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Deirdra
How to Pronounce Deirdra
Pronounced DEER-druh /ˈdɪər.drə/Medium
Meaning: Deirdra is an Americanized -a ending of Deirdre, the tragic heroine of Irish legend. The name's original meaning is uncertain and much debated — often read as 'sorrowful' or 'she who chatters,' and sometimes tied to a word for fear. The Deirdra spelling smooths the Irish name for English eyes.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Deirdra is a variant of Deirdre, the doomed heroine of the Ulster Cycle in Irish myth, whose name is of uncertain meaning — commonly read as 'sorrowful,' sometimes 'she who chatters,' or linked to a word for fear. Literary retellings by Yeats and Synge revived Deirdre in the twentieth century, and the smoothed Deirdra spelling crested in the early 1960s.
Deirdra was the rarer spelling, chosen by a modest number of families before fading late in the century. A Deirdra from her peak is now in her early sixties. The name keeps a soft, literary, Irish flavor, and while Deirdre remains the standard form, the Deirdra spelling has not revived.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Deirdra mean?
Deirdra is a form of Deirdre from Irish legend; its meaning is debated, most often read as 'sorrowful.'
How do you pronounce Deirdra?
It's said DEER-druh /ˈdɪər.drə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Deirdra a boy or girl name?
Deirdra is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Deirdra?
Deirdra was an uncommon spelling of Deirdre that crested in the early nineteen-sixties and then faded.