The early 2000s are back with a bang, from TV shows (my own tween is now watching The OC and The Hills!) to the fashion (hello ‘going out tops’ and low-rise jeans!), it seems we all have collective nostalgia for the noughties.
And this apparently includes baby names too.
In fact, baby name experts are predicting that so powerful is our yearning for the Y2K era that even monikers that were trending with new parents at the time are due a massive comeback anything soon.
What names were popular back in the early 2000s, you ask? Well, here on our shores, one Irish baby name stood out in particular, and was given to thousands of baby girls up and down the country.
Aoife.
Yep, Aoife was by far the most popular Irish baby name for girls in the decade from 2000 until 2010, as it was slowly slipping down the list.
In the year 2000, Aoife was the most popular name for girls born in this country. In 2001 and 2002, it took second place in the top 10 list.
By 2003, Aoife had slid down to third place on the list, and in 2004 and 2005, the moniker ranked 5th place over the most popular name given to newborn girls in Ireland.
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In 2006, it bounced back to 4th place, before slipping down to 7th place on the list in 2007. In 2008, Aoife ranked #8 over most popular girls’ names, in 2009 it ranked #9, and in 2010, the name has slipped down to 10th place in the top 10 list before disappearing off the list the following year.
So is it due for a comeback? Given the viral vibe of all things early 2000s, we reckon it absolutely is.
And according to the latest figures, it is already climbing in the lists once more – and we can’t say that we are surprised either.
And this gorgeous Irish moniker, which means ‘beautiful’ or "radiant" truly deserves a second chance, we think. It really is one of the most beautiful Irish baby names out there.
* This article was originally published on Rollercoaster.ie.