Pronunciation
Noo-la
Meaning
White shoulder
Related forms: Fionnuala (full form).
Alternate spellings
Fionnuala; Finola
Fun fact
Nuala is a shortened form of Fionnuala. Fionn means fair or white, and guala means shoulder. Fionnuala is one of the four children in the Children of Lir story, who are turned into swans for 900 years. We all learn this story in school!
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Nuala, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | 3 | #898 |
| 2023 | 3 | #856 |
| 2022 | 5 | #634 |
| 2021 | 4 | #764 |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2018 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2013 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2012 | 3 | #907 |
| 2011 | 3 | #937 |
| 2010 | 4 | #758 |
| 2009 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2008 | 4 | #750 |
| 2007 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2006 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2005 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2004 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2003 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2002 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2001 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2000 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1999 | 5 | #392 |
| 1998 | 4 | #425 |
| 1997 | 4 | #496 |
| 1996 | 7 | #356 |
| 1995 | 9 | #310 |
| 1994 | 6 | #374 |
| 1993 | 10 | #300 |
| 1992 | 3 | #523 |
| 1991 | 10 | #300 |
| 1990 | 8 | #336 |
| 1989 | 14 | #250 |
| 1988 | 15 | #252 |
| 1987 | 11 | #296 |
| 1986 | 18 | #220 |
| 1985 | 19 | #227 |
| 1984 | 16 | #242 |
| 1983 | 28 | #187 |
| 1982 | 30 | #185 |
| 1981 | 36 | #180 |
| 1980 | 44 | #159 |
| 1979 | 47 | #153 |
| 1978 | 46 | #147 |
| 1977 | 41 | #164 |
| 1976 | 36 | #167 |
| 1975 | 50 | #145 |
| 1974 | 59 | #129 |
| 1973 | 77 | #112 |
| 1972 | 67 | #118 |
| 1971 | 86 | #100 |
| 1970 | 71 | #110 |
| 1969 | 63 | #111 |
| 1968 | 90 | #78 |
| 1967 | 66 | #100 |
| 1966 | 68 | #93 |
| 1965 | 91 | #71 |
| 1964 | 68 | #90 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.