Maeve vs Mary
Maeve and Marycompared 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, Maeve was ranked #25 and Mary #315 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Maeve was ranked #26 and Mary #329 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Maeve was ranked #57 and Mary #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Maeve was ranked #60 and Mary #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Maeve and Mary over time
Maeve and Mary appear together in 3 published lists, across 120 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Maeve in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Maeve 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 2021, Maeve moved ahead of Mary in Northern Ireland · Girls — #158 and #129 the year before became #131 and #152.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Maeve and Mary changed places 11 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #57 and #134.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Maeve and Mary averaged 33.3 places apart, ending at #57 and #134.
- Longest-running competitions
Maeve and Mary were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #26 and #329.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Maeve held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Mary in 58.
Highest recorded here: Maeve #59 in 2000, Mary #1 in 1964.
The order changed in 2023: Maeve moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #98 and #87; by 2023 that had become #80 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maeve #60, Mary #112.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Maeve held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Mary in 23.
Highest recorded here: Maeve #26 in 2024, Mary #118 in 1997.
The order changed in 2019: Maeve moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #507 and #259; by 2019 that had become #218 and #289.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maeve #26, Mary #329.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Maeve held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Mary in 16.
Highest recorded here: Maeve #57 in 2024, Mary #53 in 1997.
The order changed in 2021: Maeve moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #158 and #129; by 2021 that had become #131 and #152.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Maeve #57, Mary #134.
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 | Maeve | Mary |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maeve and Mary 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
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
Mary
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #67 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls