Niamh: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Niamh is an Irish girl's name meaning “radiance, lustre, brightness.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Radiance, lustre, brightness
- Gender
- Girl
- English forms
- Neave, Niav
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 90 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Niamh?
Niamh is pronounced NEE-iv. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. It can also be said NEEV.
What does Niamh mean?
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. She fell in love with Fionn’s son Oisin (read the legend of Niamh and Oisin) and lived with him in Tir-na-nOg (“Land of the Young”) where 300 years passed in what seemed like three weeks. In 2003 it was the eleventh most popular baby girl’s name in Ireland.
Niamh in Irish legend
One morning the Fianna were deer hunting on the shores of Lough Lein in County Kerry. They saw a beautiful white horse coming towards them.
Read Niamh and OisinHow popular is Niamh in Ireland?
In 2025, 54 baby girls in Ireland were named Niamh, which made it No. 90 that year. That's down from No. 42 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1993, when 719 baby girls were named Niamh, No. 2 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 53 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | No. 90 |
| 2024 | 51 | No. 94 |
| 2023 | 75 | No. 73 |
| 2022 | 70 | No. 78 |
| 2021 | 82 | No. 72 |
| 2020 | 61 | No. 86 |
| 2019 | 106 | No. 54 |
| 2018 | 104 | No. 59 |
| 2017 | 132 | No. 47 |
| 2016 | 157 | No. 41 |
| 2015 | 143 | No. 42 |
| 2014 | 169 | No. 34 |
| 2013 | 204 | No. 32 |
| 2012 | 185 | No. 37 |
| 2011 | 249 | No. 30 |
| 2010 | 292 | No. 25 |
| 2009 | 314 | No. 24 |
| 2008 | 344 | No. 18 |
| 2007 | 340 | No. 18 |
| 2006 | 350 | No. 18 |
| 2005 | 375 | No. 13 |
| 2004 | 421 | No. 10 |
| 2003 | 370 | No. 11 |
| 2002 | 407 | No. 8 |
| 2001 | 477 | No. 6 |
| 2000 | 519 | No. 6 |
| 1999 | 571 | No. 5 |
| 1998 | 492 | No. 6 |
| 1997 | 622 | No. 5 |
| 1996 | 612 | No. 3 |
| 1995 | 645 | No. 2 |
| 1994 | 672 | No. 2 |
| 1993 | 719 | No. 2 |
| 1992 | 545 | No. 6 |
| 1991 | 550 | No. 6 |
| 1990 | 533 | No. 6 |
| 1989 | 499 | No. 6 |
| 1988 | 514 | No. 6 |
| 1987 | 443 | No. 11 |
| 1986 | 494 | No. 9 |
| 1985 | 468 | No. 11 |
| 1984 | 444 | No. 12 |
| 1983 | 426 | No. 14 |
| 1982 | 481 | No. 13 |
| 1981 | 501 | No. 11 |
| 1980 | 492 | No. 14 |
| 1979 | 469 | No. 12 |
| 1978 | 431 | No. 14 |
| 1977 | 390 | No. 14 |
| 1976 | 390 | No. 16 |
| 1975 | 327 | No. 23 |
| 1974 | 355 | No. 21 |
| 1973 | 313 | No. 26 |
| 1972 | 278 | No. 28 |
| 1971 | 238 | No. 32 |
| 1970 | 215 | No. 33 |
| 1969 | 188 | No. 43 |
| 1968 | 157 | No. 50 |
| 1967 | 129 | No. 56 |
| 1966 | 129 | No. 56 |
| 1965 | 73 | No. 89 |
| 1964 | 53 | No. 109 |
Niamh 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 Niamh, letter by letter.
- NNion, ash
- IIodhadh, yew
- AAilm, pine
- MMuin, vine
- HUath, hawthorn
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Niamh
Questions about Niamh
- How do you pronounce Niamh?
- Niamh is pronounced NEE-iv. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Niamh mean?
- Niamh means “radiance, lustre, brightness.”
- Is Niamh a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Niamh is a girl's name.
- What is Niamh in English?
- The English forms of Niamh are Neave and Niav.
- How popular is Niamh in Ireland?
- In 2025, Niamh was No. 90 for girls in Ireland, with 54 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1993, at No. 2.