Bo vs Meabh
Bo 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 2018, Bo was ranked #896 and Meabh #387 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Bo was ranked #2689 and Meabh #1288 among girls in England and Wales.
Bo and Meabh over time
Bo and Meabh appear together in 1 published list, across 17 years of shared records. Bo 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.
Bo 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 2002–2023
Bo held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Meabh in 4.
Highest recorded here: Bo #654 in 2012, Meabh #1142 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Meabh moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1846 and #3447; by 2021 that had become #2341 and #1286.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bo #2689, Meabh #1288.
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 | Bo | 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, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #129 (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); Bo does not have one recorded yet.
- Bo and Meabh both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Bo doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Bo
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #294 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #129 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #129 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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