Used for girls and boys

Nollaig

“NUL-ig”

'Christmas'

NoelNoelle

The story behind the name

The Irish word for Christmas, used for children born at that season — the exact equivalent of the French Noël, and used for boys and girls alike.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Nollaig?

Nollaig is pronounced “NUL-ig”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Nollaig mean?

Nollaig means 'Christmas'.

Is Nollaig a boy's or a girl's name?

Nollaig is used for both girls and boys in Ireland.

How popular is the name Nollaig in Ireland?

Nollaig was the number 608 girls' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 581 ten years earlier. Its best year was 1981, at number 105. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Nollaig spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Noel, Noelle. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

In the register

#608 for girls in 2025 (#581 in 2015) · best: #105 in 1981
#402 for boys in 2025 (#280 in 2015) · best: #19 in 1966

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

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