() is a feminine given name. It is the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

form of

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

, which was in turn a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

form of the Greek names Μαριαμ (Mariam), and Μαρια (Maria), found in the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name (Miryam). Its meaning has been variously translated with around 70 possibilities, including "sea of ", "star of the sea", "drop of the sea", "rebelliousness", "exalted one", "beloved", and "wished for child". Patrick Woulfe (1923) thought that the meaning related to bitterness, related to grief, sorrow, affliction, possibly associated with childbirth, was most likely. Máire was and still is a popular name in Ireland, and is sometimes spelt in its

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

forms Maire, (without

diacritics A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacrit ...

) '' Maura'' and '' Moira''. The diminutive form Máirín has inspired the Anglicised

Maureen Maureen is a female name, the female form of the male name Maurice. In Gaelic, it is Máirín, a pet form of ''Máire'' (the Irish cognate of Mary), which is derived from the Hebrew Miriam. Some notable bearers of the name are: People * Mauree ...

. Completely unrelated to this, Maire (pron. MIE-reh) is a feminine given name in Finland, said to derive from the Finnish word ''mairea'', meaning "gushing" or "sugary".

Religious exception

In Ireland, the variant spelling ''

Muire Muire (; ) is an Irish name given exclusively to the Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated und ...

'' is used exclusively for the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

mother of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. The name Máel Muire, used by both men and women, denotes "Servant of Mary".

People with the given name

* Maire Aunaste (born 1953), an Estonian journalist *

Máire Breathnach Marie Bheag Breathnach is an Irish actress. Breathnach played the part of Mo Gilmartin on the Irish language drama, ''Ros na Rún'', from 2002 to 2021. She is a native of Cnoc Leitirmullen, in Galway, and won the County football final with h ...

, an Irish actress *

Máire Breatnach Máire Breatnach () is an Irish fiddle, violin and viola player. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has recorded five solo albums, participated in many collaborations, and developed didactic material fo ...

, an Irish fiddle player *

Máire Comerford Máire Aoife Comerford (2 June 1893 - 15 December 1982) was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican from County Wexford who witnessed central events in 1916-23 and remained a committed supporter of Cumann na mBan until her death. Her memoir o ...

(1892–1982), an Irish republican *

Máire Drumm Máire Drumm (22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976) was the vice-president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan. She was assassinated by Ulster loyalists while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast's Mater Hospital. Early ...

(1919–1976), the vice president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan *

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (; ; born 5 September 1950) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science from 2010 to 2014, ...

(born 1950), an Irish politician *

Máire Gill Máire ‘Mollie’ Gill (Máire Ní Ghiolla) (1891–1977) was a political activist who became third and longest-serving president of the Camogie Association and captained a Dublin GAA#Camogie, Dublin team to an All-Ireland Senior Camogie Champ ...

(1891–1977), a political activist *

Maire Gullichsen Maire Eva Johanna Gullichsen (née Ahlström, later known as Gullichsen-Nyströmer, 24 June 1907, Porin maalaiskunta – 9 July 1990, Pori) was a Finnish art collector and patron. She was a co-founder of the Artek furniture company. Pori Art ...

(1907–1990), Finnish art collector and patronage *

Máire Hendron Máire Hendron is an Alliance Party politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast East from 2019 to 2020. She was a Belfast City Councillor for the Pottinger DEA from 2005 to 2014, and served as Deputy L ...

, Northern Irish politician *

Máire Herbert Máire R. M. Herbert , also known as Mary Herbert, is an Irish historian and academic, specialising in early medieval Irish history and Irish saints. She is Emeritus Professor of Early and Medieval Irish at University College Cork, and was prev ...

, Irish historian *

Máire Hoctor Máire Hoctor (born 20 January 1963) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary North (Dáil constituency), Tipperary North constituency from 2002 to 2011. She was educated at St. Mary's secondary ...

(born 1963), a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician * Máire Lynch (fl. 1547), a member of the Tribes of Galway *

Máire MacNeill Máire MacNeill (7 December 1904 – 15 May 1987) was an Ireland, Irish journalist, folklorist and translator. She is best known for her magisterial study of the Irish harvest festival, ''The Festival of Lughnasa'' (1962, 1983). Biography ...

(1904–1987), an Irish journalist, folklorist and translator *

Máire McDonnell-Garvey Máire McDonnell-Garvey (10 July 1927 – 29 August 2009) was a traditional Irish musician and writer. Biography Máire McDonnell was born on 10 July 1927 in Tobracken, County Roscommon to James McDonnell and Annie Theresa Talbot. McDonnell-Gar ...

(1927–2009), traditional Irish musician and writer *

Máire Mhac an tSaoi Máire Mhac an tSaoi (4 April 1922 – 16 October 2021) was an Irish civil service diplomat, writer of Modernist poetry in the Corca Dhuibhne dialect of Munster Irish, a memoirist, and a highly important figure within modern literature in I ...

(born 1922–2021), an Irish language scholar, poet, writer and academic *

Máire Mulcahy Máire F. Mulcahy (1937 – 28 November 2023) was an Irish zoologist and ecologist, with an expertise in fish and shellfish health and disease. She was the first female vice-president of an Irish University and the founding chair of the Marine ...

(1937 - 2023), Irish zoologist and ecologist *

Máire Mullarney Máire Mullarney (1 September 1921 – 18 August 2008) was an Irish environmentalist, educationalist and Esperanto advocate. She was one of the founding members of the Irish Green Party in 1981 (then known as the Ecology Party of Ireland). She ...

(1921–2008), an Irish environmentalist, educationalist and Esperanto advocate * Máire Nic an Bhaird (born 1982), a secondary school teacher and Irish language activist *

Máire Ní Bhraonáin Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

or Moya Brennan, an Irish singer *

Máire Ní Chathasaigh Máire Ní Chathasaigh (; born 1956) is an Irish harpist, composer and singer. Biography She was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, in a musical family. She learned to playthe harp when she was eleven. She created new harp ornamentation te ...

(born 1956), an Irish harpist and singer *

Máire Ní Chinnéide Máire Ní Chinnéide (English ''Mary'' or ''Molly O'Kennedy'') (17 January 1879 – 25 May 1967) was an Irish language activist, playwright, first President of the Camogie Association and first woman president of Oireachtas na Gaeilge. Mái ...

(1879–1967), an Irish language activist, playwright and first President of the Camogie Association *

Máire Ní Ghuairim Máire Ní Ghuairim (6 July 1896 – 15 October 1964) was an Irish teacher, writer and Sean-nós singing, sean-nós singer. Biography Born in Roisin na Manach, Carna, County Galway, Carna, County Galway, the eldest daughter of Mairtin Gorham ...

(1896–1964), an Irish teacher, author and Sean-nós singer * Máire O'Neill (1885–1952), an Irish actress of stage and film *

Máire O'Neill (academic) Máire O'Neill (née McLoone) (born 1978) is an Irish Professor of Information Security and inventor based at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies Queen's University Belfast. She was named the 2007 British Female Inventors & Innovato ...

(born 1978), an Irish data encryption academic *

Máire Uí Dhroigneáin () is a feminine given name. It is the Irish language form of Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ (Mariam), and Μαρια (Maria), found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew n ...

, an Irish actress *

Máire Whelan Máire Rita Whelan (born 24 November 1956) is an Irish judge who has served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal since June 2017. She previously served as Attorney General of Ireland from 2011 to 2017. She was the first woman to hold the office. ...

, an Irish barrister and senior counsel

Other uses

*''Máire'' was the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

of the Irish author

Séamus Ó Grianna Séamus Ó Grianna (; 17 November 1889 – 27 November 1969; locally known also as Jimí Fheilimí) was an Irish people, Irish writer, who used the pen name Máire. Biography Born to Feidhlimidh Mac Grianna and Máire Eibhlín Néillín N� ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maire Given names Feminine given names Irish-language feminine given names

Religious exception

People with the given name

Other uses

See also

References