Maguire
The Maguire family is an Irish clan based in County Fermanagh. The name derives from the Gaelic Mac Uidhir, which is "son of Odhar" meaning 'sallow' or 'pale-faced'. According to legend, this relates to the eleventh descendant of Colla da Chrich, great-grandson of Cormac mac Airt, who was monarch of Ireland about the middle of the third century.
Meaning & Origin of Maguire
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Maguire family is an Irish clan based in County Fermanagh. The name derives from the Gaelic Mac Uidhir, which is "son of Odhar" meaning 'sallow' or 'pale-faced'. According to legend, this relates to the eleventh descendant of Colla da Chrich, great-grandson of Cormac mac Airt, who was monarch of Ireland about the middle of the third century.
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Origin & history
The Story of Maguire
As a girl name
Maguire first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1998, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2000: 9 births, good for #9,873 nationwide. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 42% of all recorded Maguires. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (8 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 108 Maguires have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Maguire as a boy name dates back to 1997, when 6 babies received it. 2000 was its biggest year on record, with 54 newborns named Maguire — #1,924 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 64% of all recorded Maguires. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2023 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 577 Maguires have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Maguire
Phonetically similar names — useful when Maguire is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maguire
What does the name Maguire mean?
How popular is Maguire in 2026?
When was Maguire most popular?
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Is Maguire a unisex name?
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About the name Maguire
Maguire is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1997 and has accumulated 577 births in the dataset. Maguire's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #1,924. Use the chart and map above to compare Maguire's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "M" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.