MAUREEN

Meaning

Maureen is the Anglicized diminutive of the Irish name Máirín, itself a familiar form of Máire, the Irish form of Mary. In older Irish naming, the ending suggests “little,” while the first part is commonly connected with the idea of darkness or a dark complexion, giving the name the sense of “little dark one” or “dark-haired one.”

Origin

Fun fact

Maureen became especially popular in the English-speaking world in the 20th century, helped in part by Irish diaspora naming traditions and Hollywood visibility.