Aoife

Aoife is an Irish name connected with aoibh, a word associated with beauty or radiance. It belongs to Ireland’s legendary tradition, where different women bear the name, including a warrior in stories connected with Cú Chulainn. Those tales give it a substantial cultural history beyond the appealing meaning of the word itself.

The Irish spelling is pronounced quite differently from what an English reader might initially expect, which is part of its recognizable identity. Eva has sometimes been used as an Anglicized substitute, but it has a separate origin rather than being the direct source of Aoife. For families choosing Aoife, keeping the Irish form can preserve both the sound and the connection with the stories and language behind it.