Ashley vs Meabh
Ashley and Meabhcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ashley was ranked #432 and Meabh #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ashley was ranked #443 and Meabh #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #1406 and Meabh #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashley and Meabh over time
Ashley and Meabh appear together in 3 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Meabh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ashley in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ashley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Meabh 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Meabh moved ahead of Ashley in Northern Ireland · Girls — #127 and #139 the year before became #187 and #98.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ashley and Meabh changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1976 and 2025, ending at #443 and #413.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashley and Meabh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 48 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #443 and #413.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls48 shared years, 1976–2025
Ashley held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Meabh in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #128 in 1995, Meabh #76 in 2017.
The order changed in 2023: Meabh moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #389 and #458; by 2023 that had become #404 and #296.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ashley #443, Meabh #413.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1999–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Meabh in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #256 in 1999, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Meabh moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #941 and #1288; by 2024 that had become #1406 and #952.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #1406, Meabh #952.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2017
Ashley held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Meabh in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #127 in 1997, Meabh #44 in 2017.
The order changed in 1998: Meabh moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #127 and #139; by 1998 that had become #187 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ashley #432, Meabh #44.
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 | Ashley | Meabh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The modern Irish form of the older name Medb (Anglicised 'Maeve'), traditionally associated with the mythological warrior-queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmʲeːw/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Ashley does not have one recorded yet.
- Ashley has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Ashley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ashley
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 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 recorded1985–2011
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Meabh
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #392 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls