girl's name
Meave
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (Ireland)
- Births on record 78
Ireland
#897
2025 births
Meave is a girl's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 3 babies in Ireland, ranking #897. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
- Meave is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 1973, when 10 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in Ireland.
- Today about 1 in 14,952 babies in Ireland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1968.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Meave over time
Births per decade in Ireland, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 10 |
| 1970s | 29 |
| 1980s | 15 |
| 1990s | 3 |
| 2000s | 3 |
| 2010s | 6 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3 |
How popular is Meave?
In 2025, Meave was given to 3 babies in Ireland, ranking #897 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Meave 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.
Names that peaked alongside Meave
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Meave also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Meave over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Meave
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Meave — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Meave
How popular is the name Meave?
In 2025, Meave was given to 3 babies in Ireland, ranking #897 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Meave a girl's or a boy's name?
Meave is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Meave?
Meave has 1 syllable.
When was Meave most popular?
Meave peaked in 1973, when 10 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Meave a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Meave currently ranks #897 in Ireland. After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.