Aimee vs Niamh
Aimee and Niamhcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Aimee was ranked #179 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2000, Aimee was ranked #58 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Aimee was ranked #541 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aimee was ranked #885 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Aimee was ranked #1809 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Aimee and Niamh over time
Aimee and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Niamh held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Aimee in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Niamh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Aimee in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Niamh moved ahead of Aimee in England and Wales · Girls — #70 and #76 the year before became #80 and #78.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aimee and Niamh changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #1809 and #208.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Aimee and Niamh averaged 56.6 places apart, ending at #179 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Aimee and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1809 and #208.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Aimee #9 in 2004, Niamh #5 in 2005.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls49 shared years, 1977–2025
Aimee held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 49.
Highest recorded here: Aimee #46 in 2005, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aimee #885, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Aimee held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Niamh in 24.
Highest recorded here: Aimee #47 in 2004, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order changed in 2010: Niamh moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #70 and #76; by 2010 that had become #80 and #78.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aimee #1809, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aimee held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 28.
Highest recorded here: Aimee #9 in 2004, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aimee #179, Niamh #47.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aimee | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A variant of Amy, influenced by the French Aimée, carrying associations of love ('beloved'). | Traditionally interpreted as 'bright' or 'radiant'. In Irish mythology, Niamh was daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir, who fell in love with the poet Oisín. |
| Origin | French, cognate with Amy | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.mi/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amy, Aimée | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Aimee is recorded with a French, cognate with Amy origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
- Aimee has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- Aimee's recorded meaning differs from Niamh's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Aimee
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #429 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1809 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Niamh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls