Marcella vs Meabh
Marcella 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 2023, Marcella was ranked #856 and Meabh #296 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Marcella was ranked #1362 and Meabh #1229 among girls in England and Wales.
Marcella and Meabh over time
Marcella and Meabh appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Marcella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1976–2023
Marcella held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Meabh in 14.
Highest recorded here: Marcella #160 in 1976, Meabh #88 in 2012.
The order changed in 1988: Meabh moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #242 and #348; by 1988 that had become #359 and #304.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marcella #856, Meabh #296.
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1999–2025
Marcella held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Meabh in 5.
Highest recorded here: Marcella #1259 in 2021, Meabh #952 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Meabh moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1259 and #1286; by 2022 that had become #2488 and #1142.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Marcella #1362, Meabh #1229.
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 | Marcella | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1362 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Marcella does not have one recorded yet.
- Marcella has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Meabh.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Marcella doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Marcella
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #138 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1362 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls