Nollaig: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Nollaig is an Irish name for girls and boys meaning “Christmas.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Meaning
- Christmas
- Gender
- Girl or boy
- English forms
- Noel, Noelle
How do you pronounce Nollaig?
Nollaig is pronounced NULL-ig. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Nollaig mean?
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.” As a first name it is a 20th-century creation, an Irish translation of the French Noël, and like Noel it has traditionally been given to children born at Christmas.
It is used for both boys and girls. Well-known bearers include the scholar Nollaig Ó Muraíle, an expert on Irish place names and genealogy, and the fiddle player Nollaig Casey. The word also appears in Nollaig Bheag, “Little Christmas,” the Irish name for the feast of the Epiphany.
Sources: Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), en.wiktionary.org, Behind the Name, Wikipedia.
How popular is Nollaig in Ireland?
Nollaig wasn't in the 2025 tables, which list names given to at least three babies. It was last recorded in 2024, when 3 baby girls got the name. It was most popular in 1978, when 15 baby girls were named Nollaig, No. 258 that year. It first appears in the records in 1969, with 3 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | No. 898 |
| 2022 | 4 | No. 747 |
| 2010 | 3 | No. 910 |
| 2004 | 3 | No. 677 |
| 1997 | 3 | No. 576 |
| 1990 | 4 | No. 446 |
| 1988 | 3 | No. 492 |
| 1985 | 6 | No. 386 |
| 1984 | 3 | No. 516 |
| 1983 | 8 | No. 347 |
| 1982 | 6 | No. 399 |
| 1981 | 7 | No. 363 |
| 1980 | 9 | No. 337 |
| 1979 | 9 | No. 330 |
| 1978 | 15 | No. 258 |
| 1977 | 11 | No. 296 |
| 1976 | 7 | No. 344 |
| 1975 | 10 | No. 297 |
| 1974 | 8 | No. 324 |
| 1973 | 10 | No. 305 |
| 1972 | 8 | No. 312 |
| 1971 | 5 | No. 383 |
| 1970 | 3 | No. 447 |
| 1969 | 3 | No. 443 |
Nollaig 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 Nollaig, letter by letter.
- NNion, ash
- OOnn, gorse
- LLuis, rowan
- LLuis, rowan
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- GGort, ivy
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Nollaig
Questions about Nollaig
- How do you pronounce Nollaig?
- Nollaig is pronounced NULL-ig. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Nollaig mean?
- Nollaig means “Christmas.”
- Is Nollaig a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Nollaig is used for both girls and boys. In Ireland today, most babies given the name are girls.
- What is Nollaig in English?
- The English forms of Nollaig are Noel and Noelle.