Niall

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish or Scottish Gaelic, ultimately from Old Irish Níall, of uncertain original meaning. Suggestions include nél (“cloud”) and niadh (“champion”), which is from Proto-Indo-European *h₃neyd- (“to revile”). Doublet of Neil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪəl/, /niːl/
• Rhymes: -aɪəl, -iːl

Proper noun

Niall

1. A male given name from Irish or Scottish Gaelic used in Ireland and Scotland since the Middle Ages.

Related terms

• Neal
• Neil
• McNeil, McNeill "son of Niall"

Anagrams

• Llani, all in, all-in, in all, nilla

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish Níall, of uncertain original meaning. Suggestions include nél (“cloud”) and niadh (“champion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [n̠ʲiəl̪ˠ]

Proper noun

Niall m (genitive Néill)

1. a male given name from Old Irish

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “Niall”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish Níall, of uncertain original meaning. Suggestions include nél (“cloud”) and niadh (“champion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲiaɫ̪/

Proper noun

Niall m (genitive Nèill, vocative a Nèill)

1. a male given name from Old Irish, equivalent to English Neil

Derived terms

• MacNèill (“McNeil”)
• Niall gun chiall (“gormless person”)