The baby name Nuala is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced NOO-lə (IPA: /ˈnuːlə/).
Nuala is Irish in Origin.
The baby name Nuala is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced NOO-lə (IPA: /ˈnuːlə/).
Nuala is Irish in Origin.
Nuala is an Irish Gaelic name, widely used as the familiar short form of Fionnuala (Gaelic Fionnghuala). It derives from fionn "fair, white" + guala/gualainn "shoulder," yielding the meaning "fair-shouldered" or "white-shouldered." Today it stands as an independent given name, pronounced NOO-lah, and is primarily feminine.
The longer form appears throughout medieval Irish annals among aristocratic families and in the legend of the Children of Lir, where Fionnuala is transformed into a swan. Nuala gained renewed currency during the 20th-century Irish cultural revival and remains common in Ireland and among the diaspora. Related variants and cognates include Fionnuala, Fionnghuala (Gaelic), Finola, Finuala, and Finvola (Anglicised), and Fenella in Scotland and the Isle of Man; diminutive spellings Nula and, sometimes, Nola also occur.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 2024 | #1 | — | 911 |
| Canada | Girls | 2022 | #272 | 9 | 2,867 |
| DK | Girls | 0 | #327 | 3 | 7,429 |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #358 | 2 | 8,829 |
| ZA | 0 | #473 | 2 | 14,421 | |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #525 | 1 | 11,303 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #547 | 1 | 10,981 |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #597 | 1 | 20,968 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #645 | 1 | 11,648 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #902 | 15 | 8,487 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #915 | 1 | 14,098 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #992 | 1 | 12,708 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,014 | 1 | 25,931 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,231 | 6 | 25,928 |
| DZ | 0 | #1,234 | 1 | 20,130 | |
| IT | Girls | 0 | #1,418 | 29 | 9,415 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Nuala is popular in 15 countries — most recent births per country:
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