Leanne vs Meabh
Leanne 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 2010, Leanne was ranked #366 and Meabh #73 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Leanne was ranked #883 and Meabh #299 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Leanne was ranked #2115 and Meabh #952 among girls in England and Wales.
Leanne and Meabh over time
Leanne and Meabh appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Leanne held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Meabh in 1.
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.
Leanne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Meabh moved ahead of Leanne in Northern Ireland · Girls — #84 and #98 the year before became #119 and #110.
- Longest-running competitions
Leanne and Meabh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 44 years, from 1976 to 2021, ending at #883 and #299.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls44 shared years, 1976–2021
Leanne held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Meabh in 17.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #26 in 1990, Meabh #76 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Leanne #883, Meabh #299.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1999–2024
Leanne held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Meabh in 4.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #144 in 1999, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Meabh moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1687 and #3447; by 2021 that had become #1962 and #1286.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leanne #2115, Meabh #952.
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2010
Leanne held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Meabh in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leanne #84 in 1998, Meabh #73 in 2010.
The order changed in 1999: Meabh moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #84 and #98; by 1999 that had become #119 and #110.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Leanne #366, Meabh #73.
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 | Leanne | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmʲeːw/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Leanne does not have one recorded yet.
- Leanne has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Leanne doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Leanne
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1986
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1957–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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