Unisex
Arden
English
“valley of the eagle; high”
Mostly girls · Irish
Maeve
“she who intoxicates”
Say it MAYVPronunciation may vary by region.
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A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
Meet Maeve.
Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae and more modern charm than Mavis.
Maeve appears in Irish mythology in two forms, one as the powerful Queen of Connacht, the other as the queen of the fairies. Maeve of Connacht was a warrior queen, famous for starting a war in attempt to steal her ex-husband's stud bull. Other spellings are Meabh, Medb, and Meadhbh, which are connected to mead, a honey-based wine that was produced in many ancient cultures.
Chris O'Donnell, Lili Taylor and Kathryn Erbe used Maeve for their daughters. The Irish author Maeve Binchy also is a well-known bearer. Maeve is the name of one of the lead characters on the HBO show Westworld.
5 lettersIrish origins ↗
A little perspective
How popular is Maeve?
Girls · 2025#763,153 recorded births
Recorded US births over time
● Girls● Boys
View the numbers behind the chart
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Girls | 76 | 3,153 |
| 2024 | Girls | 75 | 3,105 |
| 2023 | Girls | 73 | 3,062 |
| 2022 | Girls | 103 | 2,676 |
| 2021 | Girls | 124 | 2,253 |
| 2020 | Girls | 174 | 1,644 |
| 2019 | Girls | 244 | 1,303 |
| 2018 | Girls | 334 | 973 |
| 2017 | Girls | 360 | 867 |
| 2016 | Girls | 406 | 820 |
| 2015 | Girls | 452 | 703 |
| 2014 | Girls | 487 | 648 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
A few ways to make it theirs.
Nicknames
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
Variations & related forms
MaevaMaebhMedbhMadhbhMeadhbhMeibhMabMaeviMaevyMaiveMaveMayve
Keep the possibilities coming
If you love Maeve…
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