Cara vs Maeve
Cara 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #196 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #454 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Cara was ranked #33 and Maeve #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Cara was ranked #52 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Cara and Maeve over time
Cara and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Cara held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Maeve 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.
Cara 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 1998, Cara moved ahead of Maeve in Northern Ireland · Girls — #85 and #83 the year before became #78 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Cara and Maeve were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 60 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #52 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1966–2025
Cara held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maeve in 38.
Highest recorded here: Cara #27 in 2023, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order changed in 2004: Cara moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #86 and #77; by 2004 that had become #73 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cara #52, Maeve #60.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maeve in 6.
Highest recorded here: Cara #140 in 2001, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Maeve moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #295 and #507; by 2019 that had become #305 and #218.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #454, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Cara held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Maeve in 1.
Highest recorded here: Cara #19 in 2007, Maeve #57 in 2024.
The order changed in 1998: Cara moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #85 and #83; by 1998 that had become #78 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cara #33, 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 | Cara | Maeve |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Genuinely dual-sourced: an Italian word meaning 'beloved', or independently an Irish word meaning 'friend' — Behind the Name records both without resolving between them. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑɹ.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Caragh | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Cara has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Italian, possibly Irish); Maeve does not have one recorded yet.
- Cara and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cara; Maeve doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Cara a "high" Data Confidence level and Maeve a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Cara
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #344 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — 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: #19 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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