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.
Side by side
| Field | Chloe | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly 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. |
| Origin | Ancient Greek | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊi/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #7 (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 | medium | high |
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
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
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #89 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