girl's name
Grainne
GRAWN-yuh (Irish)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (Ireland)
- Births on record 6,398
Ireland
#167
as Gráinne, 2025
Grainne is a girl's name with 2 syllables. In 2007 it was given to 6 babies in the United States. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in Ireland.
- Grainne is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 1982, when 202 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in Ireland.
- First appears in birth records in 1964.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Grainne Over Time
Births per decade in Ireland, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 718 |
| 1970s | 1,484 |
| 1980s | 1,519 |
| 1990s | 1,004 |
| 2000s | 719 |
| 2010s | 275 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 125 |
How Popular Is Grainne?
In 2018, Grainne was given to 3 babies in Ireland. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in Ireland.
Where Grainne Is Used
Irish figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. The Central Statistics Office began recording the síneadh fada in 2018, so accented and unaccented spellings are counted separately from that year on. Data & sources.
How Grainne Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Gráinne | Gráinne is Grainne written with a fada in Ireland, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #167 in Ireland, against #1,039 for Grainne. | 156 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Grainne
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Grainne Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Grainne over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Grainne
- Irish GRAWN-yuh /ˈɡɹɔːnjə/
Grainne in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Gráinne
Sibling Names for Grainne
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Grainne — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Grainne
How popular is the name Grainne?
In 2018, Grainne was given to 3 babies in Ireland. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in Ireland.
Is Grainne a girl's or a boy's name?
Grainne is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Grainne?
Grainne has 2 syllables.
When was Grainne most popular?
Grainne peaked in 1982, when 202 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Grainne a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Grainne currently ranks #167 in Ireland. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.