Comments on: Name of the Day: Maeve

By: Fetching Names: The Hermiones, Part II | Appellation Mountain

Fetching Names: The Hermiones, Part II | Appellation Mountain — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:03:12 +0000

[...] Maeve – She’s a much-married warrior queen who picked fights – and won them. Unlike many an Irish import, her spelling and pronunciation are straightforward – plus any name that ends with “v” has a definite edge. [...]

By: Sunday Summary: 9/4/11 | Appellation Mountain

Sunday Summary: 9/4/11 | Appellation Mountain — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:01:59 +0000

[...] It “It”! There are creatively named kids aplenty, Zephyr, Cady, Axel, Spike, Scout, Maeve, Vlad, Courage, Dixie, Platt, Sabine, twins called Piper and Prairie, Orlando, Leto … [...]

By: Kat

Kat — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:24:43 +0000

I think the most famous bearer of the name is Maeve Binchy, the author of “Circle of Friends”. She’s the reason I’m hooked on the name Needless to say, it’s on my short list for a girl!

By: Baby Name of the Day: Murphy | Appellation Mountain

Baby Name of the Day: Murphy | Appellation Mountain — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:55:18 +0000

[...] less myth and poetry about Murphy than about many names – Connor, for one, or Finn or Maeve. There are oodles of noteworthy people who have answered to the name, Irish pubs aplenty, and [...]

By: Baby Name of the Day: Grainne | Appellation Mountain

Baby Name of the Day: Grainne | Appellation Mountain — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:05:27 +0000

[...] Either in her original form or re-spelled Grania, Grainne seems like the kind of frills-free name that could appeal to parents. Her sound is feminine without being even a little bit delicate. Throw in the larger-than-life pirate queen and the links to Irish myth, and she makes for a powerful choice for a daughter – as regal as Mary, as Celtic as Maeve. [...]

By: llrm

llrm — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:52:37 +0000

i know a maeve preschooler and she’s fabulous! she is strong willed yet also feminine, earthy and very confident! Maeve is this kind of name to me…

By: Kristine

Kristine — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:18:56 +0000

Maeve is such a gorgeous name.

By: Sebastiane

Sebastiane — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:44:59 +0000

Oops, sorry, I meant to say May & Mae, I’m loopy on antihistamines.

By: Sebastiane

Sebastiane — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:44:18 +0000

There is also some speculation that Maeva is a Breton form of Maeve, hence is why its popularity in France imploded. I think Maeve has a very pretty, velvety, soft gentle sound. I have a cousin named this and I have always loved it. It would also make a wonderful middle name option. Much more interesting than the overused filler names of May, Mae and Maeve.

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:30:46 +0000

Maeva, hmmm … it’s not related to Maeve, is it?

I’d have to do some digging, but the back of my brain is telling me that this is a more exotic moniker that isn’t so much an alternative to Maeve as a totally separate choice. (Googling now.) Ah … here it is, The New York Times tells me that there was a 1961 movie about a Tahitian girl called Maeva.

I’ve been thinking a lot about “exotic” baby names – after all, if you’re not white – or if your child won’t be – I can see why naming her Emma or Laura might feel false. (I recently watched my Greek friend and her Jamaican husband wrestle with this issue.) Maeva probably qualifies for inclusion on that list – but I’d need to do some more reading, because I fear she has a bit of a sci-fi vibe, too. Or a video game?

Did you stumble across it from the old movie, or somewhere else?