Irish Names that Start With M

With this spelling, and one-syllable pronunciation, it sounds less like a whole name than a cut-off version of Mary. In fact, actress Mare Winningham was christened Mary.

The popular Irish name Muireann comes from a mythical mermaid who was tranformed into a woman by a saint. Pronunciation is like the surname of the actress Helen Mirren, but with the spin of a w sound after the initial M.

Irish goddess and saint name that's strong, to say the least.

This pleasant modernization of a dated original is still rare but has real modern possibilities. Alternate versions include Merial and Meryl.

A name that has many close, more familiar relatives, like Mira and Myra.

One of the ultimate teasable names, an Irish saint's name now associated with the oversized comic-strip dog. Scottish adventurer Bear (born Edward) Grylls took up the challenge when he used it for his son.

Less appealing than some other Irish surnames, such as Malone and Sullivan, unless used as a tribute to jazz musician Gerry. There could be some Mulligan stew teasing.

Makena may be one of the names with the most diverse range of possible roots. It can be a spelling variation of the Scottish surname McKenna, or a name from the East African Meru community with a happy meaning. Makena is also a Hawaiian place name that refers to a town on Maui, which may be drawn from the Hawaiian Makana, meaning "gift".

Unusual Mary variety with literary underpinnings, most famously as a character in J.M. Synge's Riders to the Sea. You may have to do constant explaining of the spelling and pronunciation, but if you're looking for a distinctive and attractive form of Mary, you've found it.

A jovial and jaunty Irish name, the title of a long-gone TV crime drama, this would make an appealing choice. Slight downside: Maddy is already a mega-popular nickname for Madeline/Madelyn and Madison, so this Mad- name might not feel as distinctive as the stats would suggest.

Both Maire and Mare have begun making inroads with parents seeking novel yet authentic ways of honoring an ancestral Mary. The Finnish variation derives from the word mairea, meaning "sweet."

Meabh, the native Irish spelling of Maeve, is in the Top 100 in Ireland and becoming more popular here in its Anglicized form. Outside of Ireland, life will be easier with the Maeve spelling of this lovely queen's name.

Mirren is a lively and attractive Scottish name, popular in its native country but best known outside Scotland as the surname of the English actor Dame Helen Mirren. It is thought to be a Scottish derivative of the name Marion, from Mary.

An Anglicized form of Medb borrowed by both Shakespeare and Percy Bysshe Shelley for the of queen of the fairies. Perfect if you want something both adventurous and simple - though you could use it as a nickname for Mabel, Mirabel, Mabli, or Amabel too.

This is an old Irish name associated with such heroes as the seventeenth century chieftain, scholar and poet Manus O'Donnell. It is likely a variation of Magnus, itself derived from the Latin word for "greatest", though the literal Latin translation of manus connects it to the hand, and more figuratively to work, fighting, violence, writing, and a group of soldiers.

Muirgen in Irish mythology was turned into a mermaid and then brought back to land after 300 years and transformed back into a woman -- which must have been quite a shock. Muirgen's original name was Liban. Muirgen may also be spelled Muireann or Muirenn.

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice.

This Gaelic version of the enduring Michael was chosen by Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson for their first son.

Common in its native habitat, and worth consideration by parents in search of an authentic Irish name, though a pronunciation challenge.

McCabe is an Irish patronymic surname that originated with Scottish mercenaries in Ireland who wore distinctive hats -- or cabas, which is also the name for capes.