Mairead
How to say it: muh-RAYD · /məˈreɪd/
Irish Gaelic form of Margaret meaning 'pearl' - traditional Irish name pronounced muh-RAYD.
Mairead was the 3,111th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 33 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2000s, its births are up about 31% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #2,915 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #3,111 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 33 |
| Share of births | 1 in 100,464 |
| Peak decade | 2000s |
| Change over 10 years | +31% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,915 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Mairead is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Mai
- Maire
Honouring a Mairead in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Mairead is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, Greek, Irish, Scottish Gaelic.
Ireland: #400.
Famous people named Mairead
- Mairead Maguire (born 1944)Peace activist
- Mairead McGuinness (born 1959)Irish politician and European Commissioner
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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