Niall

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish Niall or Scottish Gaelic Niall, 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

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

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

• (Lewis) IPA^(key): /ɲĩɤ̃l̪ˠ/, [ɲĩʊ̃l̪ˠ]
• (Uist, Barra) IPA^(key): /ɲial̪ˠ/

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”)