Girl's name
Neasa
“NASS-a”
uncertain; borne in legend by the mother of a king
The story behind the name
Ness was the formidable mother of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster — and unusually in early literature, he is named for her rather than his father. In one telling she extracted a year's kingship for her infant son by sheer negotiation.
Where the name belongs
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z