Isla vs Meabh
Isla 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Meabh #351 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Meabh #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Meabh #17 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Meabh #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Meabh over time
Isla and Meabh appear together in 4 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Meabh 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.
Isla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Meabh 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 2009, Isla moved ahead of Meabh in Northern Ireland · Girls — #95 and #91 the year before became #65 and #104.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Meabh #17 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1999–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Meabh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Meabh #952.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Meabh in 9.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Meabh #76 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Meabh #413.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Meabh in 5.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Meabh #17 in 2024.
The order changed in 2009: Isla moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #95 and #91; by 2009 that had become #65 and #104.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Meabh #17.
Scotland · Girls16 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Meabh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Meabh #351 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Meabh #351.
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 | Isla | Meabh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | 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 | Scottish | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈmʲeːw/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Meabh is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Isla has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Meabh's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Meabh a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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