UK girl's name
Eithne
A feminine Irish name meaning "kernel" or "kernel of a seed".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2015. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Eithne is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Eithne popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2015 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3252, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 7 births.
This profile covers 50 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2015. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Eithne is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 53 living people in the UK are called Eithne. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2016 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Eithne ranked #3252 for girls in England and Wales in 2015, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 7 girls were registered as Eithne.
- • Eithne ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #653 in 1997.
- • About 53 living people in the UK are estimated to have Eithne as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3252
2015
Births in 2015
7
Latest year
Peak year
2015
7 births
Estimated living
53
2026
Meaning
What does Eithne mean?
The name Eithne has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language and culture. It is derived from the Old Irish word "etan," which means "kernel" or "grain." The name is believed to have been in use as far back as the 6th century AD in Ireland.
Eithne was a relatively common name in medieval Ireland, particularly among the upper classes and royalty. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Saint Eithne, also known as Saint Ethna or Ethnea, who lived in the 5th or 6th century AD. She was the mother of Saint Columba, one of the most influential Irish missionaries and monastic founders.
In Irish mythology, Eithne was also the name of a legendary queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the supernatural race of beings who inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. According to the mythological tales, she was the wife of Midir, a prominent figure in Irish folklore.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Eithne. One of the most famous was Eithne the Fair, also known as Eithne Úathach, a legendary Irish queen who ruled over the province of Leinster in the 2nd century AD. She was renowned for her beauty and is mentioned in several ancient Irish texts, including the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions).
Another historical figure with the name Eithne was Eithne ingen Báetáin, an Irish princess who lived in the 7th century AD. She was the daughter of Báetán mac Muirchertaigh, a King of the Uí Cheinnselaigh dynasty, and is mentioned in various Irish annals and genealogies.
In more recent times, Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (1961-2012) was an Irish singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the popular Celtic music group Clannad. She was also an accomplished solo artist and was highly regarded for her distinctive vocal style and contributions to Irish traditional music.
While the name Eithne is not as common today as it once was, it has maintained a presence in Irish culture and continues to be used, particularly in areas with strong Irish heritage and traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Eithne over time
The chart below shows babies named Eithne registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2015. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Eithne, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2015, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eithne by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Eithne was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4392 | 15 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3945 | 23 | 6 |
| 1990s | #3342 | 12 | 3 |
Geography
Where Eithne is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Eithne. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Eithne ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #653 in 1997.
Across the UK
Eithne in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#653 in 1997
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Eithne
-
Eithne Nightingale
Related
Names similar to Eithne
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Eithne: questions and answers
How popular is the name Eithne in the UK right now?
In 2015, Eithne was ranked #3252 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Eithne most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 7 babies registered as Eithne in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Eithne?
A feminine Irish name meaning "kernel" or "kernel of a seed".
How many people are called Eithne in the UK?
A total of 50 babies have been registered as Eithne across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Eithne most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Eithne ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #653 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.