Amelia vs Niamh
Amelia 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #3 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2000, Amelia was ranked #42 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Amelia and Niamh over time
Amelia and Niamh appear together in 4 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, and Amelia 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Amelia moved ahead of Niamh in Northern Ireland · Girls — #33 and #21 the year before became #4 and #29.
- Mirrored each other
Over 50 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Amelia rose about as far as Niamh fell — from #63 and #120 in 1996 to #3 and #208 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 50 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3 and #208.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #7 in 2024, Niamh #76 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Niamh in 42.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order changed in 2012: Amelia moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #32 and #30; by 2012 that had become #12 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls50 shared years, 1996–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Niamh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #3, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Niamh in 14.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order changed in 2012: Amelia moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #33 and #21; by 2012 that had become #4 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Niamh #47.
Scotland · Girls26 shared years, 2024–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Niamh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Niamh #76 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Niamh #76.
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 | Amelia | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | 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 | Latin (influence) | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
- Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- Amelia'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
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 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