Abigail vs Maeve
Abigail and Maevecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Abigail was ranked #57 and Maeve #25 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #102 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #154 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #55 and Maeve #38 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abigail was ranked #80 and Maeve #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abigail was ranked #115 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Abigail and Maeve over time
Abigail and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Maeve in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Abigail reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Maeve in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Maeve moved ahead of Abigail in England and Wales · Girls — #87 and #94 the year before became #105 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Abigail and Maeve were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 54 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #115 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls54 shared years, 1969–2025
Abigail held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maeve in 32.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abigail #115, Maeve #60.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Maeve in 4.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Maeve moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #87 and #94; by 2021 that had become #105 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #154, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Abigail held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Maeve in 3.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #29 in 2005, Maeve #57 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Maeve moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #73 and #79; by 2023 that had become #115 and #72.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abigail #80, Maeve #57.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Maeve |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Maeve.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Maeve
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2020–2023
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2020–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls