Kay vs Meabh
Kay 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 2015, Kay was ranked #896 and Meabh #83 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Kay was ranked #3970 and Meabh #1142 among girls in England and Wales.
Kay and Meabh over time
Kay and Meabh appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Kay held the stronger position in more years in 1 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.
Kay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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
Kay and Meabh changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1999 and 2022, ending at #3970 and #1142.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 1999–2022
Kay held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Meabh in 5.
Highest recorded here: Kay #721 in 1999, Meabh #1142 in 2022.
The order changed in 2018: Meabh moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #2706 and #4063; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #1711.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Kay #3970, Meabh #1142.
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 | Kay | Meabh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmʲeːw/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3970 (2022) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Kay does not have one recorded yet.
- Kay and Meabh both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Kay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Kay
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #286 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1963
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1963).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3970 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
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 #413 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls