Maura is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Maura means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Maura across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Maura has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Maura is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “beloved, or bitter”. An Irish form of Mary, also linked to Latin maurus meaning dark.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 19,970 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 55 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 57 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 14 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,053 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Maura per year, United States (1903 to 2025). United States peaked in 1964 (430/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1972 (51/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1998 (7/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (6/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2010 (5/yr).
Maura has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1964, when it ranked #841 nationally (given to 452 babies that year).
Mary · Maria · Mariah · Mayra · Myra · Murray · Mira · Mari
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →