Behind the Irish name: Mairead, the once popular name on the verge of extinction

Naming trends are constantly changing and over the years this classic Irish moniker has fallen dramatically in popularity – and we believe it deserves a return to the spotlight!

Meaning behind Mairead

Pronounced mah-raid, the beautiful Irish name Mairead means "pearl" and finds its origins in the Greek name Margaret.

Perfect for your little bundle of joy, a few other beloved baby names also find their inspiration from the shimmering qualities of pearls – with Maisie, Margo and Maggie (which are variants of Margaret) and Greta all falling into this category.

Popularity of the name Mairéad

Gradually increasing in popularity since records began in 1964, according to the CSO, the name Mairead peaked in popularity in 1982. In that year, 200 babies named Mairéad were born and the beloved name ranked 46th on the Irish charts.

Slowly falling out of favor amongst parents in Ireland, by 1990 the number of those born with the name had dropped to 112 and by the time the millennium had rolled around, that figure had plummeted to 33.

The year 2010 saw the name descending further down the list when it sat in the 295th position. Over a decade later, the name didn’t appear on the 2023 charts as it didn’t reach the quota of being used three or more times in most recent records.

While the version with no fada didn’t make the cut in 2023, Mairéad on the other hand, with a fada over the ‘e’) was given to five baby girls and ranked 625th.

Famous Maireads

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Renowned Irish fiddler
• Mairead Ronan – Irish television presenter
• Máiréad Nesbitt – Musician
• Máiréad Ní Ghráda – Irish poet

Is it time for the name Mairead to make a comeback?

* This article was originally published on Rollercoaster.ie.