Malena vs Meabh
Malena 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 2007, Malena was ranked #842 and Meabh #110 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Malena was ranked #4645 and Meabh #1142 among girls in England and Wales.
Malena and Meabh over time
Malena and Meabh appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Meabh held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Malena 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.
Malena 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2003–2022
Malena held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Meabh in 7.
Highest recorded here: Malena #2464 in 2014, Meabh #1142 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Meabh moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #3252 and #4103; by 2016 that had become #4096 and #2233.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Malena #4645, 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 | Malena | 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 | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #465 (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); Malena does not have one recorded yet.
- Malena has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Malena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Malena
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #676 among girls in Norway in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1989–2024
Highest recorded position: #305 among girls in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1989–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #465 among girls in Norway, in 2024.
Norway · 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