Iona vs Maeve

Iona 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, Iona was ranked #83 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Iona was ranked #451 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Iona was ranked #544 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Iona was ranked #237 and Maeve #72 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Iona and Maeve over time

Iona and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Maeve held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Iona in 1.

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.

Maeve reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Iona 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Iona held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maeve in 6.
Highest recorded here: Iona #199 in 2000, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Maeve moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #380 and #507; by 2019 that had become #399 and #218.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Iona #451, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Iona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maeve in 27.
Highest recorded here: Iona #168 in 2011, Maeve #58 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Iona #237, Maeve #72.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1988–2025
Iona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maeve in 25.
Highest recorded here: Iona #314 in 2003, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Iona #544, Maeve #60.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Maeve

Pairs where Maeve shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Audrey vs Maeve
In 1964 they stood at #85 and #80 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #885 and #60.
Audrey · Maeve · 56 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Monica vs Maeve
In 1964 they stood at #70 and #80 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #727 and #80.
Monica · Maeve · 53 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Republic of Ireland ranking
Deborah vs Maeve
In 1964 they stood at #76 and #80 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #608 and #60.
Deborah · Maeve · 59 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Katherine vs Maeve
In 1964 they stood at #77 and #80 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #608 and #60.
Katherine · Maeve · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Iona, Maeve
Field	Iona	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	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	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 #544 (2025)	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #38 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Iona and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Iona

Popularity journey

First recorded1988
First recorded at #492 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1988 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 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