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Niamh

HeartNEEV, NEE-uv
Irish Gaelic
"bright"

Niamh Origin and Meaning

The name Niamh is a girl's name of Irish, Irish Gaelic origin meaning "bright".

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.

Niamh is particularly popular choice in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales. Niamh Cusack is part of the acting family that also includes Sinead (wife of Jeremy Irons), Sorcha and Padraig. Americans have recently become better acquainted with Niamh via the heroine of Christina Baker Kline's bestselling novel Orphan Train.

Here, the Anglicized Neve would undoubtedly prove simpler, if less intriguing. Actress Neve Campbell pronounces her name (a family name) "NEV", and Neve is the daughter of Conan O'Brien.

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Niamh Popularity

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Famous People Named Niamh

  • Niamh CusackIrish actress
  • Niamh KavanaghIrish singer
  • Niamh McGradyNorthern Irish actress
  • Niamh O'BrienIrish dancer, wife of Riverdance costar Michael Flatley
  • Niamh WilsonCanadian actress
  • Niamh PerryNorthern Irish actress and singer
  • Niamh FaheyIrish footballer
  • Niamh Ní CharraIrish fiddler
  • Niamh Nicole RippinBritish gymnast

Niamh in Pop Culture

  • Niamhheroine of Christina Baker Kline's novel "Orphan Train"
  • Niamh of the Golden Hairprincess of Tir na nOg, a fanatical island to the west of Ireland where nobody ever grows old