Aoibheann: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Aoibheann is an Irish girl's name meaning “radiant beauty.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Radiant beauty
- Gender
- Girl
- English forms
- Eavan
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 180 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Aoibheann?
Aoibheann is pronounced EVE-een. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Aoibheann mean?
Aoibheann comes from the Old Irish Aíbinn or Oébfinn, from oíb “beauty, form” and finn “white, fair,” so “fair form” or “radiant beauty.” The spelling Aoibhinn matches the modern Irish word aoibhinn, “delightful, blissful.” The usual English form is Eavan, borne by the Irish poet Eavan Boland (1944–2020).
It is an ancient name. Aoibheann was the mother of St. Enda of Aran, who died around 530 AD, and the name was also borne by a daughter of the 10th-century High King Donnchad Donn.
Sources: Behind the Name, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), Wikipedia, omniumsanctorumhiberniae.com.
How popular is Aoibheann in Ireland?
In 2025, 26 baby girls in Ireland were named Aoibheann, which made it No. 180 that year. Another 30 were registered as Aoibhinn or Aoibhínn. That's down from No. 67 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2012, when 125 baby girls were named Aoibhinn, No. 56 that year. It first appears in the records in 1971, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | No. 180 (Aoibheann) |
| 2024 | 57 | No. 145 (Aoibheann) |
| 2023 | 78 | No. 118 (Aoibheann) |
| 2022 | 85 | No. 124 (Aoibheann) |
| 2021 | 104 | No. 115 (Aoibheann) |
| 2020 | 113 | No. 101 (Aoibheann) |
| 2019 | 122 | No. 79 (Aoibheann) |
| 2018 | 147 | No. 80 (Aoibheann) |
| 2017 | 187 | No. 67 (Aoibheann) |
| 2016 | 182 | No. 63 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2015 | 178 | No. 67 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2014 | 199 | No. 61 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2013 | 211 | No. 57 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2012 | 240 | No. 56 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2011 | 234 | No. 60 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2010 | 203 | No. 67 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2009 | 205 | No. 64 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2008 | 174 | No. 71 (Aoibheann) |
| 2007 | 139 | No. 82 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2006 | 149 | No. 76 (Aoibheann) |
| 2005 | 98 | No. 109 (Aoibheann) |
| 2004 | 68 | No. 130 (Aoibheann) |
| 2003 | 65 | No. 121 (Aoibheann) |
| 2002 | 55 | No. 138 (Aoibhinn) |
| 2001 | 52 | No. 140 (Aoibheann) |
| 2000 | 48 | No. 132 (Aoibheann) |
| 1999 | 52 | No. 142 (Aoibhinn) |
| 1998 | 36 | No. 173 (Aoibheann) |
| 1997 | 32 | No. 200 (Aoibheann) |
| 1996 | 32 | No. 192 (Aoibheann) |
| 1995 | 25 | No. 224 (Aoibheann) |
| 1994 | 28 | No. 212 (Aoibheann) |
| 1993 | 24 | No. 234 (Aoibheann) |
| 1992 | 18 | No. 269 (Aoibheann) |
| 1991 | 14 | No. 338 (Aoibheann) |
| 1990 | 13 | No. 336 (Aoibheann) |
| 1989 | 12 | No. 315 (Aoibheann) |
| 1988 | 15 | No. 290 (Aoibheann) |
| 1987 | 9 | No. 329 (Aoibheann) |
| 1986 | 10 | No. 388 (Aoibheann) |
| 1985 | 18 | No. 254 (Aoibheann) |
| 1984 | 14 | No. 320 (Aoibheann) |
| 1983 | 11 | No. 401 (Aoibheann) |
| 1982 | 12 | No. 369 (Aoibheann) |
| 1981 | 6 | No. 386 (Aoibheann) |
| 1980 | 3 | No. 542 (Aoibheann) |
| 1979 | 7 | No. 363 (Aoibheann) |
| 1978 | 6 | No. 388 (Aoibheann) |
| 1977 | 5 | No. 429 (Aoibheann) |
| 1975 | 6 | No. 379 (Aoibheann) |
| 1974 | 5 | No. 393 (Aoibheann) |
| 1973 | 4 | No. 449 (Aoibheann) |
| 1972 | 3 | No. 471 (Aoibheann) |
| 1971 | 3 | No. 466 (Aoibheann) |
Aoibheann in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Aoibheann, letter by letter.
- AAilm, pine
- OOnn, gorse
- IIodhadh, yew
- BBeith, birch
- HUath, hawthorn
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Aoibheann
Questions about Aoibheann
- How do you pronounce Aoibheann?
- Aoibheann is pronounced EVE-een. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Aoibheann mean?
- Aoibheann means “radiant beauty.”
- Is Aoibheann a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Aoibheann is a girl's name.
- What is Aoibheann in English?
- The English form of Aoibheann is Eavan.
- How popular is Aoibheann in Ireland?
- In 2025, Aoibheann was No. 180 for girls in Ireland, with 26 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2012, at No. 56.