Irish Names Starting with N

Neala is a modern feminine form of Niall, based on its English spelling Neal. It is not a traditional Irish name and does not appear in Patrick Woulfe’s 1923 list of Irish women’s names.

No. 443 for girls in Ireland in 2025, with 8 baby girls.

Neave in Irish is Niamh, pronounced NEE-iv, meaning “radiance, lustre, brightness.”

Rare in Ireland: fewer than three baby girls a year get the name.

Nessa was the mother of Conchobhar (Conor) Mac Nessa, king of Ulster.

No. 239 for girls in Ireland in 2025, with 18 baby girls.

From niamh “radiance, lustre, brightness.” The daughter of the sea god Manannan she was known as “Niamh of the Golden Hair,” a beautiful princess riding on a white horse.

No. 90 for girls in Ireland in 2025, with 54 baby girls.

Niav in Irish is Niamh, pronounced NEE-iv, meaning “radiance, lustre, brightness.”

Rare in Ireland: fewer than three baby girls a year get the name.

Noelle in Irish is Nollaig, pronounced NULL-ig, meaning “Christmas.”

No. 608 for girls in Ireland in 2025, with 5 baby girls.

Nola is often explained as a short form of Fionnuala, the old Irish name from fionn “fair, white” and guala “shoulder,” so “fair shoulder.”

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2022.

Nollaig is the Irish word for Christmas. It comes from the Old Irish Notlaic, borrowed from the Latin nātālīcia, “birthday celebration,” from nātālis, “of birth.”

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2024.

A classic Irish name, it could be a shortened form of Eleanor meaning “torch” or could be from the Latin Honora meaning “honor, reputation” and became so popular in Ireland in the Middle Ages that many people assumed it was Irish.

No. 76 for girls in Ireland in 2025, with 65 baby girls.

It is really a shortened version of Fionnuala and in Ireland it is more widely used than Fionnuala.

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2024.

Naoise is a name from Irish legend, and its meaning is unknown.

No. 88 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 65 baby boys.

Neal in Irish is Niall, pronounced NYE-al, meaning “passionate, vehement.”

Not in Ireland's 2025 tables (fewer than three babies); last recorded in 2014.

Neil in Irish is Niall, pronounced NYE-al, meaning “passionate, vehement.”

No. 372 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 10 baby boys.

The name could come from “passionate, vehement” or from nel “a cloud.”

No. 244 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 19 baby boys.

Noel in Irish is Nollaig, pronounced NULL-ig, meaning “Christmas.”

No. 402 for boys in Ireland in 2025, with 9 baby boys.