Aoife (English)
Where does "Aoife" come from?
The English female given name 'Aoife' was borrowed directly from Irish 'Aoife'[1][2]. The Irish name descends from Old Irish 'Aífe', which may possibly derive from 'aoibh', meaning 'beauty' or 'radiance'[2]. While the name is historically unrelated to the biblical name 'Eva' (rendered as 'Éabha' in Irish), it has frequently been anglicised as 'Eva' or 'Eve' due to a lack of more familiar alternatives for English speakers[1].
Open questions
- The derivation of Old Irish Aífe from aoibh meaning beauty or radiance is considered a possible rather than certain connection. [2]
Full etymology tree
- Aoife (English), 'A female given name from Irish.'
- borrowed Aoife (Irish), 'a female given name from Old Irish, famous in Irish legend and currently fashionable in Ireland'
- inherited Aífe (Old Irish)
- derived aoibh (Old Irish)
- inherited Aífe (Old Irish)
- borrowed Aoife (Irish), 'a female given name from Old Irish, famous in Irish legend and currently fashionable in Ireland'
Ancestors
- Aoife (Irish)
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris