Maire: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Maire is the Irish form of Mary. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Máire
- Gender
- Girl
- English forms
- Mary
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 718 for girls (2025)
How do you pronounce Maire?
Maire is pronounced MY-ra. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Maire mean?
The name that was used in Ireland for Our Lady was Muire and interestingly, her name was so honored that it was rarely used as a first name until the end of the fifteenth century. Then Maire became acceptable as a given name but the spelling Muire was reserved for the Blessed Mother.
How popular is Maire in Ireland?
In 2025, 4 baby girls in Ireland were named Máire, which made it No. 718 that year. That's down from No. 462 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1964, when 48 baby girls were named Maire, No. 113 that year. The most babies got the name in 1979: 50. The records go back to 1964, when 48 baby girls were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | No. 718 (Máire) |
| 2022 | 5 | No. 634 (Máire) |
| 2020 | 3 | No. 834 (Máire) |
| 2019 | 6 | No. 551 (Máire) |
| 2018 | 4 | No. 734 (Máire) |
| 2016 | 3 | No. 868 (Maire) |
| 2015 | 9 | No. 462 (Maire) |
| 2014 | 6 | No. 584 (Maire) |
| 2013 | 3 | No. 894 (Maire) |
| 2011 | 9 | No. 465 (Maire) |
| 2010 | 8 | No. 510 (Maire) |
| 2009 | 5 | No. 641 (Maire) |
| 2008 | 10 | No. 430 (Maire) |
| 2007 | 8 | No. 468 (Maire) |
| 2006 | 8 | No. 431 (Maire) |
| 2005 | 10 | No. 347 (Maire) |
| 2004 | 8 | No. 370 (Maire) |
| 2003 | 8 | No. 362 (Maire) |
| 2002 | 4 | No. 512 (Maire) |
| 2001 | 13 | No. 254 (Maire) |
| 2000 | 8 | No. 324 (Maire) |
| 1999 | 15 | No. 220 (Maire) |
| 1998 | 4 | No. 425 (Maire) |
| 1997 | 9 | No. 326 (Maire) |
| 1996 | 17 | No. 227 (Maire) |
| 1995 | 16 | No. 232 (Maire) |
| 1994 | 12 | No. 268 (Maire) |
| 1993 | 16 | No. 234 (Maire) |
| 1992 | 28 | No. 168 (Maire) |
| 1991 | 19 | No. 207 (Maire) |
| 1990 | 31 | No. 157 (Maire) |
| 1989 | 22 | No. 192 (Maire) |
| 1988 | 38 | No. 147 (Maire) |
| 1987 | 41 | No. 138 (Maire) |
| 1986 | 29 | No. 175 (Maire) |
| 1985 | 28 | No. 187 (Maire) |
| 1984 | 32 | No. 179 (Maire) |
| 1983 | 46 | No. 147 (Maire) |
| 1982 | 32 | No. 176 (Maire) |
| 1981 | 41 | No. 162 (Maire) |
| 1980 | 47 | No. 152 (Maire) |
| 1979 | 50 | No. 145 (Maire) |
| 1978 | 25 | No. 211 (Maire) |
| 1977 | 34 | No. 171 (Maire) |
| 1976 | 30 | No. 188 (Maire) |
| 1975 | 25 | No. 199 (Maire) |
| 1974 | 23 | No. 210 (Maire) |
| 1973 | 31 | No. 184 (Maire) |
| 1972 | 26 | No. 193 (Maire) |
| 1971 | 36 | No. 165 (Maire) |
| 1970 | 26 | No. 180 (Maire) |
| 1969 | 34 | No. 162 (Maire) |
| 1968 | 33 | No. 155 (Maire) |
| 1967 | 34 | No. 148 (Maire) |
| 1966 | 31 | No. 151 (Maire) |
| 1965 | 42 | No. 127 (Maire) |
| 1964 | 48 | No. 113 (Maire) |
Maire in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Maire, letter by letter.
- MMuin, vine
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- RRuis, elder
- EEadhadh, aspen
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Maire
Questions about Maire
- How do you pronounce Maire?
- Maire is pronounced MY-ra. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- Is Maire a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Maire is a girl's name.
- How do you spell Maire in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Máire. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Maire in English?
- The English form of Maire is Mary.
- How popular is Maire in Ireland?
- In 2025, Máire was No. 718 for girls in Ireland, with 4 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1964, at No. 113.