Niall

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Niall: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Niall: Recorded every year since 1964, it reached #16 in 1991, and it stood at #244 in 2025.

4registrars recorded it
120times a registrar ranked it
62years from first to last
#16highest recorded position
24groupings it qualifies for
8names it appears alongside

What stands out in Niall's record

Ranked every year since 1964, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 53 years running. Names by top-100 run
Moved 100 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move
Shares a published list with another name across 62 years. Longest shared records

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#106
1997	#109
1998	#116
1999	#111
2000	#122
2001	#138
2002	#128
2003	#162
2004	#201
2005	#189
2006	#215
2007	#242
2008	#256
2009	#284
2010	#286
2011	#298
2012	#286
2013	#280
2014	#295
2015	#353
2016	#395
2017	#383
2018	#414
2019	#435
2020	#431
2021	#514
2022	#592
2023	#625
2024	#613

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in every year from 1964 to 2025.

In 2024: #144 among boys in Northern Ireland, #174 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #246 among boys in Scotland, #613 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1964–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys

Niall appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, which has ranked it in 62 years beginning in 1964, and has registered 13,353 births with the name.

Niall across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Niall's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#47 (1964)	#16 (1991)	#244 (2025)	62 of 62	13,353 (1964–2025)	440 (1991)
England and Wales · Boys	#106 (1996)	#106 (1996)	#613 (2024)	29 of 29	5,746 (1996–2024)	462 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#32 (1997)	#26 (1998)	#144 (2024)	28 of 28	1,444 (1997–2024)	119 (1998)

Niall by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Niall in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	1,163	6 of 10	194
1970s	3,374	10 of 10	337
1980sbusiest	3,607	10 of 10	361
1990s	2,951	10 of 10	295
2000s	1,416	10 of 10	142
2010s	670	10 of 10	67
2020s	172	6 of 10	29

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 1980s were its busiest decade, averaging 361 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1991 and 1992, when recorded births fell by 115, from 440 to 325.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Niall appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1964 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #16 in Republic of Ireland in 1991.

Niall's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	male	#613	62	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#625	57	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#592	63	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#514	76	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#431	93	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#435	94	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#414	102	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#383	118	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#395	111	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#353	130	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#295	155	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#280	165	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#286	161	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#298	148	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#286	160	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#284	151	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#256	169	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#242	172	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#215	190	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#189	225	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#201	184	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#162	259	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#128	344	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#138	304	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#122	354	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#111	426	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#116	400	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#109	411	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#106	462	High	Verified
2024	Northern Ireland	male	#144	15	High	Verified
2023	Northern Ireland	male	#189	11	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	male	#123	21	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	male	#120	22	High	Verified
2020	Northern Ireland	male	#128	21	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	male	#90	33	High	Verified
2018	Northern Ireland	male	#83	35	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	male	#117	24	High	Verified
2016	Northern Ireland	male	#93	33	High	Verified
2015	Northern Ireland	male	#95	32	High	Verified
2014	Northern Ireland	male	#65	46	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	male	#76	41	High	Verified
2012	Northern Ireland	male	#74	46	High	Verified
2011	Northern Ireland	male	#84	40	High	Verified
2010	Northern Ireland	male	#95	35	High	Verified
2009	Northern Ireland	male	#84	39	High	Verified
2008	Northern Ireland	male	#62	58	High	Verified
2007	Northern Ireland	male	#60	55	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	male	#63	52	High	Verified
2005	Northern Ireland	male	#42	67	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	male	#44	63	High	Verified
2003	Northern Ireland	male	#33	82	High	Verified
2002	Northern Ireland	male	#37	79	High	Verified
2001	Northern Ireland	male	#38	84	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	male	#41	79	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	male	#27	110	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	male	#26	119	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	male	#32	102	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	male	#244	19	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#174	29	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#219	21	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#205	25	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#151	38	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#144	40	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#174	32	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#159	37	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#134	46	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#125	53	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#104	69	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#91	85	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#88	87	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#93	86	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#86	91	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	male	#91	84	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	male	#69	113	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#83	98	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#76	99	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#60	126	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	male	#53	147	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	male	#50	152	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	male	#54	128	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	male	#40	175	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	male	#41	179	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	male	#38	199	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	male	#36	197	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	male	#37	174	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	male	#35	254	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	male	#33	257	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	male	#28	290	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	male	#24	303	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	male	#19	342	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	male	#21	325	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	male	#16	440	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	male	#21	369	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	male	#26	310	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	male	#21	350	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	male	#30	327	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	male	#26	362	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	male	#26	346	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	male	#31	327	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	male	#27	379	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	male	#25	403	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	male	#24	410	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	male	#24	393	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	male	#25	373	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	male	#25	362	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	male	#23	370	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	male	#25	359	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	male	#26	368	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	male	#24	350	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	male	#28	319	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	male	#24	331	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	male	#35	265	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	male	#28	277	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	male	#32	252	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	male	#35	225	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	male	#40	184	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	male	#40	176	High	Verified
1965	Republic of Ireland	male	#39	184	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	male	#47	142	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	male	#246	16	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1964 and 2025, ranked in 62 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #16, first reached in 1991.

