Namewise

Chloe vs Niamh

Chloe 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Chloe was ranked #22 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2000, Chloe was ranked #30 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Chloe was ranked #39 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2024, Chloe was ranked #105 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Chloe was ranked #89 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.

Chloe and Niamh over time

Chloe and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 106 years of shared records. Chloe held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Niamh in 0.

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.

Chloe reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Niamh 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 2017, Niamh moved ahead of Chloe in Northern Ireland · Girls — #22 and #25 the year before became #28 and #18.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Chloe and Niamh changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #105 and #47.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Chloe and Niamh averaged 11.4 places apart, ending at #105 and #47.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Chloe and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #89 and #208.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1974–2025

    Chloe held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Niamh in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1998, Niamh #2 in 1993.

    The order changed in 1998: Chloe moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #9 and #5; by 1998 that had become #1 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Chloe #22, Niamh #90.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Chloe held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Niamh in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1997, Niamh #40 in 2000.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Chloe #89, Niamh #208.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Chloe held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Niamh in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Chloe #1 in 1997, Niamh #5 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2017: Niamh moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #22 and #25; by 2017 that had become #28 and #18.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Chloe #105, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Chloe

Pairs where Chloe shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Niamh

Pairs where Niamh shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Chloe, Niamh
FieldChloeNiamh
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'green shoot', referring to new plant growth in spring; used as an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter.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.
OriginAncient GreekIrish (mythological)
Pronunciation/ˈkloʊi//ˈnʲiːvˠ/
Syllables11
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNeve, Níam
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Girls #7 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Chloe is recorded with a Ancient Greek origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
  • Chloe and Niamh both have 1 syllable.
  • Chloe'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.
  • The available evidence gives Chloe 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

Chloe

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1974

    First recorded at #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #89 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Niamh

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls