Meabh vs Sama
Meabh and Samacompared 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 2024, Meabh was ranked #17 and Sama #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Meabh was ranked #351 and Sama #790 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Meabh was ranked #413 and Sama #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Meabh was ranked #952 and Sama #751 among girls in England and Wales.
Meabh and Sama over time
Meabh and Sama appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Sama held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meabh in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Meabh #952 in 2024, Sama #751 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 2002–2024
Meabh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sama in 17.
Highest recorded here: Meabh #952 in 2024, Sama #751 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Meabh #952, Sama #751.
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 | Sama |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Meabh has a recorded origin (Irish); Sama does not have one recorded yet.
- Meabh has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sama.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Sama 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
Sama
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2738 among girls in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls