Meabh vs Milly
Meabh and Millycompared 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 2013, Meabh was ranked #89 and Milly #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Meabh was ranked #351 and Milly #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Meabh was ranked #458 and Milly #747 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Meabh was ranked #952 and Milly #686 among girls in England and Wales.
Meabh and Milly over time
Meabh and Milly appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Milly 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 · Girls21 shared years, 2000–2022
Meabh held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Milly in 0.
Highest recorded here: Meabh #76 in 2017, Milly #304 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Meabh #458, Milly #747.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1999–2024
Meabh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Milly in 19.
Highest recorded here: Meabh #952 in 2024, Milly #130 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Meabh #952, Milly #686.
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 | Meabh | Milly |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The modern Irish form of the older name Medb (Anglicised 'Maeve'), traditionally associated with the mythological warrior-queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmʲeːw/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #638 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Milly does not have one recorded yet.
- Meabh has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Milly.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Milly doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Milly
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #519 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #116 among girls in England and Wales, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #686 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls