Daithi: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Daithi is an Irish boy's name meaning “swiftness, nimbleness.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Irish spelling
- Daithí
- Meaning
- Swiftness, nimbleness
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- David
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 59 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Daithi?
Daithi is pronounced DAH-hee. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. Other spellings: Dahey and Dahy.
What does Daithi mean?
Daithi, written Daithí or Dáithí in Irish, is an old Irish name meaning “swiftness, nimbleness.” It was borne by the semi-legendary king Nath Í, also known as Dathí, and his descendants, the O’Dowds, long kept the name in use. It has also served as an Irish form of David.
Irish tradition says Dathí was a nickname meaning “active, quick,” given for his vigour in taking up arms, and that his given name was Feradach. Legend makes him a High King of Ireland killed by lightning on an expedition to the Alps, but the lightning story was a later addition, and the historian T. F. O’Rahilly argued he was a king of Connacht, not of Tara. A standing stone at Rathcroghan, near Tulsk in County Roscommon, is said to mark his grave.
Sources: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Behind the Name, Wikipedia.
How popular is Daithi in Ireland?
In 2025, 94 baby boys in Ireland were named Daithí, which made it No. 59 that year. Another 91 were registered as Daithi or Dáithí. That's up from No. 93 ten years earlier. It first appears in the records in 1973, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | No. 59 (Daithí) |
| 2024 | 136 | No. 80 (Daithí) |
| 2023 | 144 | No. 75 (Daithí) |
| 2022 | 145 | No. 80 (Daithí) |
| 2021 | 144 | No. 78 (Daithí) |
| 2020 | 102 | No. 105 (Daithí) |
| 2019 | 93 | No. 116 (Daithí) |
| 2018 | 108 | No. 120 (Daithí) |
| 2017 | 102 | No. 71 (Daithi) |
| 2016 | 87 | No. 81 (Daithi) |
| 2015 | 78 | No. 93 (Daithi) |
| 2014 | 74 | No. 102 (Daithi) |
| 2013 | 69 | No. 102 (Daithi) |
| 2012 | 61 | No. 116 (Daithi) |
| 2011 | 78 | No. 100 (Daithi) |
| 2010 | 79 | No. 93 (Daithi) |
| 2009 | 60 | No. 124 (Daithi) |
| 2008 | 52 | No. 139 (Daithi) |
| 2007 | 49 | No. 130 (Daithi) |
| 2006 | 28 | No. 166 (Daithi) |
| 2005 | 14 | No. 231 (Daithi) |
| 2004 | 12 | No. 233 (Daithi) |
| 2003 | 11 | No. 245 (Daithi) |
| 2002 | 8 | No. 267 (Daithi) |
| 2000 | 6 | No. 274 (Daithi) |
| 1999 | 4 | No. 330 (Daithi) |
| 1997 | 4 | No. 337 (Daithi) |
| 1996 | 4 | No. 336 (Daithi) |
| 1993 | 5 | No. 275 (Daithi) |
| 1988 | 5 | No. 254 (Daithi) |
| 1987 | 3 | No. 303 (Daithi) |
| 1982 | 4 | No. 286 (Daithi) |
| 1977 | 3 | No. 333 (Daithi) |
| 1976 | 4 | No. 288 (Daithi) |
| 1974 | 3 | No. 321 (Daithi) |
| 1973 | 3 | No. 320 (Daithi) |
Daithi 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 Daithi, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- TTinne, holly
- HUath, hawthorn
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Daithi
Questions about Daithi
- How do you pronounce Daithi?
- Daithi is pronounced DAH-hee, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Daithi mean?
- Daithi is an Irish boy's name meaning “swiftness, nimbleness.”
- Is Daithi a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Daithi is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Daithi in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Daithí. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Daithi in English?
- The English form of Daithi is David.
- How popular is Daithi in Ireland?
- In 2025, Daithí was No. 59 for boys in Ireland, with 94 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. That's the highest it has ever ranked.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Behind the Name and Wikipedia. How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com