-century Irish noblewoman.
From Aife to Aoife
editThe first use of Aoife (that spelling) as a given name in 20th-century Ireland was in 1912.[5]
Given name
editPeople
edit- Aoife Ahern,Dean of Engineering at University College, Dublin
- Aoife Cusack (born 1996), Irish professional wrestler who performs under the ring nameAoife Valkyrie
- Aoife Dooley(born 1991), Irish writer
- Aoife Hoey(born 1983), Irish bobsledding olympian
- Aoife Mannion(born 1995), Irish association footballer
- Aoife MacMurrough(c. 1145–1188), Irish Princess of Leinster and Countess of Pembroke
- Aoife McLysaght,Irish 21st century geneticist
- Aoife Melia,Irish medical doctor
- Aoife Moore,(fl. 2020s), sometimes Aoife-Grace Moore, Northern Irish journalist
- Aoife Mulholland(born 1978), Irish actress
- Aoife Ní Fhearraigh,Irish singer
- Aoife O'Donovan(born 1982), American singer
- Aoife O'Rourke(born 1997), Irish boxer
- Aoife Walsh(born 1989), Irish fashion model
Fictional characters
edit- Aoife, sister of Scathach inMichael Scott'sseriesThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
- Main character inThe Iron ThornbyCaitlin Kittredge
- Aife, a succubus inLost Girl
- Aoife Brubeck, daughter of Holly Sykes, the protagonist ofThe Bone ClocksbyDavid Mitchell
- Aoife Rabbitte, wife of Jimmy Rabbitte, inThe GutsbyRoddy Doyle
- Aoife Riordan, member of the Riordan family, inInstructions For A HeatwavebyMaggie O'Farrell
Other
edit- Aoife(album)(1996), the second album by the Irish singer Aoife
- TheLÉ Aoife (P22)is a Republic of Ireland naval vessel
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Mike Campbell."Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Aoife".Behind the Name.
- ^Ériu,Volumes 14-15 (1946), p. 5.
- ^Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Fidelma Maguire,Gaelic personal names(1981), p. 16.
- ^MacNeill, Eoin(1908).VIII "The Crane-bag".ITS 7. For the Irish Texts Society, by D. Nutt. pp. 21–22, 118–120.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^"Aoife Maira Treacey in the Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958".Ancestry.com.1912.Retrieved26 December2018.
External links
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