Niamh: meaning and UK use

What does Niamh mean?

Niamh is an Irish name with a mythological association. The source records several Irish pronunciations; the IPA example is one, not a universal family preference.

Language or name family covered

Irish

Meaning or derivation

Bright

Our browsing group

girl; international, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Niamh

Pronunciation and related forms

/ˈnʲiːvˠ/ (Irish IPA)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Neve, Níam. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Niamh?

In 2025, 228 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Niamh, making it the 208th most popular girls’ name. That is down 15 places on 2024, when it ranked 193rd. It has slipped from 109th in 2015, 99 places in ten years. Its best year in the ONS series was 2000, at 40th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

208th

2025 registrations

228

Best rank in this series

40th (2000)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Niamh: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	208	228
2024	193	251
2023	173	297
2022	169	300
2021	136	362
2020	136	366
2019	131	387
2018	128	406
2017	111	492
2016	109	525
2015	109	525
2014	103	554
2013	90	596
2012	84	672
2011	81	733
2010	78	777
2009	76	824
2008	70	958
2007	69	901
2006	63	932
2005	50	1,110
2004	48	1,178
2003	56	991
2002	54	956
2001	49	1,047
2000	40	1,204
1999	47	1,194
1998	66	837
1997	86	591
1996	120	381

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 20,575. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Niamh

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Aishainternational, classic · Living or alive
• Isabellaclassic, international · A form of Isabel
• Laylainternational, classic · Night
• Maeveinternational · Intoxicating
• Orlainternational · An anglicised form of Órlaith
• Sofiainternational, classic · A form of Sophia

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Niamh, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.