Mirren
Anglicized form of an Irish Gaelic name derived from "muire", meaning "beloved" or "admired".
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the first name Mirren. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mirren today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mirren births was 2019 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mirren. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Mirren with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
158
~ 1 in 2,169,331 Americans
Peak year
2019
18 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,332
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Mirren: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mirren from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 88 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mirren remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mirren 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 Mirren during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mirren
The name Mirren is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "muirnin," which means "beloved." It originated in the Scottish Highlands and has been in use since the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mirren dates back to the 13th century, when it was used as a feminine form of the masculine name Muireadach. The name was particularly popular among Scottish clans and families, such as the MacMurrens, who were known for their bravery and loyalty.
In the 16th century, the name Mirren gained prominence with the birth of Mirren Bruce, a Scottish noblewoman who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. She was a staunch supporter of the Protestant cause and is said to have sheltered the reformer John Knox during his time of exile.
Another notable figure with the name Mirren was Mirren McIlvaney, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his fiery sermons and his unwavering commitment to the principles of the Reformation.
In the 20th century, the name Mirren became more widely known thanks to the English actress Dame Helen Mirren, who was born in 1945. She has won numerous awards for her work on stage and screen, including an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film "The Queen."
Other notable individuals with the name Mirren include Mirren Mack, a Scottish artist and illustrator who was born in 1936 and is known for her vibrant and whimsical paintings. Mirren Barnet, a Scottish writer and poet who lived in the early 20th century, also made significant contributions to the literary world.
While the name Mirren is of Scottish origin, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its connection to the beloved actress Dame Helen Mirren has undoubtedly contributed to its widespread recognition.
People
Mirren + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mirren 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
Mirren: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mirren?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 158 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mirren 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 2,169,331 US residents.
Is Mirren a common name?
We classify Mirren as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 159 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mirren most popular?
The single biggest year for Mirren was 2019, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mirren is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mirren in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mirren a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mirren 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.
Is Mirren still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mirren in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mirren can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Mirren?
See how many Americans are named Mirren on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.