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Maire
How to Pronounce Maire
Pronounced MAW-ruh /ΛmΙΛrΙ/Medium
Meaning: Maire, properly Maire with a fada, is the Irish Gaelic form of Mary, taken through Latin from the Hebrew Miriam. As a genuine heritage name it stayed in Irish families rather than being invented; the root Miriam has debated senses including 'beloved' and 'wished-for child'.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Maire is the native Irish spelling of Mary, worn by generations of Irish women and softened in English mouths to Maura and Moira. It reaches back through Latin Maria to the Hebrew Miriam, the most widely given girl's name in the Christian world.
In United States records Maire was never common, drawing only a couple dozen girls a year even at its high near the close of the century, and standing out chiefly as a mark of Irish heritage. It reads as an authentic Gaelic form rather than a modern coinage.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Maire mean?
It is the Irish Gaelic form of Mary, ultimately from the Hebrew Miriam.
How do you pronounce Maire?
It's said MAW-ruh /ΛmΙΛrΙ/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Maire a boy or girl name?
Maire is used as a girl's name.
Is Maire a popular name?
No, in America it was always rare, an Irish heritage form seen only faintly over the years.