Daithi: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Daithi is an Irish boy's name meaning “swiftness, nimbleness.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Daithí
- Meaning
- Swiftness, nimbleness
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- David
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 59 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Daithi?
Daithi is pronounced DAH-hee. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. Other spellings: Dahey and Dahy.
What does Daithi mean?
It is an old Irish name meaning “swiftness, nimbleness.” Daithi, the last pagan king of Ireland, ruled from 405 AD to 426 AD, and he had twenty-four sons. Along with Crimhthan the Great (366 A.D.) and Niall of the Nine Hostages (379 A.D.) (read the legend) Daithi led Irish fleets to raid the Roman Empire. He was killed by lightning in the Alps and is buried under a standing stone called “King Daithi’s Stone.” As in all these matters there is debate over where the stone is located, either in County Roscommon or on the Aran Islands, off the coast of County Galway.
How popular is Daithi in Ireland?
In 2025, 94 baby boys in Ireland were named Daithí, which made it No. 59 that year. Another 91 were registered as Daithi or Dáithí. That's up from No. 93 ten years earlier. It first appears in the records in 1973, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | No. 59 (Daithí) |
| 2024 | 136 | No. 80 (Daithí) |
| 2023 | 144 | No. 75 (Daithí) |
| 2022 | 145 | No. 80 (Daithí) |
| 2021 | 144 | No. 78 (Daithí) |
| 2020 | 102 | No. 105 (Daithí) |
| 2019 | 93 | No. 116 (Daithí) |
| 2018 | 108 | No. 120 (Daithí) |
| 2017 | 102 | No. 71 (Daithi) |
| 2016 | 87 | No. 81 (Daithi) |
| 2015 | 78 | No. 93 (Daithi) |
| 2014 | 74 | No. 102 (Daithi) |
| 2013 | 69 | No. 102 (Daithi) |
| 2012 | 61 | No. 116 (Daithi) |
| 2011 | 78 | No. 100 (Daithi) |
| 2010 | 79 | No. 93 (Daithi) |
| 2009 | 60 | No. 124 (Daithi) |
| 2008 | 52 | No. 139 (Daithi) |
| 2007 | 49 | No. 130 (Daithi) |
| 2006 | 28 | No. 166 (Daithi) |
| 2005 | 14 | No. 231 (Daithi) |
| 2004 | 12 | No. 233 (Daithi) |
| 2003 | 11 | No. 245 (Daithi) |
| 2002 | 8 | No. 267 (Daithi) |
| 2000 | 6 | No. 274 (Daithi) |
| 1999 | 4 | No. 330 (Daithi) |
| 1997 | 4 | No. 337 (Daithi) |
| 1996 | 4 | No. 336 (Daithi) |
| 1993 | 5 | No. 275 (Daithi) |
| 1988 | 5 | No. 254 (Daithi) |
| 1987 | 3 | No. 303 (Daithi) |
| 1982 | 4 | No. 286 (Daithi) |
| 1977 | 3 | No. 333 (Daithi) |
| 1976 | 4 | No. 288 (Daithi) |
| 1974 | 3 | No. 321 (Daithi) |
| 1973 | 3 | No. 320 (Daithi) |
Daithi in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Daithi, letter by letter.
- DDair, oak
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- TTinne, holly
- HUath, hawthorn
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Daithi
Questions about Daithi
- How do you pronounce Daithi?
- Daithi is pronounced DAH-hee. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Daithi mean?
- Daithi means “swiftness, nimbleness.”
- Is Daithi a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Daithi is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Daithi in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Daithí. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Daithi in English?
- The English form of Daithi is David.
- How popular is Daithi in Ireland?
- In 2025, Daithí was No. 59 for boys in Ireland, with 94 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. That's the highest it has ever ranked.