Cathy vs Meabh
Cathy 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 2017, Cathy was ranked #873 and Meabh #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Cathy was ranked #439 and Meabh #91 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Cathy was ranked #5785 and Meabh #2233 among girls in England and Wales.
Cathy and Meabh over time
Cathy and Meabh appear together in 1 published list, across 38 years of shared records. Meabh held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathy 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.
Cathy 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1995, Meabh moved ahead of Cathy in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #198 and #240 the year before became #261 and #162.
- Longest-running competitions
Cathy and Meabh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1976 to 2017, ending at #873 and #76.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1976–2017
Cathy held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Meabh in 22.
Highest recorded here: Cathy #168 in 1986, Meabh #76 in 2017.
The order changed in 1995: Meabh moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #198 and #240; by 1995 that had become #261 and #162.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Cathy #873, Meabh #76.
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 | Cathy | Meabh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #873 (2017) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Cathy does not have one recorded yet.
- Cathy has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Cathy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Cathy
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1960–1965
Highest recorded position: #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1965 (recorded 1960–1965).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
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