Moira

Moira is a female first name that is widespread in English, Irish, and Scottish language areas and has its origin in the Greek name Μοῖρα. It means "fate" or "destiny".

What does the name Moira mean?

The name Moira, an English, Irish, and Scottish variant of the Greek term Μοῖρα, means "fate" or "destiny". Its roots lie in the ancient Greek word moíra (μοίρα), which stands for "fate", "providence", and "destiny". In the Anglo-Saxon world, Moira is also regarded as a form of Maire, a Gaelic derivation of the biblical Hebrew name Maria. The meaning of Maria encompasses terms like "the beloved", "the nourished", "the untamed", "the bitter", "the one coming from the sea", "the drop of the sea", and "the star of the sea". The exact origins of the name Maria are not fully clarified, but it is believed to have ancient Egyptian roots, derived from mry, meaning "beloved". In Greek mythology, the Moirai were the three goddesses of fate. An alternative spelling of the name is Moyra. The first name made its way from English into the German-speaking world in the 1970s.

Where does the name Moira come from?

Moira is a female first name with ancient Greek and ancient Hebrew origins, which is reflected in the meaning "fate". The ancient Greek term moíra (μοίρα) stands for fate, providence, and destiny. The name is also related to Maria: mry means "beloved" in Egyptian or mir "bitter" as well as jam "sea" in ancient Hebrew. Additionally, there are various meanings in ancient Hebrew such as mry "rebellious", rym "to give", or mra "to fatten".

How do you pronounce Moira?

The pronunciation of Moira is two syllables and characterized by a diphthong. It is pronounced as "Moi-ra" [ˈmɔɪ̯ʁa], with the gliding ei sound creating a dynamic tonal quality. The soft r and the open a ending give the name warmth and roundness. Thus, Moira has a mysterious and sonorous presence - soft in flow, yet with inner tension and a distinct profile.

When is the name day of Moira?

The name days for Moira are January 1, April 9, April 23, August 20, September 12, and December 8.

Popularity

In Germany, Moira is among the more common first names. Currently, it ranks 3,210th on the list of the most common female first names. Its best placement was in 2003, when it reached 241st place. In the last ten years, Moira has been given as a first name around 100 times, placing it 2,439th in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 2,451st.

Nicknames & pet names

Mo / Moi / Moimoi / Moiri / Momo

Similar first names

Famous people

• Moira Abernethy (swimmer)
• Moira Anderson (singer from Great Britain)
• Moira Armstrong (British film director)
• Moira Bertram (Australian illustrator)
• Moira Brooker (actress from England)
• Moira Buffini (British playwright)
• Moira Cargill (Alpine skier from England)
• Moira Delia (Maltese television presenter)
• Moira Dunn (golfer from America)
• Moira Foot (British actress)
• Moira Forsyth (British artist)
• Moira Harris (American actress)
• Moira J. Moore (Canadian author)
• Moira Jones (South African cricketer)
• Moira Kelly (American actress)
• Moira King (British ballet dancer)
• Moira Kirland (Chinese film producer)
• Moira Lambert (British singer)
• Moira Linehan (American author)
• Moira Lister (South African actress)