Mairead Explained

Mairead, also spelt Maighread,^[1] is a feminine given name, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Margaret.^[2] The Irish form is spelt Máiréad or Mairéad, or Máighréad.^[1] Maisie is the pet form of Mairead.^[2]

Margaret is derived via French (French: [[Marguerite (given name)|Marguerite]]) and Latin (Latin: Margarita) from grc|μαργαρίτης meaning "pearl".^[3] The Greek is borrowed from Indo-Iranian languages (Persian).^{[4] [5]}

Notable people with the name include:

• Mairead Buicke (born 1981), Irish operatic soprano also active in concert and recital work
• Mairéad Byrne (born 1957), Irish poet
• Máiréad Carlin (born 1988), Irish singer
• Mairead Curran (born 1968), Australian-born children's entertainer, actress and voiceover artist
• Mairéad Farrell (1957–1988), Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)
• Mairéad Farrell, Irish Sinn Féin politician
• Mairéad Graham, camogie player, winner of a Soaring Star award in 2010 and All Ireland Intermediate championship medals in 2001, 2003 and 2011
• Mairead inghean Eachainn, spouse of Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan and mother of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar
• Mairead Maguire (born 1944), Irish peace activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• Mairéad McAtamney (born 1944), retired Irish sportsperson
• Mairead McGuinness (born 1959), Irish EU Commissioner
• Mairead McKinley, award-winning Irish actress
• Mairead Nash of Queens of Noize, English indie/disco or Wonky pop DJ duo based in London
• Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1955), Irish traditional singer from Kells, County Meath
• Máiréad Ní Ghráda (1896–1971), Irish poet, playwright, and broadcaster born in Kilmaley, County Clare
• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (born 1962), Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish traditional band Altan
• Máiréad Nesbitt (born 1979), classical and Celtic music performer, most notably as a violinist
• Mairead Ronan (nee Farrell), Irish radio presenter and television personality

See also

• List of Irish-language given names
• Máire, the Irish language form of Mary/Maria
• Mariota, Countess of Ross

Notes and References

1. Web site: Campbell . Mike . Meaning, origin and history of the name Maighread . Behind the Name . 21 January 2022 . 26 January 2023.
2. Book: Hanks . Patrick . Hodges . Flavia . Hardcastle . Kate . A Dictionary of First Names . OUP Oxford . The Oxford Reference Collection . 2006 . 978-0-19-157854-0 . 26 January 2023 . 578.
3. Margaret . 17 . 700.
4. George F. Kunz and Charles H. Stevenson, The Book of the Pearl: The History, Art, Science and Industry of the Queen of Gems (London and New York: MacMillan & Co., 1908), p. 305.
5. Encyclopedia: Persian Loanwords and Names in Greek. Encyclopædia Iranica. Schmitt. Rüdiger. 2022-03-31.