Niall

nye-al

Irish

"cloud"

Niall Origin and Meaning

The name Niall is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "cloud".

Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool.

This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most famous of whom was the powerful semi-mythological fifth century king known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, ancestor of all the O'Neills and MacNeills that followed.

Niall Ferguson is a respected English historian, one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2004.

Niall Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 741 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Niall

• 741 Nameberry 2025
• 819 Unique 2023
• 634 England 2023
• 92 Ireland 2014

20 Names Similar to Niall

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Niall.

• Anders
• Leland
• Eliott
• Callahan
• Finnigan
• Calum
• Vance
• Lochlan
• Brennan
• Corbin
• Barrett
• Donovan
• Westley
• Vaughn
• Judah
• Kellen
• Harlan
• Quinton
• Finneas
• Quentin

Famous People Named Niall

• Niall McGinn Northern Irish footballer
• Niall of the Nine Hostages High King of Ireland
• Niall James Horan Irish singer
• Niall Campbell Douglas Ferguson Scottish historian
• Niall John Quinn Irish footballer
• Niall Matter Canadian actor
• Niall Joseph Sheehy Irish actor
• Niall Macfarlane Mackenzie Scottish motorcycle racer
• Niall John O'Brien Irish cricketer
• Niall MacGinnis Irish actor

The name Niall in Pop Culture

• Niall Ardanach young emperor of Mor Ardain in the game "Xenoblade Chronicles 2"
• Niall Brigant fairy on TV's "True Blood"
• Niall Character in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr
• Niall Mithrilen character in "Sims" series
• Niall Rafferty character on British soap "Hollyoaks"