NNameRarity
Browse A–ZRarestPopularHinduOriginsSikhJainBuddhist
🦋 RareGirl nameIrish (Gaelic)

Niamh

“Radiance, brightness”

1 syllable · 5 letters

About the name Niamh

Niamh is a fixture in Ireland and a spelling puzzle almost everywhere else, since nothing on the page hints at the single syllable it makes. In myth she is the golden-haired rider who carries Oisín off to Tír na nÓg, which lends it a permanently otherworldly pull.

Niamh is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, pronounced NEEV. On the NameRarity scale it scores 72 out of 100, which places it in the rare band — recognisable but seldom used. Distinctive without needing to be spelled out twice. Its strongest period was the 1990s.

Associated with
luminousfree-spiritedplayfulloyal

Name facts at a glance

Meaning
Radiance, brightness
Origin
Irish (Gaelic)
Gender
Girl
Pronunciation
NEEV
Syllables
1
Letters
5
US rank
Outside top 1000
Peak era
1990s
Rarity
72 / 100
Per million
~13
Starts with
N
Numerology
9 · The Humanitarian

How popular is Niamh?

Popularity28/100
Rarity72/100

Niamh currently falls outside the US top 1,000, which is a large part of why it scores so highly for rarity. Roughly 13 people per million carry it — about 1 in 76,923. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect not to find a single one.

Famous people named Niamh

  • Niamh Cusack
    Irish stage and television actress
  • Niamh Algar
    Irish film and television actress

Spellings and variants of Niamh

NeveNeaveNiam

Names similar to Niamh

Very Rare

Aoife

EE-fah

Beautiful, radiant

Irish (Gaelic)88% rare
Very Rare

Oona

OO-nah

Lamb

Irish (Gaelic)86% rare
Very Popular

Liam

LEE-um

Resolute protector, strong-willed warrior

Irish (Gaelic)2% rare
Rare

Navya

NUV-yah

New, young, worth praising

Hindi72% rare
Very Rare

Niall

NYE-ul

Cloud, champion

Irish (Gaelic)78% rare
Popular

Nora

NOR-ah

Honour, light

Irish (Gaelic)18% rare
Very Rare

Dulce

DOOL-say

Sweet

Spanish81% rare
Very Rare

Fiadh

FEE-uh

Wild, of the wild deer

Irish (Gaelic)89% rare
Browse all 1,284 names →

Niamh — frequently asked questions

What does the name Niamh mean?

Niamh means "Radiance, brightness". It is a name of Irish (Gaelic) origin, most often given to a girl.

How do you pronounce Niamh?

Niamh is pronounced NEEV, with 1 syllable.

How rare is the name Niamh?

Niamh scores 72 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it rare. Roughly 1 in every 76,923 people carry it — about 13 per million.

What is the numerology number for Niamh?

Niamh carries the expression number 9, known as The Humanitarian. Its soul urge number is 1 and its personality number is 8.

What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Niamh?

The lucky number for Niamh is 9 (with 18, 27, 36 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Coral Flame. The traditional lucky day is Tuesday and the associated gemstone is Bloodstone.