Amanda vs Niamh
Amanda 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, Amanda was ranked #354 and Niamh #26 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #608 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Amanda was ranked #983 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Amanda and Niamh over time
Amanda 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, Amanda in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Amanda 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Amanda and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #983 and #208.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #118 and #109 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #608 and #90.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 62.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #15 in 1986, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #608, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 30.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #170 in 1996, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amanda #983, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2022
Amanda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niamh in 15.
Highest recorded here: Amanda #164 in 1998, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Amanda #354, 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 | Amanda | 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 | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #52 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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)); Amanda does not have one recorded yet.
- Amanda has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- A meaning is recorded for Niamh; Amanda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Amanda 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
Amanda
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1980 (recorded 1954–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #983 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