What Does the Name Maeve Mean?

Maeve is a girl's name of Irish origin meaning “'she who intoxicates' / 'intoxicating'.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Maeve
Gender	female
Origin	Irish
Meaning	'she who intoxicates' / 'intoxicating'
Variants	Medb, Méabh, Meabh, Mave
Popularity	A Celtic name that has surged in the US in recent years, ranking comfortably within the top 300 girls' names.

The meaning and origin of Maeve

The name Maeve means “'she who intoxicates' / 'intoxicating'” and has Irish origins. Maeve is the anglicized form of the Irish name Medb (Méabh), meaning 'she who intoxicates' (sometimes interpreted as 'mead-woman' or 'she who rules'). In Irish legend it was the name of the warrior queen of Connacht, thought to have originally been a sovereignty goddess.

Variants and related names

Maeve is related to several other names you may recognize: Medb, Méabh, Meabh, Mave. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Maeve?

A Celtic name that has surged in the US in recent years, ranking comfortably within the top 300 girls' names.

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