Nuala
Girl name · 235 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Nuala: 235 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 14 births in 2016.
A name of Irish and Scottish Gaelic origin, Nuala is a shortened form of Fionnuala, meaning “fair-shouldered” or “white-shouldered.” In Irish mythology, Fionnuala was one of the Children of Lir, transformed into a swan for 900 years. The full name gained wider recognition through the 19th-century English poet Matthew Arnold’s poem _The Forsaken Merman_, though Nuala herself has been carried by notable Irish figures like Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, a celebrated poet writing in Irish, and Nuala O’Loan, the first Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. While spoken mainly in Ireland and Scotland, the name has no direct Scottish place connections but shares its root with Fionn. Nuala offers a lyrical, feminine alternative to the longer Fiona, and its gentle sound has made it quietly popular in both countries for decades.
Girl 34 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 201614 babies
- Latest (2025)
- #3878 babies
- Total births
- 235since 1975
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y