Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Maeve” come from?

Maeve comes from Irish Meadhbh, from Middle Irish Medb, ultimately from Proto-Celtic medwos and Proto-Indo-European médʰu, a root of uncertain meaning.

Ancestry of “Maeve”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1IrishMéabhMedb, queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of...
2Middle IrishMedb—
3Proto-Celticmedwos—
4Proto-Celticmedumead
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmédʰuhoney; honey wine, mead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European médʰu →