Janet vs Meabh
Janet 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Janet was ranked #344 and Meabh #110 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Janet was ranked #896 and Meabh #387 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Janet was ranked #4867 and Meabh #1229 among girls in England and Wales.
Janet and Meabh over time
Janet and Meabh appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Janet 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Janet and Meabh changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1999 and 2025, ending at #4867 and #1229.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1976–2018
Janet held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Meabh in 16.
Highest recorded here: Janet #124 in 1979, Meabh #88 in 2012.
The order changed in 1992: Meabh moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #237 and #273; by 1992 that had become #338 and #282.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Janet #896, Meabh #387.
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1999–2025
Janet held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Meabh in 9.
Highest recorded here: Janet #1192 in 2002, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Meabh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #3583 and #4063; by 2018 that had become #3985 and #1711.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Janet #4867, Meabh #1229.
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 | Janet | 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4867 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Janet does not have one recorded yet.
- Janet has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Janet doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Janet
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #308 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 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