Diarmuid: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Diarmuid is an Irish boy's name meaning “without enemy.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Without enemy
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Dermot
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 272 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Diarmuid?
Diarmuid is pronounced DEER-mid. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Diarmuid mean?
Diarmuid means “Without enemy”. The name of early kings, legendary heroes and saints, Diarmuid was the lover of Grainne and the most beloved of that warrior band, the Fianna (read the legend). Grainne, as the daughter of Cormac Mac Airt, the High King of Tara, was betrothed to a much older man, the legendary Fionn Mac Cool (read the legend). When Grainne saw Fionn at the wedding banquet she realized he “was not for her” and put a a “geis”, a spell, on his nephew, Diarmuid, to run away with her. For sixteen years the lovers were forced to roam the countryside, all the time knowing that they were being constantly pursued by the furious Fionn. Each night they made a fresh bed in a sheltered spot and legend has it that these beds can still be seen today in many remote places. (Read the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne).
Diarmuid in Irish legend
Grainne was the daughter of Cormac MacAirt, the high king of Ireland. No woman could compare to her beauty.
Read The Pursuit of Diarmuid and GráinneHow popular is Diarmuid in Ireland?
In 2025, 16 baby boys in Ireland were named Diarmuid, which made it No. 272 that year. That's down from No. 130 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2005, when 84 baby boys were named Diarmuid, No. 77 that year. The most babies got the name in 2007: 85. The records go back to 1964, when 25 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | No. 272 |
| 2024 | 15 | No. 275 |
| 2023 | 15 | No. 288 |
| 2022 | 18 | No. 262 |
| 2021 | 33 | No. 164 |
| 2020 | 20 | No. 240 |
| 2019 | 26 | No. 202 |
| 2018 | 36 | No. 163 |
| 2017 | 47 | No. 133 |
| 2016 | 38 | No. 162 |
| 2015 | 47 | No. 130 |
| 2014 | 37 | No. 171 |
| 2013 | 40 | No. 161 |
| 2012 | 47 | No. 148 |
| 2011 | 49 | No. 143 |
| 2010 | 67 | No. 110 |
| 2009 | 43 | No. 152 |
| 2008 | 80 | No. 97 |
| 2007 | 85 | No. 82 |
| 2006 | 69 | No. 91 |
| 2005 | 84 | No. 77 |
| 2004 | 68 | No. 87 |
| 2003 | 56 | No. 97 |
| 2002 | 75 | No. 77 |
| 2001 | 67 | No. 83 |
| 2000 | 62 | No. 84 |
| 1999 | 51 | No. 94 |
| 1998 | 41 | No. 101 |
| 1997 | 49 | No. 103 |
| 1996 | 63 | No. 91 |
| 1995 | 55 | No. 98 |
| 1994 | 58 | No. 94 |
| 1993 | 70 | No. 87 |
| 1992 | 52 | No. 104 |
| 1991 | 46 | No. 108 |
| 1990 | 56 | No. 97 |
| 1989 | 46 | No. 103 |
| 1988 | 59 | No. 89 |
| 1987 | 68 | No. 84 |
| 1986 | 69 | No. 87 |
| 1985 | 59 | No. 95 |
| 1984 | 63 | No. 91 |
| 1983 | 74 | No. 83 |
| 1982 | 75 | No. 85 |
| 1981 | 61 | No. 99 |
| 1980 | 69 | No. 95 |
| 1979 | 51 | No. 110 |
| 1978 | 58 | No. 108 |
| 1977 | 72 | No. 91 |
| 1976 | 62 | No. 102 |
| 1975 | 52 | No. 105 |
| 1974 | 57 | No. 101 |
| 1973 | 49 | No. 105 |
| 1972 | 69 | No. 94 |
| 1971 | 68 | No. 96 |
| 1970 | 41 | No. 105 |
| 1969 | 31 | No. 111 |
| 1968 | 49 | No. 91 |
| 1967 | 42 | No. 93 |
| 1966 | 46 | No. 91 |
| 1965 | 39 | No. 94 |
| 1964 | 25 | No. 109 |
Diarmuid 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 Diarmuid, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- IIodhadh, yew
- AAilm, pine
- RRuis, elder
- MMuin, vine
- UÚr, heather
- IIodhadh, yew
- DDair, oak
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Diarmuid
Questions about Diarmuid
- How do you pronounce Diarmuid?
- Diarmuid is pronounced DEER-mid. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Diarmuid mean?
- Diarmuid means “without enemy.”
- Is Diarmuid a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Diarmuid is a boy's name.
- What is Diarmuid in English?
- The English form of Diarmuid is Dermot.
- How popular is Diarmuid in Ireland?
- In 2025, Diarmuid was No. 272 for boys in Ireland, with 16 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2005, at No. 77.