Aisling vs Niamh
Aisling 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 2022, Aisling was ranked #418 and Niamh #26 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #180 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Aisling was ranked #1892 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Aisling and Niamh over time
Aisling and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Niamh held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Aisling in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Aisling reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Niamh in none. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Aisling and Niamh averaged 25.9 places apart, ending at #180 and #90.
- Longest-running competitions
Aisling and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1892 and #208.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Aisling #391 in 1998, Niamh #40 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 62.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #8 in 1991, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #180, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 30.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #391 in 1998, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aisling #1892, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2022
Aisling held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 26.
Highest recorded here: Aisling #60 in 1998, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aisling #418, Niamh #26.
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 | Aisling | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #180 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Niamh has a recorded origin (Irish (mythological)); Aisling does not have one recorded yet.
- Aisling has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- A meaning is recorded for Niamh; Aisling doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Aisling a "medium" Data Confidence level and Niamh a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Aisling
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 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: #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1892 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