Caoimhe
Say it: KEE-va/ˈkiːvʲə/
GirlIrishMeans dear, gentle7 letters2 syllables
#31
in Ireland (2025)
130
babies in 2025
#12
best rank (2003)
9,160
babies since 1966
Down 11
10-year rank change
Caoimhe through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 130 | #31 |
| 2024 | 135 | #31 |
| 2023 | 162 | #27 |
| 2022 | 193 | #24 |
| 2021 | 183 | #25 |
| 2020 | 163 | #28 |
| 2019 | 226 | #17 |
| 2018 | 190 | #25 |
| 2017 | 223 | #23 |
| 2016 | 256 | #19 |
| 2015 | 252 | #20 |
| 2014 | 242 | #25 |
| 2013 | 292 | #19 |
| 2012 | 334 | #16 |
| 2011 | 398 | #14 |
| 2010 | 323 | #24 |
| 2009 | 326 | #21 |
| 2008 | 355 | #16 |
| 2007 | 361 | #17 |
| 2006 | 363 | #15 |
| 2005 | 345 | #17 |
| 2004 | 357 | #12 |
| 2003 | 357 | #12 |
| 2002 | 272 | #20 |
| 2001 | 274 | #19 |
| 2000 | 253 | #22 |
| 1999 | 236 | #22 |
| 1998 | 184 | #24 |
| 1997 | 252 | #25 |
| 1996 | 161 | #40 |
| 1995 | 171 | #34 |
| 1994 | 124 | #45 |
| 1993 | 123 | #48 |
| 1992 | 103 | #61 |
| 1991 | 105 | #66 |
| 1990 | 82 | #86 |
| 1989 | 73 | #95 |
| 1988 | 79 | #85 |
| 1987 | 64 | #106 |
| 1986 | 56 | #111 |
| 1985 | 42 | #140 |
| 1984 | 54 | #124 |
| 1983 | 36 | #167 |
| 1982 | 36 | #169 |
| 1981 | 34 | #188 |
| 1980 | 23 | #220 |
| 1979 | 28 | #197 |
| 1978 | 25 | #211 |
| 1977 | 22 | #215 |
| 1976 | 16 | #248 |
| 1975 | 13 | #262 |
| 1974 | 16 | #249 |
| 1973 | 11 | #292 |
| 1972 | 9 | #300 |
| 1971 | 9 | #289 |
| 1970 | 5 | #363 |
| 1966 | 3 | #380 |
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 Caoimhe mean?
Dear, gentle
Irish, from caomh (dear, gentle, precious).
Say it right
KEEva
In Irish "ao" sounds like "ee" and "mh" like "v". In parts of Ulster it is often said KWEE-va.
Not:KAY-oh-mee
The story of Caoimhe
Caoimhe comes from the Irish adjective caomh, meaning “dear”, “gentle” or “precious”. The word goes back to Old Irish cóem, and further to a root meaning “of the home” or “belonging to the family”. Caoimhín, the Irish form of Kevin, is built on the same word. Keeva is an English spelling.
Well-known bearers include the Northern Ireland politician Caoimhe Archibald.
Caoimhe grew slowly through the 1970s and 1980s and became a big name in the 1990s. It reached number 12 in 2003, and again in 2004, its best rank. The most girls were named Caoimhe in 2011, when there were 398. In 2025 it was number 31. In Northern Ireland its best rank was 25th, in 2003. The CSO counts Caoimhe and Caoímhe separately; these figures combine them.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Caoimhe (Irish proper noun)
- Wiktionary: caomh (Irish adjective)
- Wikipedia: Caoimhe
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland, full name list 1997-2025
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Caoimhe | 130 | 9,149 |
| Caoímhe | under 3 | 11 |
In Northern Ireland
#74 in 2025 with 28 babies. Best rank #25 (2003); 1,832 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.