Niamh vs Pamela
Niamh and Pamelacompared 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 2017, Niamh was ranked #47 and Pamela #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Niamh was ranked #208 and Pamela #2605 among girls in England and Wales.
Niamh and Pamela over time
Niamh and Pamela appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Niamh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Pamela in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Pamela reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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
Niamh and Pamela were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #208 and #2605.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #109 and #116 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2017 they were #47 and #873.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1964–2017
Niamh held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Pamela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Niamh #2 in 1993, Pamela #30 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Niamh #47, Pamela #873.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Niamh held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Pamela in 0.
Highest recorded here: Niamh #40 in 2000, Pamela #891 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Niamh #208, Pamela #2605.
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 | Niamh | Pamela |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish (mythological) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Neve, Níam | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2605 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Niamh has a recorded origin (Irish (mythological)); Pamela does not have one recorded yet.
- Niamh has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Pamela.
- A meaning is recorded for Niamh; Pamela doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Niamh a "high" Data Confidence level and Pamela a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
Pamela
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1964
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1964).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls