Maureen
Maureen was the 4424th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 32 babies. Its best year was 1948, when it ranked 88th; the most babies were born in 1957 (4,596). Over the last ten years it has moved down 786 places. More babies were named Maureen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning little Mary (Irish) · Irish, Hebrew
Say it mor-EEN /mɔɹˈin/
- Rank in 2025
- #4,424 girls, up 87 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 32girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19574,596 babies
- Total since 1880
- 144,604babies recorded
What does the name Maureen mean?
Maureen is the anglicized form of Irish Máirín, a diminutive of Máire, the Irish form of Mary, as Wiktionary notes. Mary comes from Hebrew and Aramaic Miryam; DMNES calls its origin uncertain, noting it is often derived from a root meaning 'bitter' while others suggest different sources. Maureen was very popular in Ireland, Britain and the US in the mid-20th century; actress Maureen O'Hara is a famous bearer.
Máirín (Irish, “little Mary”)מִרְיָם (Miryam) (Hebrew, “Mary”)
How sure is this? Probable. Maureen is clearly from Mary; Mary's meaning is uncertain.
Related names: Mary, Maura, Moira, Máire.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maureen', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Maureen
The usual nicknames for Maureen are Mo.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mo · also for Muhammad, Moses, Mohamed | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Maureens go by each one.
Maureen popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 328 since 1933.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,424 | 32 |
| 2020 | #4,511 | 30 |
| 2010 | #3,607 | 44 |
| 2000 | #1,228 | 162 |
| 1990 | #497 | 491 |
| 1980 | #280 | 881 |
| 1970 | #182 | 1,789 |
| 1960 | #106 | 4,520 |
| 1950 | #89 | 4,070 |
| 1940 | #135 | 1,810 |
| 1930 | #281 | 532 |
| 1920 | #704 | 107 |
| 1910 | #1,252 | 14 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maureen, counting every spelling?
Maureen has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Maureen?
32 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maureen (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maureen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 261 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maureen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maureen?
About 105,600 people born in the US named Maureen are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 59 and 74. That makes Maureen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Maureen by state
How common Maureen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maureen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maureen, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Maureen · Sibling names for Maureen
Questions about the name Maureen
What does Maureen mean?
Maureen means “little Mary (Irish)” (Irish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Maureen?
Maureen was the 4424th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 32 babies. Its best year was 1948, when it ranked 88th; the most babies were born in 1957 (4,596). Over the last ten years it has moved down 786 places. More babies were named Maureen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Maureen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maureen in the US.
Where is Maureen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maureen was most common in New York (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.