Namewise

Ashleigh vs Maeve

Ashleigh 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.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Ashleigh was ranked #2788 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2021, Ashleigh was ranked #764 and Maeve #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2016, Ashleigh was ranked #440 and Maeve #137 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Ashleigh and Maeve over time

Ashleigh and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Maeve held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ashleigh in 1.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Ashleigh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Maeve in none. 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.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Ashleigh and Maeve were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2788 and #26.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ashleigh #87 in 1997, Maeve #58 in 1999.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1997 they stood at #87 and #83 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2016 they were #440 and #137.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 19712021

    Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maeve in 37.

    Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #162 in 1995, Maeve #59 in 2000.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Ashleigh #764, Maeve #106.

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 19962025

    Ashleigh held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Maeve in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #58 in 1996, Maeve #26 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2016: Maeve moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #478 and #620; by 2016 that had become #655 and #638.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Ashleigh #2788, Maeve #26.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 19972016

    Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maeve in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #87 in 1997, Maeve #58 in 1999.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2016: Ashleigh #440, Maeve #137.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Ashleigh, Maeve
FieldAshleighMaeve
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #2788 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #26 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)53/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Ashleigh and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Ashleigh

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1971

    First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1986–2005

    Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2005).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2788 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Maeve

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded2020–2023

    Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2020–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #26 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls