Maire vs Mairead
Maire and Maireadcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Maire was ranked #370 and Mairead #370 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Maire was ranked #868 and Mairead #515 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Maire was ranked #5493 and Mairead #3899 among girls in England and Wales.
Maire and Mairead over time
Maire and Mairead appear together in 1 published list, across 52 years of shared records. Mairead held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Maire in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Maire reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mairead in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1965, Mairead moved ahead of Maire in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #113 and #114 the year before became #127 and #104.
- Longest-running competitions
Maire and Mairead were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1964 to 2016, ending at #868 and #515.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #113 and #114 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2016 they were #868 and #515.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1964–2016
Maire held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Mairead in 51.
Highest recorded here: Maire #113 in 1964, Mairead #46 in 1982.
The order changed in 1965: Mairead moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #113 and #114; by 1965 that had become #127 and #104.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Maire #868, Mairead #515.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Maire | Mairead |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Irish/Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret, ultimately from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish/Scottish Gaelic, via Margaret |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmarʲəd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #391 (2023) | England and Wales · Girls #3705 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mairead has a recorded origin (Irish/Scottish Gaelic, via Margaret); Maire does not have one recorded yet.
- Maire and Mairead both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Mairead; Maire doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Maire
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #113 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2016
Highest recorded position: #113 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #391 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2023.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Mairead
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #114 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2017
Highest recorded position: #46 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1964–2017).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3705 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls