Ayan vs Meabh
Ayan 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ayan was ranked #898 and Meabh #441 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ayan was ranked #2411 and Meabh #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Ayan and Meabh over time
Ayan and Meabh appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Ayan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meabh in 0.
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.
Ayan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ayan and Meabh changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1999 and 2024, ending at #2411 and #952.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1999–2024
Ayan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Meabh in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ayan #1151 in 2002, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Meabh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #2925 and #4063; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #1711.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ayan #2411, Meabh #952.
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 | Ayan | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmʲeːw/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Ayan does not have one recorded yet.
- Ayan and Meabh both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Ayan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ayan
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #574 among girls in Norway in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #193 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
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