Baby Name of the Day: Niamh

The baby name Niamh blends Irish roots with a surprisingly global reach.

Thanks to Mercedes for suggesting Niamh as Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME NIAMH MEAN?

The baby name Niamh is borrowed from legend. In Irish mythology, she’s a beautiful, golden-tressed princess, the daughter of a god. 

The name means bright, but her story is sad.

Niamh of the Golden Hair falls for the poet Oisín, and he loves her right back. They make their home together in the Land of Youth, but Oisín grows homesick. Niamh hasn’t explained that time works differently in the land. Oisín thinks he’s only been away a few weeks. So when Niamh sends him off for a visit home, with instructions to never, ever leave his magical horse or let his feet touch the ground, well … Oisín doesn’t get it.

You can imagine the rest. He disembarks, and all those 300 years hit him like a freight train. Instantly transformed into an old man, Oisín lives just long enough to tell his story. Niamh comes searching for him, but he’s already dead.

The tale is a tearjerker, but that hasn’t troubled Irish parents. Niamh has appeared in modern Ireland’s Top 100 for decades, and was a Top Ten favorite during the 1990s.

PRONOUNCING IRISH NAMES

The Irish language, sometimes called Gaelic or Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge, boasts centuries of written history. During the eighteenth century, the language declined, replaced by English. But by the late nineteenth century, a Gaelic revival including culture and language, took shape. 

The impact on names must have been significant. This 1886 newspaper called for readers to submit Gaelic names, and received an absolute deluge of responses. 

Sure enough, Niamh – along with the more phonetic Neeve – appears on the list.

By the early 1900s, the name was increasing in use. Over the decades, politicians and actresses, athletes and writers have all answered to the name. Folk singer Niamh Parsons is internationally known. 

Maybe because so many Americans claim Irish descent – a little less than 10% as of 2021 – Irish names have always been popular. But plenty of Ryans, Erins, and Liams aren’t named for their heritage. Irish names have simply become mainstream favorites.

Factor in plenty of Irish celebrities with traditional Gaelic names, and Americans do a not-too-shabby job of pronouncing many common choices reasonably well. Siobhan, for example, or Saoirse, often feel familiar in the English-speaking world.

Niamh, though, isn’t quite in that category.

It’s also potentially pronounced two ways. It could rhyme with Eve and Steve, or Kev and Bev. More on that in a minute.

MAEVE AND NEVE

With Irish favorite Maeve on the rise across the English-speaking world, as well as Ireland, Northern Ireland, and parts of Western Europe, Niamh seems like it could follow.

The single-syllable neev, rhymes with Steve, Eve, and weave, is the preferred Irish pronunciation.

But how could you spell that for an American audience?

Neave is occasionally seen.

But Neve seems like the obvious choice, the one used by the very Irish Conan O’Brien for his daughter in 2003.

Except there’s one little issue.

NEVE CAMPBELL

Probably the best known Neve in the United States says her name nev – rhymes with rev rather than leave.

Neve Campbell isn’t Irish. She’s Dutch-Canadian. Her mother, Marnie Neve Campbell, was born in Amsterdam. As a Duth surname, Neve means nephew. (Presumably, it was given to somebody whose uncle was a big deal.) 

Campbell’s career has been a long one, from Party of Five to the Scream franchise. 

Render Niamh as Neve, and odds are you won’t hear neev.

NIEVE AND NIEVES

Nieve is another possible respelling, but this takes us in yet another direction. It’s the Spanish for snow, and is pronounced nee AY veh. Pretty, but if you were hoping for an Irish heritage choice, probably not what you had in mind.

And neve? It’s the Portuguese word for the fluffy white stuff. 

In French, névé is a scientific term for a particular type of snow that helps form glaciers, sometimes translated snowfield. (Neige is the French word snow.)

This is yet another reason you might hear a Neve-like name in use. The Marian title Nuestra Señora de las Nieves refers to a specific miracle once attributed to the Virgin Mary.

It’s said that a couple prayed to Mary for guidance during the fourth century. She responded by causing a snowstorm in Rome at the peak of an August summer. The image is lovely, but it’s almost certainly a legend, not based in fact.

Nevertheless, artwork and churches named in honor of the miracle can be found throughout the world, and it’s particularly common as a surname and sometimes given name in Spanish-speaking countries. Neves is heard in places where Portuguese dominates.

It’s another layer of meaning for this intriguing choice.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME NIAMH?

In the US, the baby name Niamh has never broken into the US Top 1000. As of 2023, just 33 girls were named Niamh.

Neve has fared slightly better, with 66 girls receiving the name in 2023. In addition:

• Nine girls were named Neave
• Another five were named Neeve
• Neeva and Nieve also appear near the bottom of the list.

It’s very occasionally Anglicized as Nia, particularly in Welsh. However, Nia means “purpose” in Swahili. It has Arabic roots and a strong association with Kwanzaa’s seven principles. As a first name, Nia reads less like an Irish heritage choices.

ROMANTIC AND STRONG

As Gaelic names go, the baby name Niamh could be the perfect choice for parents seeking something that fits in and stands out. It’s far less common than Maeve, but with the same strength and history.

Of course, using the spelling Neve might make life a little easier. Or not. It feels like the pronunciation of Niamh would be familiar in the UK. In the US, Neve would still require clarification.

And yet, if you’re looking for baby name inspiration from Ireland, Niamh might be the perfect name. It’s bright (literally), strong, and uncommon. But once you teach everyone in your world how to pronounce it, it’s also quite easy to wear.

Still not convinced? Tuck in the middle name spot instead of Rose or Grace. 

But radiant Niamh seems like it’s on the right side of wearable and still nicely surprising.

What do you think of the baby name Niamh?

First published on February 8, 2010, this post was revised on April 14, 2025.