It held a top-100 place in 55 years, 53 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 462 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 60 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Niah · #842, 28y
Nial · #129, 47y
Niam · #833, 29y
Niamh · #2, 62y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Rodney · #17, 61y
Roisin · #17, 62y
Eoin · #14, 62y
Cara · #19, 60y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Brendan · #16, 62y
Katrina · #16, 63y
Maja · #16, 61y
Ashley · #17, 62y

Comparisons involving Niall

Existing comparison pages where Niall and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Niall in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Kenneth vs Niall
In 1964 they stood at #41 and #47 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2024 they were #785 and #174.
Kenneth · Niall · 60 shared years, 1964–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Republic of Ireland ranking
Brian vs Niall
Brian and Niall changed places 15 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #252 and #244.
Brian · Niall · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Jason vs Niall
Jason and Niall changed places 15 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #135 and #244.
Jason · Niall · 61 shared years, 1965–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Niall and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Callum vs Niall
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Callum moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2005 as Niall fell out of it to #53, having been #50 the year before.
Callum · Niall · 36 shared years, 1989–2025 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 2005 Republic of Ireland ranking
Rory vs Niall
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Rory moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2006 as Niall fell out of it to #63, having been #42 the year before.
Rory · Niall · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 2006 Northern Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Niall
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Samuel moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2003 as Niall fell out of it to #54, having been #40 the year before.
Samuel · Niall · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 2003 Republic of Ireland ranking

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs involving Niall measured in Republic of Ireland's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Niall at its highest position.

Andrew vs Niall
Andrew and Niall changed places 14 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #106 and #244.
Andrew · Niall · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking

Republic of Ireland overview→

Niall was ranked #16 in Republic of Ireland · Boys in 1991. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Niall and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Niall without appearing here.

Niall moved ahead of

Gerard Compare
In 2019 they stood at #174 and #164 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2020 that had become #144 and #280.
Dean Compare
In 2022 they stood at #592 and #585 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2023 that had become #625 and #728.
Christopher Compare
In 2023 they stood at #189 and #153 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2024 that had become #144 and #239.
Mark Compare
In 2017 they stood at #117 and #114 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2018 that had become #83 and #178.

Moved ahead of Niall

Tadhg Compare
In 2022 they stood at #592 and #600 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2023 that had become #625 and #419.
Rian Compare
In 2020 they stood at #431 and #475 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #514 and #352.
Hamish Compare
In 2020 they stood at #431 and #436 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #514 and #401.
Raymond Compare
In 2021 they stood at #514 and #584 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2022 that had become #592 and #492.

Moved the opposite way to Niall

Alexander Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 while Alexander went from #116 to #55.
Benjamin Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 while Benjamin went from #139 to #83.
Conor Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 while Conor went from #56 to #16.
Liam Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 while Liam went from #54 to #7.

Moved the same way as Niall

Alfred Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 and Alfred from #134 to #286.
Denis Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 and Denis from #21 to #232.
Frank Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 and Frank from #164 to #286.
George Compare
Between 1964 and 2025 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Niall went from #47 to #244 and George from #52 to #112.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1964 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #16 in Republic of Ireland in 1991. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Niall

Niall at a glance

What stands out in Niall's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Niall across 3 official records

Niall by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Niall appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Niall

Longest shared records

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Names published alongside Niall

Niall and the names beside it

Niall moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Niall

Moved the opposite way to Niall

Moved the same way as Niall

Niall at a glance

What stands out in Niall's record

Niall across 3 official records

Niall by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Niall appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Niall

Longest shared records

Order changes

Compared inside Republic of Ireland lists

Names published alongside Niall

Niall and the names beside it

Niall moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Niall

Moved the opposite way to Niall

Moved the same way as Niall