Boy's name
Niall
“NEE-al (Ulster NYAL)”
IPA: /n̠ʲiəl̪ˠ/
possibly 'champion' or 'cloud'; disputed
Why it is said that way
NEE-al in Ireland, one syllable NYE-al in Scotland and often NEEL in England. The Irish name behind Neil and Nigel.
The story behind the name
Niall Noígíallach, Niall of the Nine Hostages, is the 5th-century king from whom the Uí Néill dynasties, and thus the O'Neills and O'Donnells, claimed descent. Genetic studies have found a Y-chromosome signature carried by a remarkable share of men in the north-west, consistent with one very prolific early medieval lineage.
Its age
Associated with AD 450 — Patrick & the Rise of the Uí Néill.
See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗
Surnames built on this name
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