Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
In Irish Gaelic use, Mairéad shares an earlier linguistic root with Margaret. Margaret has been associated with Greek and Hebrew naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
Mairéad’s family of names
Mairéad has an affectionate form in Maisie. Mairéad shares a linguistic root with Margaret. In Irish usage, Mairéad has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Margarita.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Mairéad has relatives in 4 languages.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Mairéad
- Máiréad NesbittIrish Celtic, Classical and World solo violinistborn 1979
- Mairéad Ní MhaonaighIrish singerborn 1959
- Mairéad CarlinIrish singerborn 2000
- Mairéad FarrellIRA activist (1957–1988)
- Mairéad FarrellSinn Féin politicianborn 1990
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mairéad, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.