Dervla
Dervla is a girls' name of Irish origin meaning “daughter of the poet.” An anglicization of the Irish 'Dearbhla' or 'Deirbhile,' meaning 'daughter of the poet' or 'true desire.
how do you pronounce Dervla?
DER-vlah
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what does Dervla mean?
The name Dervla means “daughter of the poet.” It comes from the Irish language tradition.
An anglicization of the Irish 'Dearbhla' or 'Deirbhile,' meaning 'daughter of the poet' or 'true desire.' The name is associated with a legendary Irish saint who plucked out her own eyes to avoid an unwanted marriage. It conveys fierce independence and literary heritage.
where does the name Dervla come from?
Wikipedia explains that Dervla and the related Derval are anglicisations of the Irish Deirbhile and Dearbháil, with Dearbhla described as a hybrid of the two. Deirbhile is said to mean daughter of the filí, or poet, while Dearbháil is glossed as either daughter of Fál — a poetic name for Ireland — or true desire, with the source presenting both readings as possibilities rather than a settled meaning.
what are the nicknames and variants of Dervla?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Dervla?
- Dervla Murphy (Irish touring cyclist and author)
- Dervla Kirwan (Irish actress)
what names are similar to Dervla?
what names go well with Dervla?
Sibling names that share Dervla's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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