Meabh vs Rona
Meabh and Ronacompared 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 2011, Meabh was ranked #92 and Rona #937 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Meabh was ranked #952 and Rona #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Meabh and Rona over time
Meabh and Rona appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Meabh held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rona 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.
Rona 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Meabh and Rona changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1999 and 2024, ending at #952 and #4192.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1999–2024
Meabh held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rona in 8.
Highest recorded here: Meabh #952 in 2024, Rona #1784 in 2002.
The order changed in 2021: Meabh moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #3447 and #2843; by 2021 that had become #1286 and #5581.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Meabh #952, Rona #4192.
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 | Rona |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Rona does not have one recorded yet.
- Meabh has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rona.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Rona doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Rona
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2011
Highest recorded position: #389 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1968–2011).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls