Sample report · illustrative figuresNameProof’s pick is…
Meaning & history
“Intoxicating”
Irish origin
Maeve is the anglicized form of Medb, a name traditionally linked to an Irish word for intoxication. In Irish legend, Medb was a powerful queen of Connacht, and the name has been used in Ireland for centuries before spreading to English-speaking families.
Pronunciation
1 syllable. The audio uses your device’s voice, which reads the spelling.
Short form
None in common use
Maeve is usually used in full.
Meaning, history and name forms are written by AI and may contain mistakes. Compare with a reviewed source. Pronunciation comes from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.
Maeve is our pick. It’s familiar without being everywhere: #241 nationally in 2025, when 1,240 girls were given the name. In CA it ranks #316. It has risen gradually over the past ten years (from #298 to #241), a sign of growing appeal rather than a sudden spike. In a class with 14 other girls, the chance that another child shares the name is only about 1 in 100. Half of living people named Maeve are younger than 12, so it reads as a fresh, young name.
Said in full, Maeve Rose Hartley has a 1–1–2 rhythm that flows naturally. The names don’t run into each other, and there’s no awkward rhyme or repeated vowel sound. Its initials, M·R·H, are clear of our watchlist. The pronunciation dictionary gives one way to say it, MAYV, so people shouldn’t stumble over it. 96% of girls with this sound spell it Maeve, so you won’t spend much time spelling it out. More than 99% of babies named Maeve are girls, so there’s no confusion about it.
We found no reviewed teasing, pop-culture or slang associations, and no collision with a Spanish word in our table. It sits comfortably next to Oliver, matching in era, popularity, form and sound.
- Popularity
- Sound
- Associations & Spanish
- Siblings
- 2 limits noted below
The evidence for Maeve
Popularity & ageClear
Ten-year national rank
Climbing steadily since 2015
Five-year trend estimate: 580–1080 per million in five years. It extends the line above; it isn’t a forecast.
Classroom collision
About 1 in 100 classes would have two Maeves
100 classes, each with 14 girls, using the 2025 US share of births (1.0%).
Living median age
Mostly worn by kids and teens
Half of living people named Maeve are younger than 12. Hollow dots: Clara 24 · Eloise 6.
Boys and girls
More than 99% of babies named Maeve in 2025 were girls
Sound with Rose Hartley2 clear
- Rhythm
Clear: Maeve Rose Hartley runs 1–1–2 syllables, a varied, natural spoken rhythm.
- Initials
Clear: MRH does not match the initials watchlist.
Associations & SpanishClear
- Associations
Clear: No reviewed film, song, meme, or taunt association in the current table. That isn't proof that none exists.
- Spanish
Clear: No collision in the reviewed Spanish table.
Spelling & pronunciationClear
- Spellings
Clear: Maeve is 96% of girls with this sound in 2025. Other spellings: Maive (3%).
- Odds by sound
Clear: Counting every spelling, classroom odds are 1.0%, close to 1.0% for this spelling alone.
- Pronunciation
Clear: The pronunciation dictionary lists one way to say Maeve.
Spellings are grouped by how they’re likely said, using a spelling-based rule, so a few groupings may be imperfect. Pronunciations come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Shown for context; none of this changes the evidence score.
FamilyBlends well
Maeve blends well with Oliver.
- Era
Clear: Maeve was most popular in the 2020s; Oliver in the 2020s.
- Popularity
Clear: Maeve is ranked 101–500; Oliver is a top-100 name.
- Form
Clear: Maeve and Oliver both read as full names.
- Length
Clear: Maeve has 1 syllable; Oliver has 3 syllables.
- First letter
Clear: Maeve starts with a different letter from Oliver.
- Rhyme & sound
Clear: Maeve doesn't rhyme with or sound close to Oliver.
- Nicknames
Clear: No shared short form on our list with Oliver.
Shown for context; sibling fit doesn’t change the evidence score. Each sibling’s era and popularity use the sex that name is most often given to.
