Mairin
A feminine name of Irish origin, meaning "little bitter" or "wealthy".
Name Census estimates that about 727 living Americans carry the first name Mairin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mairin today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mairin births was 2007 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mairin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
727
~ 1 in 471,464 Americans
Peak year
2007
43 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,724
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Mairin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mairin from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 255 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mairin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mairin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mairins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Mairin, while Ohio, Massachusetts, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mairin
The name Mairin originates from the Irish language and is a feminine form of the name Muiradhaigh or Muiredach, derived from the Gaelic elements "muir" meaning "sea" and "adhamh" meaning "fire" or "radiant." It is believed to have been in use since the early medieval period in Ireland, around the 5th to 7th centuries AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mairin is found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle of medieval Irish history. The entry from the year 736 AD mentions a "Mairin ingen Cellaich" (Mairin, daughter of Cellach), suggesting the name was in use among the Irish nobility during that time.
In the 9th century, an Irish princess named Mairin ingen Shaughnessy is mentioned in the Book of Leinster, a medieval Irish manuscript. She was the daughter of Shaughnessy, the King of Munster, and is said to have lived in the late 8th or early 9th century.
Saint Mairin, also known as Muirine or Muirin, was an Irish abbess and founder of the monastery of Killmurvey in County Galway, Ireland. She lived in the 6th century and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, with her feast day celebrated on June 21st.
Another notable historical figure with the name Mairin was Mairin Ui Mhaonaigh, an Irish noblewoman and chieftain of the Ui Mhaonaigh clan in the 14th century. She is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, for her role in conflicts between Irish clans during that period.
In the 16th century, Mairin Ni Mhaille, also known as Grace O'Malley, was an Irish pirate queen and chieftain of the Ó Máille clan in western Ireland. She is renowned for her naval exploits and battles against the English crown, and is considered a significant figure in Irish folklore and history.
While the name Mairin has its roots in the Irish language and culture, it has gained popularity and recognition in other parts of the world over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich heritage of Ireland and its ancient traditions.
People
Mairin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mairin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mairin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mairin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 727 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mairin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 471,464 US residents.
Is Mairin a common name?
We classify Mairin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 742 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mairin most popular?
The single biggest year for Mairin was 2007, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mairin is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mairin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mairin in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.