Medb as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Medb

What is the meaning of the name Medb ?

The baby name Medb is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced Mev or Mave (common modern: /mɛv/ or /meɪv/).

Medb is Irish in Origin.

Medb is the Old Irish form of a renowned Connacht queen in the Ulster Cycle, best known from the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge. The name derives from Proto-Celtic *medu- “mead,” yielding the sense “intoxicating” or “the one who intoxicates,” a meaning often linked to sovereignty and allure in early Irish tradition. Some scholars view Medb as reflecting an earlier sovereignty goddess, which helps explain her commanding, independent role in saga literature.

Modern Irish preserves the name chiefly as Méabh (standard) and Meadhbh (older spelling), with simplified forms Meabh and Maebh; the widely used Anglicized form is Maeve, and rarer variants include Maev and Meave. Pronounced “MAYV,” it appears in medieval annals, reentered use during the Gaelic Revival, and now enjoys broad popularity in Ireland and other English-speaking countries. Medb itself sees selective revival among parents favoring historically faithful Gaelic spellings.