Meabh vs Zi
Meabh and Zicompared 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 2016, Meabh was ranked #82 and Zi #868 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Meabh was ranked #1142 and Zi #5669 among girls in England and Wales.
Meabh and Zi over time
Meabh and Zi appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Zi held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meabh 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.
Zi 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, 2006–2022
Meabh held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Zi in 9.
Highest recorded here: Meabh #1142 in 2022, Zi #1428 in 2012.
The order changed in 2019: Meabh moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #4063 and #2925; by 2019 that had become #2040 and #4686.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Meabh #1142, Zi #5669.
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 | Zi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 · Boys #4789 (2022) |
| 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); Zi does not have one recorded yet.
- Meabh and Zi both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Meabh; Zi 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
Zi
Popularity journey
First recorded2002
First recorded at #3225 among boys in England and Wales in 2002 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #5669 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Girls