Ellen vs Maeve
Ellen 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, Ellen was ranked #541 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #736 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ellen was ranked #150 and Maeve #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ellen was ranked #166 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ellen and Maeve over time
Ellen and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Ellen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Maeve in 0.
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.
Ellen 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 2021, Maeve moved ahead of Ellen in Northern Ireland · Girls — #129 and #158 the year before became #143 and #131.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ellen and Maeve changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #166 and #60.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Ellen and Maeve averaged 39.0 places apart, ending at #166 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Ellen and Maeve were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #166 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ellen #23 in 2002, Maeve #59 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ellen held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Maeve in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #23 in 2002, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order changed in 2022: Maeve moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #101 and #106; by 2022 that had become #101 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ellen #166, Maeve #60.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maeve in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #63 in 1996, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Maeve moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #458 and #507; by 2019 that had become #545 and #218.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #736, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ellen held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maeve in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ellen #21 in 2000, Maeve #57 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Maeve moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #129 and #158; by 2021 that had become #143 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ellen #150, 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 | Ellen | Maeve |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #166 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ellen and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ellen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #29 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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