The first name Sorcha
A girl’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “light”, “radiant”.
Pronounced /ˈsɔːɹkə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Sorcha means “light”, “radiant” in Scottish Gaelic.
Borrowed from Irish and Scottish Gaelic Sorcha (literally “light, radiant”).
More names that mean light.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Sorcha, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 44 births (#585).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sorcha with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sorcha at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 7 girls born in the United States were named Sorcha, the 13,015th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2010, when 15 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
More Scottish Gaelic girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sorcha mean?
- Sorcha means “light”, “radiant” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Sorcha?
- Borrowed from Irish and Scottish Gaelic Sorcha (literally “light, radiant”).
- How popular is the name Sorcha?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Sorcha, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 1997, with 44 births.
- Is Sorcha a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 265 US babies named Sorcha since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sorcha most popular?
- 2010 in the United States, when 15 babies were named Sorcha, its highest rank at 8,237th.
- How do you pronounce Sorcha?
- Sorcha is /ˈsɔːɹkə/, 2 syllables.