Girls · #76 in 2025
Maeve: Meaning, Origin & Popularity
- Origin
- Irish
- Meaning
- Intoxicating
- Pronunciation
- MAYV
- Nickname options
- Usually used in full
Origin and meaning
Maeve is an English form of the Irish name Medb, associated with the meaning intoxicating. Medb is a queen in Irish mythology. The name's story is therefore older and more substantial than its brief modern spelling might suggest.
U.S. popularity
Maeve ranked #76 for girls in the United States in 2025, with 3,153 girls given this spelling. Its highest recorded U.S. rank was #73, reached in 2023. Historical coverage: 1880–2025. Peak refers to rank, not the largest number of births.
Source: Social Security Administration; historical peaks calculated from its national name files. Rankings count each spelling separately within the listed sex.
The Hello Baby Names take
Maeve feels compact and distinctive, with a soft opening and a decisive V at the end. It has a quiet strength rather than a showy sound. It suits parents who want a short name with a strong historical identity.
Things to consider
The AE represents one vowel sound in the usual English pronunciation. Maeve is a single syllable, even though its spelling may initially suggest more to somebody unfamiliar with the name. Despite ranking in the top 100, Maeve is a name I get questions about often - there are a number of people who haven't yet heard the name Maeve.
If you love Maeve, consider…
- Quinn: Offers another concise, tailored sound.
- Ivy: Keeps the V but adds a lighter ending.
- Nora: Brings a softer two-syllable alternative.
- Claire: Shares the clean, composed feeling.
- Mabel: Adds a warmer vintage rhythm.
- Maren: Offers a similarly restrained sound.
- Eve: Condenses the soft opening and final V.
- Violet: Expands the vivid consonant into a longer name.