Girl's name
Caoimhe
Say it KEE-vuh
Irish origin beautiful, precious
2 syllables
Where Caoimhe is loved, common and rare
Common across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Rare in Scotland and England and Wales.
1 in 163 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Ireland 31stNorthern Ireland 75thScotland 284th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 4 of the 40 official lists, among them Ireland (31st), Northern Ireland (75th) and Scotland (284th).
Show all 4 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 31st 2025 | 130 | 1 in 163 |
| Northern Ireland | 75th 2025 | 28 | 1 in 260 |
| Scotland | 284th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 1,491 |
| England and Wales | 1110th 2025 | 30 | 1 in 8,443 |
Rare, below the listed names: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Sources: Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales). How we count, and every source
About the name
Caoimhe is an Irish name meaning 'beautiful, precious'. Keeva and Keavy are related forms that spell out its sound in the English way.
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It has two syllables, said KEE-vuh. The spelling follows Irish rules, where the combination mh is said like a v, so the written form looks very different from the sound. Keeva and Keavy show the pronunciation more plainly to English readers.
It is a firmly Irish choice: a top-40 name in Ireland, where it is most common, and inside the top 80 in Northern Ireland, with a smaller following in Scotland. It has eased slightly in some of the places where it is listed, but it remains a well-established name in Ireland rather than a passing trend.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- KEE-vuh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
beautiful, precious
- Origin
- Irish
- Other spellings
- Keeva
- Keavy
Over time
Over five years: falling in 2 of 4 regions, rising in none.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 714 | 899 | 815 | 806 | 821 | 957 | 876 | 1169 | 1302 | 1110 |
| Scotland | 191 | 229 | 213 | 248 | 220 | 286 | 248 | 263 | 275 | 284 |
| Northern Ireland | 39 | 64 | 43 | 54 | 56 | 51 | 61 | 62 | 70 | 75 |
| Ireland | 19 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 31 | 31 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1110 | 30 | 11.8 |
| 2024 | 1302 | 25 | 9.7 |
| 2023 | 1169 | 28 | 10.9 |
| 2022 | 876 | 40 | 15.2 |
| 2021 | 957 | 36 | 13.1 |
| 2020 | 821 | 44 | 16.4 |
| 2019 | 806 | 46 | 16.4 |
| 2018 | 815 | 46 | 16.0 |
| 2017 | 899 | 42 | 14.0 |
| 2016 | 714 | 57 | 18.6 |
| 2015 | 702 | 57 | 18.5 |
| 2014 | 699 | 56 | 18.3 |
| 2013 | 639 | 64 | 20.7 |
| 2012 | 663 | 62 | 19.3 |
| 2011 | 681 | 57 | 17.7 |
| 2010 | 790 | 46 | 14.3 |
| 2009 | 958 | 34 | 10.8 |
| 2008 | 817 | 41 | 13.0 |
| 2007 | 764 | 43 | 14.0 |
| 2006 | 869 | 34 | 11.4 |
| 2005 | 769 | 37 | 12.8 |
| 2004 | 1158 | 20 | 7.0 |
| 2003 | 1129 | 20 | 7.2 |
| 2002 | 1066 | 20 | 7.5 |
| 2001 | 1063 | 19 | 7.1 |
| 2000 | 993 | 21 | 7.7 |
| 1999 | 864 | 25 | 8.9 |
| 1998 | 995 | 21 | 7.3 |
| 1997 | 926 | 23 | 7.8 |
| 1996 | 1031 | 19 | 6.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Sister names for Caoimhe
1 in 90 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 270 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 145 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Roise.
1 in 114 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 164 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 134 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Orlaith and Orlagh.
1 in 86 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 69 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 399 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
1 in 704 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Caoimhe.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Aoibhín and Aoibheann.
Middle names for Caoimhe
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Caoimhe Grace
2-1 beats · initials CG
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Caoimhe Olivia
2-4 beats · initials CO · Caoimhe slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Caoimhe slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Caoimhe Sophia
2-3 beats · initials CS
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Caoimhe Maria
2-3 beats · initials CM
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Caoimhe Rose
2-1 beats · initials CR
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Caoimhe Emily
2-3 beats · initials CE · Caoimhe slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Caoimhe slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Caoimhe Julia
2-3 beats · initials CJ
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Caoimhe Miriam
2-3 beats · initials CM
Changes the beat after Caoimhe: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Caoimhe
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 399 in Ireland
99% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 145 in Ireland
98% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 486 in Northern Ireland
98% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 155 in Northern Ireland
97% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 346 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 813 in Ireland
95% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 90 in Northern Ireland
94% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
1 in 270 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Caoimhe across countries and decades.
Questions about Caoimhe
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Caoimhe?
Her best rank is No. 31 in Ireland in 2025, about 1 in 163 girls. She is in the published lists of 4 of our 40 regions.
What does Caoimhe mean?
Wiktionary glosses Caoimhe as "beautiful, precious".
How do you pronounce Caoimhe?
KEE-vuh, with 2 syllables.
Is Caoimhe getting more popular?
Over five years: falling in 2 of 4 regions, rising in none.
Which sister names go with Caoimhe?
The deck's top five sisters for Caoimhe: Meabh, Niamh, Roisin, Saoirse and Sadhbh. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.