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Aoibh

Say it: EEV/ˈiːvʲ/

GirlIrishMeans beauty, or a pleasant smile5 letters1 syllable

#189

in Ireland (2025)

#192 with spellings combined

23

babies in 2025

#149

best rank (2021)

485

babies since 1998

Up 72

10-year rank change

Aoibh through the years

Compare with another name →
Aoibh: babies per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025010203040196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series changePeak 2021: 33
Aoibh: rank per year in Ireland, 1964 to 2025#1#10#50#100#250#500196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Aoibh: per 10,000 girls per year in Ireland, 1964 to 202505101520196419701980199020002010202020251998: CSO series change
Babies per 10,000 girls listed by the CSO that year, which evens out changes in the number of births.
Show the numbers
YearBabies (girls)Rank
202523#192
202421#212
202332#150
202233#156
202133#149
202025#186
201923#215
201825#198
201720#241
201617#273
201519#264
201417#291
201319#266
201214#355
201114#342
201015#333
200910#441
200816#311
200711#375
200613#303
200513#277
200415#242
20036#439
200214#254
200118#204
20008#325
19997#323
19984#426

Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.

★ What does Aoibh mean?

Beauty, or a pleasant smile

Irish, from the word aoibh (beauty, a pleasant look), from Old Irish oíb.

Say it right

EEV

In Irish, "aoi" sounds like "ee" and "bh" sounds like "v".

Not:OYVAY-oh-iv

The story of Aoibh

Aoibh is an Irish word as well as a name. In older, literary Irish it means form or beauty, and in everyday use it is a smile or a pleasant expression. It goes back to Old Irish oíb, meaning appearance or beauty. The same root is found in aoibhinn (delightful), and it is linked to the name Aoife.

Several names are built on this word. The CSO counts Aoibhe and Aoibheann as separate names, so each has its own page.

Aoibh has been given to a small, steady number of Irish girls since the late 1990s. Its best year was 2021, with 33 babies, when it reached number 149. In 2025, 23 girls were named Aoibh. It is also used in Northern Ireland, where it was number 146 in 2025.

Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Sources
  • Wiktionary: aoibh (Irish noun)
  • CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
  • NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland

At a glance

Similar names

AoifeAoibheAoibheannSadhbh

Sibling ideas

TadhgFionnOisín

Spellings counted here

Spelling2025All years
Aoibh23485

In Northern Ireland

#146 in 2025 with 13 babies. Best rank #135 (2023); 206 babies since 2000.

Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.

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