Mairead

Mairead, also spelt Maighread,[1] is a feminine given name, the https://www.libraryireland.com/names/women/maighread-margaret.php 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 (Marguerite) and Latin (Margarita) from Ancient Greek: μαργαρίτης (margarítēs) 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
• Mairéad 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 with St Anne’s Dunhill, winner of an All Ireland Junior Club championship Medal and the winner of a Club Player of the Year award later the same year
• 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

References

1. Campbell, Mike (21 January 2022). "Meaning, origin and history of the name Maighread". Behind the Name. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
2. Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia; Hardcastle, Kate (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. The Oxford Reference Collection. OUP Oxford. p. 578. ISBN 978-0-19-157854-0. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
3. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Margaret" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 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. Schmitt, Rüdiger. "Persian Loanwords and Names in Greek". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 31 March 2022.