Aoife
Encyclopedia
Aoife, earlier Aífe (ˈiːfʲə, ˈiːfə ), is an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 feminine given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...

. The name is probably derived from the Irish aoibh, meaning "beauty", "pleasure" or "radiant goddess", although the name has also be associated with the Gaulish
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....

 goddess Esuvia. The name is sometimes Anglicised as Eva
Eva (name)
Eva is a female given name, the Latinate counterpart of English Eve, derived from a Hebrew name meaning "life" or "living one." It can also mean full of Life or mother of life. It is the standard biblical form of Eve in many European languages.-Popularity:...

(unrelated to Aoife). It is also popular in old Irish folk lore such as 'The Children of Lir'.

People

  • Aífe
    Aífe
    Aífe is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She appears in the sagas Tochmarc Emire and Aided Óenfhir Aífe . In Tochmarc Emire she lives east of a land called Alpi, usually understood to mean Alba , where she is at war with a rival warrior-woman, Scáthach...

    , daughter of Airdgeimm, a warrior woman in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology
  • Aífe or Aoife, the second wife of King Lir in the Irish myth, Children of Lir
    Children of Lir
    The Children of Lir is an Irish legend. The original Irish title is Clann Lir or Leannaí Lir, but Lir is the genitive case of Lear. Lir is more often used as the name of the character in English...

    .
  • Aoife of Leinster d.1188.
  • Aoife (singer), an Irish singer formerly known as Aoife Ní Fhearraigh.
  • Aoife Mulholland
    Aoife Mulholland
    Aoife Mulholland is an Irish actress and musical theatre performer from Salthill, Galway. Aoife is a successful leading lady in London's West End...

    , actress and singer
  • Aoife O'Donovan, lead singer of American string band Crooked Still
    Crooked Still
    Crooked Still is an alternative bluegrass band consisting of vocalist Aoife O'Donovan, banjo player Dr. Gregory Liszt, bassist Corey DiMario, cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddler Brittany Haas...

    .

Other

  • Aoife (album)
    Aoife (album)
    Aoife is the second album released by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. It consists of a wide selection of Traditional Irish songs, and its lyrics are entirely sung in Irish...

     (1996), the second album by the Irish singer Aoife
  • The LÉ Aoife (P22)
    LÉ Aoife (P22)
    LÉ Aoife is a ship in the Irish Naval Service. The ship is named after Aoife, stepmother to the children of Lir, whom she turned into swans...

    is a Republic of Ireland naval vessel

Pop Culture

  • The twin sister of Scathach the Warrior in the series "The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel" by Michael Scott
  • Main Character in "The Iron Thorn" by Caitlin Kittredge
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