Meaning: Its source is a Gaelic expression meaning "Broken-hearted, sorrowful."

Popularity: The name Dierdre ranked 3731st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: This derivation is not certain. Other possibilities include ''fear'' and ''she who rages.''

All these meanings reflect the Irish legend of Deirdre, whose lover was slain as he tried to elope with her to escape the King of Ulster, to whom Deirdre was promised in marriage. In modern times, both J.M. Synge and W.B. Yeats were inspired to write about this sorrowful maiden.