How all 3 compared
Every figure and check side by side, with our pick first.
| Our pickMaeve | #2 of 3Clara | #3 of 3Eloise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popularity | |||
| National rank2025 | #241 | #96 | #88 |
| CA rank2025 | #316 | #88 | #64 |
| Girls born2025 | 1,240709 per million | 3,1201,783 per million | 3,4101,950 per million |
| Ten-year trendNational rank | Rising, #298 → #241 | Stable, #102 → #96 | Surging, #310 → #88 |
| Classroom oddsChance another girl in a class of 14 shares it | 1.0%1 class in 100 | 2.5%1 class in 40 | 2.7%1 class in 37 |
| Odds, all spellingsCounting every spelling with the same sound | 1.0%3 spellings | 3.0%3 spellings | 2.7%2 spellings |
| Spelling shareOf babies with the same sound | 96% | 83% | 99% |
| Girls’ shareOf all babies given the name | More than 99% | More than 99% | More than 99% |
| Living median ageHalf of living namesakes are younger | 12 | 24 | 6 |
| With Rose Hartley | |||
| RhythmSyllables per part | 1–1–2 | 2–1–2 | 3–1–2 |
| Seams & echoesBoundaries, sibilants, vowel echo, rhyme | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| PronunciationWays the dictionary says it | 1 way | 2 ways1 | 1 way |
| InitialsWatchlist check | M·R·H | C·R·H | E·R·H |
| Reviewed context | |||
| AssociationsFilm, song, meme, taunt | None reviewed | None reviewed | Eloise books2 |
| SpanishCollision table | No collision | Collision3 | No collision |
| AI assessment | |||
| AI rankingWritten opinion, not scored | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Your household | |||
| Sibling fitWith Oliver. Context only | Blends well | Blends well | Blends well |
| MeaningWritten by AI | IntoxicatingIrish | Clear, bright, famousLatin | UncertainOld French · origin uncertain |
| Evidence score | 96/100 | 66/100 | 48/100 |
- Clara, pronunciation. The pronunciation dictionary lists 2 ways to say Clara: KLA-ruh and KLEH-ruh. Expect people to say it differently.
- Eloise, eloise books. Closely tied to Kay Thompson's Eloise picture books about a girl who lives at the Plaza. Mostly affectionate, but it's the first thing many adults will mention.
- Clara, spanish: “clara”. Clara is an everyday Spanish word (light or clear; also egg white). Relatives will hear the word first, though it's rarely a source of teasing.
The evidence score weights reviewed risks most (35 of 100 points), then popularity, classroom odds and sound (15 each), then ten-year trend and initials (10 each). It describes the evidence in this report, not a name’s worth.
AI assessment
We asked AI to read the facts in this report and rank the names itself. It’s a written opinion, not a computed figure, and it doesn’t change the evidence score.
Maeve is the strongest fit: it's familiar without being everywhere, and it's climbing steadily rather than spiking. Clara is a steady second.
- 1stMaeveEvidence pick
It's the least common name on your list and it's climbing steadily rather than spiking, which suits a family that wants something recognisable but not crowded. It sounds clean with Rose Hartley and has no reviewed associations.
- 2ndClara
Clara is the steadiest name here. The trade-off is that it's far more common than Maeve, and Spanish-speaking relatives will hear the everyday word “clara” first.
- 3rdEloise
Eloise sounds rarer than it is: it has jumped from #310 to #88 in ten years and is now the most common name on your list. The picture-book association is affectionate, but it's the name most likely to be shared in a classroom soon.
What we couldn’t check
Naming the gaps is part of an honest answer.
- All figures and findings on this page are illustrative. A live report uses the imported data set current at generation time.
- Eloise has no reviewed origin or meaning entry yet, so the report doesn't show one.
Certificate of a considered choice
This name was chosen with care.
Prepared for the Hartley family
Maeve Rose Hartley
Selected after a Shortlist review of 3 finalists, with evidence for its sound, usage and family fit.
A commemorative NameProof document. It is not a legal or government record.
Evidence summary