UK girl's name
Niobe
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "woman with a beautiful figure".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Niobe is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Niobe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5691, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 4 births.
This profile covers 14 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2004 to 2014. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 14 living people in the UK are called Niobe. 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 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Niobe ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 4 girls were registered as Niobe.
- • About 14 living people in the UK are estimated to have Niobe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5691
2014
Births in 2014
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
4 births
Estimated living
14
2026
Meaning
What does Niobe mean?
The name Niobe originates from Greek mythology and is derived from the ancient Greek word 'niobê' which means 'tear' or 'the mourner'. It is believed to have emerged during the classical antiquity period, around the 8th century BC.
In Greek mythology, Niobe was a daughter of Tantalus and the queen of Thebes. She was known for her pride and boastfulness about her fourteen children, which led to a tragic encounter with the gods Apollo and Artemis. As punishment for her arrogance, they killed all of Niobe's children, leaving her in a state of perpetual mourning and grief, symbolized by her transformation into a weeping rock formation on Mount Sipylus.
The earliest recorded use of the name Niobe can be found in the works of ancient Greek poets and playwrights, such as Homer's Iliad and Aeschylus' tragedy 'Niobe'. The character of Niobe also appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses, a famous collection of mythological tales from ancient Rome.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Niobe. One of the earliest was Niobe of Bithynia, a Greek princess who lived in the 3rd century BC and married the Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great. Another was Niobe, a 4th-century Christian martyr from Paltus, Pamphylia, who was executed for her faith during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire.
In the 16th century, Niobe Simons (1552-1628) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver known for her still-life paintings. During the same period, Niobe Regina Marchionne (1551-1619) was an Italian noblewoman and the wife of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.
More recently, Niobe Ayme (1924-1988) was a French writer and journalist, best known for her autobiographical novel 'La Vie Revee' (The Dreamed Life). Niobe Bryant (born 1949) is an American novelist and poet, known for her works exploring themes of race, gender, and identity.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Niobe, a name steeped in Greek mythology and symbolizing the depths of human grief and mourning.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Niobe over time
The chart below shows babies named Niobe registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Niobe, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2014, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Niobe by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Niobe 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 | #5691 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4362 | 11 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Niobe
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Niobe: questions and answers
How popular is the name Niobe in the UK right now?
In 2014, Niobe was ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Niobe most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 4 babies registered as Niobe in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Niobe?
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "woman with a beautiful figure".
How many people are called Niobe in the UK?
A total of 14 babies have been registered as Niobe across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.