UK girl's name
Meara
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "the shining one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Meara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Meara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4686, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 4 births.
This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2005 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Meara is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 20 living people in the UK are called Meara. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Meara ranked #4686 for girls in England and Wales in 2019, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 4 girls were registered as Meara.
- • Meara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #328 in 2023.
- • About 20 living people in the UK are estimated to have Meara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4686
2019
Births in 2019
4
Latest year
Peak year
2019
4 births
Estimated living
20
2026
Meaning
What does Meara mean?
The name Meara is of Celtic origin, with roots in the Gaelic and Irish languages. It is believed to have emerged in the early medieval period, around the 5th to 6th centuries CE, in the regions of Ireland and Scotland.
Meara is derived from the Gaelic word "muir," which means "sea" or "ocean." This connection to the sea suggests that the name may have been given to individuals living in coastal areas or those with a close association with maritime life. Some linguists also link it to the Old Irish word "mara," meaning "great" or "excellent."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meara can be found in the ancient Irish text, the Annals of Ulster, which mentions a woman named Meara ingen Domnaill (Meara, daughter of Domnall) in the year 637 CE. This historical reference suggests that the name was in use during the early medieval period in Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Meara. One of the most famous was Meara, Queen of Connacht, who ruled in the 7th century CE. She was known for her political influence and her support of the church during her reign.
Another prominent figure was Meara ingen Scandail, a 9th-century Irish princess and daughter of the King of Uí Failghe. She was renowned for her beauty and her patronage of the arts.
In the 12th century, Meara Ní Chonchobair was an Irish noblewoman and the wife of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Moving to more recent times, Meara Hackett (1908-1997) was an Irish playwright and novelist, known for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Lastly, Meara Rubicam (1966-present) is a contemporary American artist and sculptor, recognized for her large-scale public installations and her innovative use of materials.
These examples demonstrate the enduring presence of the name Meara throughout various periods and cultures, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions bearing this name with pride.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Meara over time
The chart below shows babies named Meara registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Meara, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2019, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meara by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Meara was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5176 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #5177 | 6 | 2 |
Geography
Where Meara is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Meara. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Meara ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #328 in 2023.
Across the UK
Meara in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#328 in 2023
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Meara
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Meara: questions and answers
How popular is the name Meara in the UK right now?
In 2019, Meara was ranked #4686 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Meara most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 4 babies registered as Meara in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Meara?
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "the shining one".
How many people are called Meara in the UK?
A total of 13 babies have been registered as Meara across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Meara most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Meara ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #328 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.