Maeve

Meaning of Maeve

Maeve is the anglicized form of the Irish name Medb, also spelled Meabh, borne in legend by the warrior queen of Connacht. Name dictionaries derive it from the Old Irish word for mead, and it is usually translated as "intoxicating" or "she who intoxicates." The meaning is given this way consistently, though the derivation rests on reconstruction rather than certainty.

The name is pronounced mayv, rhyming with cave, in both American and British English.

Queen Medb is the central figure of the Ulster Cycle and the driving force of its best-known tale, the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley. In modern times the name is closely associated with the Irish novelist Maeve Binchy, whose books sold more than 40 million copies, and with the short story writer and journalist Maeve Brennan.

In the United States, Maeve was recorded only a handful of times a year through much of the twentieth century and began a steep climb in the 1990s. It ranked 667th in 1999, when 343 girls received the name, and 103rd in 2022. It peaked at 73rd in 2023 and stood at 76th in 2025, with 3,153 births, so it remains solidly in favor.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as mayv (/meɪv/)

• Eva
• Maeva
• Ava
• Mabel
• Mae
• Neve
• Maven