See how Saoirse has sparked a new trend in US baby names

Stop thief! Irish actors are ‘scene-stealers’

HER name regularly confounds overseas interviewers who find its abundance of vowels perplexing.

But Saoirse Ronan has been credited with triggering a sharp surge in US parents picking her distinctive first name for their newborn daughters.

According to Nameberry, a US online database of babies’ names, the incidence of the name almost doubled between 2015 and 2016, taking it into the Top 1,000 names at No.983.

The name, Irish for ‘freedom’, was No.12 in the Central Statistic Office’s list of most popular Irish girls’ names last year, with 324 toddlers now with the name.

According to the CSO, the name was largely unheard of before the 1970s, and it was the mid-1990s before its incidence hit treble figures.

Ms Ronan, 23, looks set to lead a new crop of Saoirses on the other side of the Atlantic – particularly if the Carlow actress lands an Oscar nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed Lady Bird.

Pamela Redmond Satran, co-founder of Nameberry, said the actress’s Christian name is now seen as having ‘star quality’ in the US. Ms Ronan was previously Oscarnominated for her roles in Brooklyn and Atonement.

In an interview with media website Refinery29.com, Ms Redmond Satran said: ‘Her role in Lady Bird really cements her stature as one of today’s leading young actresses, making the name Saoirse even more famous and giving it real star quality.’ However, she predicted that American parents, struggling with the Irish language, might opt for soundalike names, adding, ‘I fully expect phoneticised spellings lie Seersha and Lanthimos’s preference for staccato acting, adding a layer of menace... that works its way to a grand, bloody pay-off.’ And of Gleeson in Mother! it said: ‘This demented, polarising drama from Darren Aronofsky has a Lot! Going! On! ‘But no matter what you think of it, you have to admit that Gleeson makes a mesmerising turn as a Cain-ish evil son.’ Vanity Fair magazine said their portrayals of disturbing young men set them apart. It said: ‘You don’t have to be the star of the show to win a movie.’ It said of former Love/ Hate actor Barry: ‘Keoghan elevates [director, Yorgos] IRISH stars Barry Keoghan and Domhnall Gleeson have been accused of being among the greatest movie scenestealers of the year!

The two Dubliners have been hailed for their brilliant performances in the films The Killing Of A Sacred Deer and Mother! respectively.

They were not the films’ main stars but Syrshah to spring up.’

The name has often been mangled, Denis Quaid famously apologised to Saoirse for ‘butchering’ it and calling her ‘Sheesha’ when he announced the 2016 Golden Globe nominations.

‘She gives it real star quality’