Isabell vs Meabh
Isabell 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 2021, Isabell was ranked #883 and Meabh #299 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Isabell was ranked #1719 and Meabh #1229 among girls in England and Wales.
Isabell and Meabh over time
Isabell and Meabh appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Isabell reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1999–2025
Isabell held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Meabh in 6.
Highest recorded here: Isabell #635 in 2011, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Meabh moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1556 and #3447; by 2021 that had become #2942 and #1286.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isabell #1719, Meabh #1229.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2004–2021
Isabell held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Meabh in 14.
Highest recorded here: Isabell #505 in 2007, Meabh #76 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Isabell #883, Meabh #299.
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 | Isabell | 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 | /ˈmʲeːw/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #321 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Isabell does not have one recorded yet.
- Isabell has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Isabell doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Isabell
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #547 among girls in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in Norway, in 2012 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1719 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls