Mairead

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 28 languages in the etymology graph.

Often considered alongside

Names that people choosing a name often weigh against Mairead, most often first. They share a style rather than an origin.

• Sorcha
• Niamh
• Roisin
• Siobhan
• Saoirse
• Aisling
• Sinead
• Caoimhe
• Aoife
• Orla
• Irish
• Eilidh

From the names suggested together in public name-advice forums, in English. A list of what people consider, not a measure of how common any name is.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Mairead is also recorded as 3 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• a separate name4 spellings in the group

  Also written Maíread, Máiréad, Mairéad

• Russian given name8 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Russia, Ireland, United Kingdom

  Also written Mairéad, Меирид, Маиреад, Máiréad

• Turkish given name4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United Kingdom, Ireland, Türkiye, United States

  Also written Máiréad, Mairéad

48 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Mairead is also recorded in one other lexicon, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In Scottish Gaelic, a female given name, equivalent to English Margaret

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Margaret Theresa of Spainb. 1651ESnot in their usual nameHoly Roman empress (1651-1673)
• Margaret Mitchellb. 1900USnot in their usual nameAmerican author and journalist (1900–1949)
• Margaret Meadb. 1901USnot in their usual nameAmerican anthropologist (1901-1978)
• Peggy Ashcroftb. 1907GBnot in their usual nameBritish actress (1907-1991)
• Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdonb. 1930GBnot in their usual nameBritish princess (1930–2002)
• Margaret Atwoodb. 1939CAnot in their usual nameCanadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, pépiniériste and inventor (born 1939)
• Margaret Smith Courtb. 1942AUnot in their usual nameAustralian tennis player
• Mairead Maguireb. 1944GBpeace activist (born 1944)
• Sally Fieldb. 1946USnot in their usual nameAmerican actress
• Margaret Qualleyb. 1994USnot in their usual nameAmerican actress (born 1994)

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

How to address them○(machine-generated)

A formal English salutation is built on the surname, so it needs a full name — on its own, a first name only supports the informal form.

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce Mairead?

A machine transcription gives /ˈmeɪɹɛ/ (IPA) for English.

What does the name Mairead mean, and where does it come from?

Irish Gaelic form of Margaret; pearl. Recorded by Baby names, 25,350 baby names nicknames for your family, friends pets, including the top 100 names, 2,000 most popular….

What are other forms of the name Mairead?

In the etymology graph, Margaret, Rita and Margarita are forms of the same name in other languages; Maisie and Mysie are recorded short or pet forms.

Is Mairead a male or female name?

Mairead is a female name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

In which country does Mairead have the most bearers?

Mondonomo estimates about 2.2 thousand people named Mairead in Ireland, more than in any other country we hold, where it is most often spelled mairead.

How common is the name Mairead?

In the United States, the national register counted 1,366 people named Mairead in 2020, about 1 in 244 thousand residents.

How common is Mairead compared with other names?

In Ireland, Mairead is the 207th most common given name of 14,976 given names recorded there.