Mairead is the Irish form of Margaret, ultimately from Greek, meaning "pearl."
Mairead (pronounced approximately "mah-RAID" or "MAR-it" depending on dialect) is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret, tracing back through Latin Margarita to Greek Μαργαρίτης (margaritēs), meaning "pearl." The pearl connection gave the name an early association with rarity and preciousness, and it was widely adopted by early Christian saints, most notably Saint Margaret of Antioch, a third-century martyr whose veneration spread across Europe during the medieval period. In Ireland and Scotland, Mairead became the native Gaelic equivalent of the widely used Margaret, kept alive through centuries of colonial pressure on indigenous languages.
It was borne by noblewomen, saints, and ordinary families alike, functioning as both a given name and a cultural statement — a refusal to fully anglicize. The name carried the weight of Gaelic identity through the Tudor plantations, the Penal Laws, and the suppression of Irish and Scottish culture, emerging into the twentieth century as a symbol of linguistic and cultural resilience. The name's most internationally prominent bearer is Mairead Corrigan Maguire, the Northern Irish peace activist who co-founded the Community of Peace People in 1976 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that same year for her efforts to end the Troubles.
Her prominence brought international attention to a name most outsiders had never encountered. Today Mairead is cherished within Irish and Scottish communities as an authentically Gaelic alternative to the ubiquitous Margaret or Marguerite, with a sound that is at once ancient and quietly striking.