Kayla vs Maeve
Kayla 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, Kayla was ranked #171 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Kayla was ranked #386 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Kayla was ranked #253 and Maeve #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Kayla was ranked #130 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Kayla and Maeve over time
Kayla and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Kayla held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Maeve 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.
Kayla reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Maeve 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kayla and Maeve changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1998 and 2024, ending at #253 and #57.
- Longest-running competitions
Kayla and Maeve were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #386 and #26.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1991–2025
Kayla held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Maeve in 17.
Highest recorded here: Kayla #21 in 2011, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kayla #130, Maeve #60.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Kayla held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maeve in 7.
Highest recorded here: Kayla #98 in 2011, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Maeve moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #323 and #507; by 2019 that had become #329 and #218.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kayla #386, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1998–2024
Kayla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Maeve in 12.
Highest recorded here: Kayla #40 in 2011, Maeve #57 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kayla #253, Maeve #57.
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 | Kayla | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #130 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #26 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kayla and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Kayla
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1986–2014
Highest recorded position: #18 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2014).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #386 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #26 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls