Maebh "may + v" Maeve From an old Irish name
Madb, "the cause of great joy" or "she who intoxicates." The great warrior queen of Connacht and embodiment of sovereignity she stars in Ireland's greatest epic "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (
read the legend). She left king Conchobhar Mac Nessa for Ailill because "you are a man without meaness, fear or jealousy, a match for my own greatness." But the couple quarrelled over who had the most possessions. Maebh's bull had defected to Ailill's herd and so she bought Daire's brown bull. When Daire went back on the deal she went to war with Cuchulainn (
read the legend) and the province of Ulster to recover the bull. [align=center] [/align]
Maire "my + ra" Mary The name that was used in Ireland for Our Lady was Muire and interestingly, her name was so honored that it was rarely used as a first name until the end of the fifteenth century. Then Maire became acceptable as a given name but the spelling Muire was reserved for the Blessed Mother. [align=center] [/align]
Mairead
or
Muiread "mawr + aid" "mur + aid" Margaret The Irish form of Margaret, it became popular around the fourteenth century. [align=center] [/align]
Maolisa "mail + issa" Melissa
maol +
Iosa "follower of Jesus." A name first used by clerics as early as the tenth century.
It is used for boys and girls. [align=center] [/align]
Meara "meer + a"
The Irish word
mara means "sea." [align=center] [/align]
Mona
Muadhnat "little noble one" is one possible source of the name. The Normans brought Monique, "giver of advice," or it could refer to Madonna, "lady" as in the Mona Lisa. [align=center] [/align]
Muireann, Muirenn "mur + in" Miren,
Moirin Means "sea white, sea fair." The very appropriate name of the 6th century mermaid caught by a fisherman in Lough Neagh. He brought her to St. Comghall who baptized her which transformed her into a woman. [align=center] [/align]
Muirgheal "mur + el" Meryl,
Muriel
muirgheal "bright as the sea." The Irish form of the name Muriel. [align=center] [/align]
Muirne "mir + ne" Morna, Myrna
muirne means "high-spirited, festive." Muirne loved Conall who was from an opposing tribe. Her father, a druid, opposed the match and had Conall killed but not before Muirne had conceived a son, who grew up to be the legendary warrior Fionn Mac Cool
(
read the legend) and who later avenged the death of his father. [align=center] [/align]