Eabha vs Mea
Eabha and Meacompared 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 2023, Eabha was ranked #15 and Mea #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Eabha was ranked #62 and Mea #677 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eabha was ranked #1262 and Mea #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Eabha and Mea over time
Eabha and Mea appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Mea held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Eabha 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.
Mea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Eabha 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 · Girls15 shared years, 2004–2024
Eabha held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Mea in 8.
Highest recorded here: Eabha #1262 in 2024, Mea #1119 in 2006.
The order changed in 2017: Eabha moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #4096 and #2966; by 2017 that had become #2201 and #4063.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eabha #1262, Mea #4192.
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 | Eabha | Mea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Traditionally treated as the Irish form of the name Eve, carrying the same underlying sense of 'life' or 'living one'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeːwə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eabha has a recorded origin (Irish); Mea does not have one recorded yet.
- Eabha has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mea.
- A meaning is recorded for Eabha; Mea doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Eabha
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #13 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Mea
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #3225 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #312 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 2012–2023).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls