What is Maeve in Irish?

The Irish form of Maeve is Maebh, pronounced MAYV. Maebh means “the cause of great joy.”

How do you pronounce Maebh?

Maebh is pronounced MAYV. One syllable. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.

Maeve in Irish: Maebh

The Irish form of Maeve is Maebh, a girl's name meaning “the cause of great joy.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.

Updated September 2026

How to say Maebh

MAYVOne syllable

Irish form: Maebh
Meaning: The cause of great joy
Gender: Girl
Popularity in Ireland: No. 60 for girls (2025)

How do you say Maeve in Irish?

Maeve in Irish is Maebh, pronounced MAYV. It has one syllable.

Hear Maeve said aloud, with its meaning (56 seconds, Baby Names of Ireland on YouTube).

What does Maebh mean?

Maebh means “the cause of great joy.” Maeve is one of the English forms of the name.

Maeve in Irish legend

The Tain, pupil artwork from Coolderry National School — Artwork and story research by Kevin Connolly and Colm Larkin, Coolderry National School, County Offaly, Ireland.

The Tain -Conor MacNessa ruled Ulster; Queen Maeve and her husband Ailill ruled in Connacht. One night Maeve and Ailill were boasting about their riches.

Read The Tain

How popular is Maeve in Ireland?

In 2025, 83 baby girls in Ireland were named Maeve, which made it No. 60 that year. That's up from No. 127 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 2000, when 81 baby girls were named Maeve, No. 59 that year. The most babies got the name in 1981: 106. The records go back to 1964, when 74 baby girls were given the name.

Baby girls named Maeve each year. Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 (data: table VSA60, girls' names, CC BY 4.0).

See the numbers by year

Year	Babies	Rank
2025	83	No. 60
2024	76	No. 71
2023	69	No. 80
2022	56	No. 98
2021	52	No. 106
2020	55	No. 99
2019	51	No. 105
2018	50	No. 114
2017	43	No. 133
2016	43	No. 137
2015	50	No. 127
2014	62	No. 101
2013	59	No. 106
2012	64	No. 100
2011	51	No. 127
2010	62	No. 107
2009	81	No. 87
2008	71	No. 96
2007	82	No. 78
2006	67	No. 88
2005	65	No. 85
2004	75	No. 74
2003	64	No. 77
2002	69	No. 75
2001	74	No. 70
2000	81	No. 59
1999	70	No. 65
1998	53	No. 69
1997	82	No. 66
1996	45	No. 116
1995	59	No. 95
1994	67	No. 88
1993	68	No. 89
1992	58	No. 101
1991	82	No. 81
1990	76	No. 88
1989	79	No. 86
1988	67	No. 101
1987	81	No. 92
1986	76	No. 93
1985	75	No. 95
1984	81	No. 92
1983	98	No. 83
1982	91	No. 92
1981	106	No. 82
1980	81	No. 102
1979	92	No. 91
1978	82	No. 103
1977	104	No. 79
1976	59	No. 128
1975	73	No. 110
1974	79	No. 110
1973	79	No. 108
1972	79	No. 103
1971	93	No. 90
1970	76	No. 105
1969	74	No. 100
1968	83	No. 83
1967	69	No. 98
1966	59	No. 107
1965	70	No. 93
1964	74	No. 80

Maebh in Ogham

Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Maebh, letter by letter.

᚛ᚋᚐᚓᚁᚆ᚜

MMuin, vine
AAilm, pine
EEadhadh, aspen
BBeith, birch
HUath, hawthorn

Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator

Names that go with Maeve

Sister names

Beibhinn Niamh Sibeal Sorcha Radha Fianna

Brother names

Deaglan Sean Cathal Cillian Ruari Diarmuid

Questions about Maeve

What is Maeve in Irish?: The Irish form of Maeve is Maebh, pronounced MAYV. Maebh means “the cause of great joy.”
How do you pronounce Maebh?: Maebh is pronounced MAYV. One syllable. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
Is Maeve a girl's name or a boy's name?: Maeve is a girl's name.
How popular is Maeve in Ireland?: In 2025, Maeve was No. 60 for girls in Ireland, with 83 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 2000, at No. 59.