Naoise
Say it: NEE-sha/ˈn̪ˠiːʃə/
Girl and boyIrishMythology6 letters2 syllables
#118
in Ireland (2025)
#120 with spellings combined
39
babies in 2025
#120
best rank (2004)
1,108
babies since 1971
Up 84
10-year rank change
Naoise through the years
Compare with another name →girlsboys
Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 39 | #120 | 65 | #90 |
| 2024 | 37 | #125 | 31 | #158 |
| 2023 | 30 | #162 | 36 | #150 |
| 2022 | 35 | #150 | 25 | #200 |
| 2021 | 32 | #153 | 26 | #201 |
| 2020 | 29 | #164 | 27 | #183 |
| 2019 | 44 | #130 | 20 | #235 |
| 2018 | 24 | #207 | 27 | #205 |
| 2017 | 32 | #165 | 21 | #244 |
| 2016 | 36 | #153 | 21 | #237 |
| 2015 | 26 | #204 | 13 | #329 |
| 2014 | 44 | #133 | 10 | #382 |
| 2013 | 47 | #131 | 22 | #245 |
| 2012 | 29 | #193 | 18 | #267 |
| 2011 | 30 | #194 | 20 | #256 |
| 2010 | 32 | #191 | 14 | #301 |
| 2009 | 45 | #139 | 15 | #292 |
| 2008 | 39 | #159 | 16 | #275 |
| 2007 | 44 | #135 | 16 | #247 |
| 2006 | 45 | #122 | 13 | #257 |
| 2005 | 31 | #148 | 13 | #239 |
| 2004 | 41 | #120 | 11 | #244 |
| 2003 | 28 | #155 | 14 | #207 |
| 2002 | 23 | #170 | 8 | #267 |
| 2001 | 27 | #152 | 6 | #297 |
| 2000 | 31 | #132 | 7 | #250 |
| 1999 | 26 | #142 | 7 | #241 |
| 1998 | 27 | #136 | 8 | #222 |
| 1997 | 14 | #263 | 5 | #303 |
| 1996 | 28 | #170 | 11 | #208 |
| 1995 | 21 | #195 | 7 | #241 |
| 1994 | 5 | #411 | 5 | #263 |
| 1993 | 11 | #286 | 5 | #275 |
| 1992 | 16 | #238 | 8 | #222 |
| 1991 | 7 | #365 | - | - |
| 1990 | 4 | #446 | 3 | #323 |
| 1989 | 5 | #408 | - | - |
| 1988 | 5 | #407 | 4 | #271 |
| 1987 | 5 | #417 | 5 | #249 |
| 1986 | 7 | #356 | - | - |
| 1985 | - | - | 3 | #304 |
| 1983 | 4 | #476 | 3 | #330 |
| 1982 | 3 | #523 | - | - |
| 1981 | 5 | #423 | - | - |
| 1979 | 3 | #523 | - | - |
| 1977 | - | - | 3 | #333 |
| 1975 | 4 | #455 | - | - |
| 1973 | 4 | #449 | 3 | #320 |
| 1971 | 4 | #417 | - | - |
| 1970 | - | - | 4 | #278 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Naoise mean?
Uncertain
Irish, an old name from the Ulster Cycle whose meaning has not been explained.
Say it right
NEEsha
In Irish, "ao" sounds like "ee", and the slender "s" before "e" is said "sh".
Not:NAY-oh-seeNOYSE
The story of Naoise
Naoise is an old Irish name, but nobody has a solid explanation of what it means. It is best known from one of the saddest stories in Irish legend.
In the Ulster Cycle, Naoise is one of the three sons of Uisneach. Deirdre, who was being raised to marry the ageing King Conchobar, fell for him and the pair fled to Scotland with his brothers. Conchobar later promised them safe return, broke his word, and had Naoise and his brothers killed. The tale of Deirdre and the sons of Uisneach was retold by Yeats and Synge, among others.
In the legend Naoise is a man, but in Ireland the name has been used for both sexes. For most of the CSO record girls outnumbered boys, with a high of 47 girls in 2013. That changed in 2025, when 65 boys were given the name, lifting it to number 88 on the boys’ list, well ahead of the 39 girls that year. Northern Ireland saw the same shift that year, with 25 boys and 13 girls.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Naoise (Irish proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Deirdre
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Naoise | 39 | 1,108 |
In Northern Ireland
#146 in 2025 with 13 babies. Best rank #146 (2025); 212 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Naoise is also given to boys: 599 since 1970, 65 in 2025.