Lucy vs Maeve
Lucy 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Lucy was ranked #16 and Maeve #60 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Lucy was ranked #21 and Maeve #25 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #28 and Maeve #25 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #123 and Maeve #26 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Lucy was ranked #32 and Maeve #38 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Lucy was ranked #38 and Maeve #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Lucy and Maeve over time
Lucy and Maeve appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Lucy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Maeve 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.
Lucy 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Maeve moved ahead of Lucy in England and Wales · Girls — #69 and #94 the year before became #85 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Lucy and Maeve were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Lucy held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Maeve in 32.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #3 in 2016, Maeve #59 in 2000.
The order changed in 1996: Lucy moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #106 and #95; by 1996 that had become #88 and #116.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucy #16, Maeve #60.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lucy held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Maeve in 4.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #7 in 2003, Maeve #26 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Maeve moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #69 and #94; by 2021 that had become #85 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucy #123, Maeve #26.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lucy held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Maeve in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lucy #4 in 2007, Maeve #57 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucy #38, 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 | Lucy | Maeve |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The English form of Lucia, from Latin 'lux' meaning 'light'. In use since the Middle Ages. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluː.si/ | 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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #16 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lucy has a recorded origin (Latin); Maeve does not have one recorded yet.
- Lucy and Maeve both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Lucy; Maeve doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Lucy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #523 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #38 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls