Aoibheann
Say it: EE-van[ˈiːvʲən̪ˠ]
GirlIrish9 letters2 syllables
#180
in Ireland (2025)
#183 with spellings combined
26
babies in 2025
#59
best rank (2012)
1,968
babies since 1971
Down 100
10-year rank change
Aoibheann through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #183 |
| 2024 | 32 | #145 |
| 2023 | 40 | #118 |
| 2022 | 42 | #126 |
| 2021 | 47 | #117 |
| 2020 | 53 | #102 |
| 2019 | 74 | #80 |
| 2018 | 76 | #81 |
| 2017 | 95 | #67 |
| 2016 | 82 | #80 |
| 2015 | 78 | #83 |
| 2014 | 88 | #77 |
| 2013 | 85 | #76 |
| 2012 | 115 | #59 |
| 2011 | 106 | #69 |
| 2010 | 92 | #76 |
| 2009 | 88 | #79 |
| 2008 | 102 | #71 |
| 2007 | 67 | #91 |
| 2006 | 78 | #76 |
| 2005 | 51 | #109 |
| 2004 | 37 | #130 |
| 2003 | 40 | #121 |
| 2002 | 23 | #170 |
| 2001 | 30 | #140 |
| 2000 | 31 | #132 |
| 1999 | 26 | #142 |
| 1998 | 20 | #173 |
| 1997 | 22 | #200 |
| 1996 | 23 | #192 |
| 1995 | 17 | #224 |
| 1994 | 18 | #212 |
| 1993 | 16 | #234 |
| 1992 | 13 | #269 |
| 1991 | 8 | #338 |
| 1990 | 8 | #336 |
| 1989 | 9 | #315 |
| 1988 | 11 | #290 |
| 1987 | 9 | #329 |
| 1986 | 6 | #388 |
| 1985 | 14 | #254 |
| 1984 | 9 | #320 |
| 1983 | 6 | #401 |
| 1982 | 7 | #369 |
| 1981 | 6 | #386 |
| 1980 | 3 | #542 |
| 1979 | 7 | #363 |
| 1978 | 6 | #388 |
| 1977 | 5 | #429 |
| 1975 | 6 | #379 |
| 1974 | 5 | #393 |
| 1973 | 4 | #449 |
| 1972 | 3 | #471 |
| 1971 | 3 | #466 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Aoibheann mean?
Uncertain; usually linked with aoibhinn (delightful)
Irish, from the Old Irish name Aíbinn.
Say it right
EEvan
"Aoi" sounds like "ee" and "bh" like "v".
Not:OY-bee-anAY-oh-bin
The story of Aoibheann
Aoibheann is an Irish name that goes back to the Old Irish Aíbinn. Its exact meaning is not certain. It is usually connected with aoibhinn, delightful, and with aoibh, a word for beauty or a pleasant look, and those two words are related to each other. Aoibhinn and Aoibhín are closely related names, and the CSO counts each of them separately.
The name is old. Irish annals record several women called Aíbinn in the 10th and 11th centuries.
Aoibheann reached the CSO list in 1971 and grew through the 1990s and 2000s. In 2012 it had its best year, with 115 girls, when it reached number 59. It has been popular in Northern Ireland too, where its best place was number 50 in 2015. There it has held up better recently: in 2025 it was number 106 in Northern Ireland, well ahead of its place in the Republic.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Aoibheann
- Wiktionary: aoibhinn (Irish adjective)
- Wiktionary: aoibh (Irish noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Aoibheann | 26 | 1,968 |
In Northern Ireland
#106 in 2025 with 20 babies. Best rank #50 (2015); 629 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.