maive as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of maive

What is the meaning of the name maive ?

The baby name maive is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /meɪv/ (MAYV).

maive is Irish in Origin.

Maive is a rare Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Maeve, rooted in Old Irish Medb (later Méabh/Medbh), pronounced like “mayv.” The name derives from a Proto-Celtic word for mead and conveys the sense “intoxicating” or “she who makes drunk”; in myth it signals allure and sovereignty. Its legendary bearer is Queen Medb of Connacht from the Ulster Cycle, famed in the Táin Bó Cúailnge, where she appears as a powerful, strategic ruler.

As an English form, Maive appears sporadically from the 19th century - alongside Maeve - during the Gaelic revival, but Maeve has become the dominant modern spelling in Ireland, Britain, and North America. Irish-language variants include Méabh, Meabh, Medbh, and Meadhbh; related English spellings are Maeve and, rarely, Meave. Contemporary use skews upward internationally thanks to Irish cultural visibility, while Maive remains an uncommon, distinctive choice preserving the classic meaning.

⚙ maive is a rare name. Our records hold just 51 recorded uses, spread over 16 countries.