Saorlaith

Gender: Feminine
Pronunciation: SAYR-la, SEER-la (dialectal)

Meaning: Free ruler, free princess
Variants: Saorla, Saorfhlaith

From the Irish words saor, meaning "free", and flaith, "ruler, prince". Names that end with -fhlaith are always feminine, so this ending is traditionally translated as "princess" (the Irish word for princess is banfhlaith).

This name is ancient; in the Annals of Ulster, there is a record for this name, under the Middle Irish spelling Sáerlaith, that dates at the year 969 AD. Saorlaith has an elusive beauty that we can only call Celtic.

The original spelling of this name is Saorfhlaith. Saorlaith is a contracted form of that spelling. Some parents think that the "fh" (which is always silent in Irish) looks redundant, so they decide to omit it. (Like Órfhlaith - Órlaith, Tuathfhlaith - Tuathlaith) Again, Saorla is an even more contracted spelling. All three spellings are correct, and which one you decide to use is a matter of your own tastes.

This name has got more common in Ireland in recent(ish) years, because of the renewed popularity of Irish names. A simple Google search will send you to profiles of young Irish women. Saorlaith might especially appeal to parents who love Saoirse and Sarah, but consider them too popular.

In the Gaelic script, Saorlaith is written Saorlaiṫ, and Saorfhlaith is written Saorḟlaiṫ.