Bláthnaid
Say it: BLAW-nid
GirlIrishMythologyMeans little flower9 letters2 syllables
#273
in Ireland (2025)
#276 with spellings combined
15
babies in 2025
#186
best rank (2006)
594
babies since 1965
Up 260
10-year rank change
Bláthnaid through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #276 |
| 2024 | 22 | #200 |
| 2023 | 14 | #279 |
| 2022 | 17 | #257 |
| 2021 | 18 | #252 |
| 2020 | 7 | #485 |
| 2019 | 16 | #284 |
| 2018 | 11 | #385 |
| 2017 | 9 | #432 |
| 2016 | 7 | #518 |
| 2015 | 7 | #536 |
| 2014 | 13 | #353 |
| 2013 | 21 | #246 |
| 2012 | 13 | #372 |
| 2011 | 12 | #396 |
| 2010 | 18 | #294 |
| 2009 | 17 | #284 |
| 2008 | 19 | #272 |
| 2007 | 21 | #233 |
| 2006 | 25 | #186 |
| 2005 | 17 | #232 |
| 2004 | 15 | #242 |
| 2003 | 8 | #362 |
| 2002 | 7 | #374 |
| 2001 | 13 | #254 |
| 2000 | 8 | #325 |
| 1999 | 6 | #356 |
| 1998 | 12 | #229 |
| 1997 | 13 | #275 |
| 1996 | 7 | #356 |
| 1995 | 7 | #352 |
| 1994 | 3 | #502 |
| 1993 | 9 | #320 |
| 1992 | 6 | #391 |
| 1991 | 6 | #393 |
| 1990 | 9 | #321 |
| 1989 | 12 | #272 |
| 1988 | 10 | #304 |
| 1987 | 7 | #362 |
| 1986 | 6 | #388 |
| 1985 | 5 | #421 |
| 1984 | 11 | #298 |
| 1983 | 8 | #347 |
| 1982 | 3 | #523 |
| 1981 | 4 | #471 |
| 1980 | 7 | #370 |
| 1979 | 6 | #391 |
| 1978 | 3 | #522 |
| 1977 | 8 | #348 |
| 1976 | 3 | #497 |
| 1975 | 5 | #406 |
| 1974 | 7 | #340 |
| 1973 | 22 | #218 |
| 1971 | 7 | #326 |
| 1970 | 6 | #326 |
| 1969 | 3 | #443 |
| 1965 | 3 | #385 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Bláthnaid mean?
Little flower
Irish, from bláth (flower), the modern form of the old name Bláthnat.
Say it right
BLAWnid
The "th" is silent.
Not:BLATH-nayd
The story of Bláthnaid
Bláthnaid is the modern form of Bláthnat, from bláth, flower, with a small ending, so it means “little flower”. Bláthíne is a related form.
In the Ulster Cycle, Bláthnat is a king’s daughter taken in a raid. She loves Cú Chulainn, but Cú Roí claims her as his wife. Later she pours milk into the River Finnglas as a signal that her husband is at home, and Cú Chulainn comes and kills him. Cú Roí’s poet Ferchertne takes revenge by leaping from a cliff and taking her with him. Scholars have compared her with Blodeuwedd, the woman made of flowers in Welsh legend. A well-known modern bearer is the broadcaster Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh.
The name appears in the CSO lists from 1965. The CSO printed no fadas before 2018, so most of the older figures are for Blathnaid. Its best year was 2006, with 25 girls. In 2025 it was number 273 on the CSO list, and in Northern Ireland it was number 205 that year.
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Bláthnat
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Bláthnaid | 15 | 120 |
| Blathnaid | under 3 | 474 |
In Northern Ireland
#205 in 2025 with 8 babies. Best rank #168 (2011); 136 babies since 1998.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.