Meara
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "the shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 1,359 living Americans carry the first name Meara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meara today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meara births was 2015 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meara. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 252,211 Americans
Peak year
2015
72 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,249
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Meara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meara from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 540 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Meara remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meara 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 Meara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mearas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Ohio, Illinois recorded the most babies named Meara, while Virginia, Indiana, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meara
The name Meara is of Celtic origin, with roots in the Gaelic and Irish languages. It is believed to have emerged in the early medieval period, around the 5th to 6th centuries CE, in the regions of Ireland and Scotland.
Meara is derived from the Gaelic word "muir," which means "sea" or "ocean." This connection to the sea suggests that the name may have been given to individuals living in coastal areas or those with a close association with maritime life. Some linguists also link it to the Old Irish word "mara," meaning "great" or "excellent."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meara can be found in the ancient Irish text, the Annals of Ulster, which mentions a woman named Meara ingen Domnaill (Meara, daughter of Domnall) in the year 637 CE. This historical reference suggests that the name was in use during the early medieval period in Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Meara. One of the most famous was Meara, Queen of Connacht, who ruled in the 7th century CE. She was known for her political influence and her support of the church during her reign.
Another prominent figure was Meara ingen Scandail, a 9th-century Irish princess and daughter of the King of Uí Failghe. She was renowned for her beauty and her patronage of the arts.
In the 12th century, Meara Ní Chonchobair was an Irish noblewoman and the wife of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Moving to more recent times, Meara Hackett (1908-1997) was an Irish playwright and novelist, known for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Lastly, Meara Rubicam (1966-present) is a contemporary American artist and sculptor, recognized for her large-scale public installations and her innovative use of materials.
These examples demonstrate the enduring presence of the name Meara throughout various periods and cultures, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions bearing this name with pride.
People
Meara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meara 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
Meara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,359 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meara 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 252,211 US residents.
Is Meara a common name?
We classify Meara as "Rare". It ranks above 91.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,383 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meara most popular?
The single biggest year for Meara was 2015, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meara is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meara 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.