Grace vs Niamh
Grace 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 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2000, Grace was ranked #5 and Niamh #94 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Niamh #193 among girls in England and Wales.
Grace and Niamh over time
Grace and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Niamh in 1.
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 Grace 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 2006, Grace moved ahead of Niamh in Northern Ireland · Girls — #22 and #5 the year before became #2 and #12.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Grace and Niamh averaged 24.1 places apart, ending at #1 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Niamh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #4 and #90.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Niamh in 42.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order changed in 2006: Grace moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #14 and #13; by 2006 that had become #7 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Niamh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Niamh #193.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Niamh in 9.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order changed in 2006: Grace moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #22 and #5; by 2006 that had become #2 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, 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 | Grace | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | 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 | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (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 | high | high |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
- Grace has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- Grace'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
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls