Maeve
Girl name · Celtic · Gaelic · Irish
Meaningshe who intoxicates · Irish
- US rank
- #76
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #73 in 2023
3,153 babies were named Maeve in the US in 2025. It has climbed 98 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1940–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Maeve you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Maeve
Maeve Binchy
Irish novelist
Choose Maeve and your child shares a first name with Maeve Binchy, an Irish novelist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Maeve, like who?” Maeve Binchy's Wikipedia article is available in 41 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Maeve Binchy on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: The original uploader was Jon Kay at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 510 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Maeve, 3,153 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Maeve would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryMaeve first shows up in US birth records in 1940, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 85 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2023, when it reached #73.
- Then vs nowMaeve is 12× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 6,158 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 510.
- TrendMaeve has climbed 98 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #76. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedMaeve is most popular in New Hampshire, where it ranks #4, followed by Rhode Island (#10) and Vermont (#11). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Irish, Maeve means “she who intoxicates”. Our records link it to Celtic, Gaelic and Irish roots.
- OriginMaeve is the #8 most popular Celtic girl name in the US. That's out of 407 Celtic girl and unisex names in our list.
About the name Maeve
Maeve is a girl name of Celtic, Gaelic and Irish origin meaning “she who intoxicates”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with M and ending in “-eve”. US birth records list Maeve for girls from 1940 to 2025, in 81 of those 86 years. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked #73 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #76, with 3,153 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesGaelic namesIrish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.7 | 273,224 girls |
| 1950s | 3.8 | 262,467 girls |
| 1960s | 5.5 | 181,488 girls |
| 1970s | 5.8 | 171,821 girls |
| 1980s | 19 | 52,138 girls |
| 1990s | 81 | 12,274 girls |
| 2000s | 220 | 4,548 girls |
| 2010s | 434 | 2,307 girls |
| 2020s | 1,635 | 612 girls |
More Celtic girl names
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Isla · from Islay
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
- Unisex name: Quinn · descendant of Conn
- Unisex name: Blair · plain, field
- Girl name: Olive · olive tree
- Unisex name: Rory · red king
Questions about the name Maeve
What does the name Maeve mean?
Maeve means “she who intoxicates” in Irish.
What is the origin of the name Maeve?
Maeve has Celtic, Gaelic, Irish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Evelyn, Isla, Riley.
Is Maeve a boy or girl name?
Maeve is a girl name.
How popular is the name Maeve?
Maeve ranked #76 for US girls in 2025, given to 3,153 babies. Its best year was 2023 (#73).