Meaning & Origin
A female given name from Irish.
Maureen is a girl's and boy's baby name of Irish origin, an Anglicization of the Irish Máirín, a diminutive of Mary, which traces back to the Hebrew Miryam meaning 'beloved.' The Irish diminutive suffix gives Mary a distinctly Gaelic warmth.
Actress Maureen O'Hara, the flame-haired Irish-American star of classic Hollywood, is perhaps the most iconic bearer — fierce, beautiful, and unmistakably proud of her heritage. Maureen peaked in the U.S. during the 1940s and 1950s. It carries the same vintage Irish charm as Eileen and Kathleen.