Aifric

Aifric is an Irish girls’ name with medieval roots. In the older spelling Affraic, it was borne by Gaelic women between the eighth and fifteenth centuries. Where the name itself comes from is unclear, and we have not found a reliable explanation of its meaning.

By 1923 the name was described as very rare. It came back during the twentieth century, as part of the wider return to Irish-language names. Many younger people know it from Aifric, a TG4 drama for teenagers that began in 2006 and follows a girl whose family moves to the west of Ireland.

In the CSO records Aifric first reached three babies a year in 1975. It stayed small for decades but has picked up recently. Its best year was 2024, with 23 girls and a rank of number 193, and 11 girls were named Aifric in 2025.