Mireia

Girl · Occitan, through Catalan

Mireia

Say it: mee-RAY-uh

Meaning

From Mirèio, heroine of Frédéric Mistral's 1859 Provençal poem. Mistral linked it to an Occitan word for 'marvel' or to Maria; its true source is uncertain.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Taken into Catalan from Mistral's poem and very popular in Catalonia in the late 20th century.

Its wave through time

Rare in the records

In the United States

25 babies given this name since 2005
At its height in 2018, about 1 in 212,000 girls
Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

Catalan Spanish French

The family of the name

Spanish	Mireya
French	Mireille

Famous bearers

Mireia Belmonte, Spanish Olympic swimmer

Names worth a look

RoserGirlCatalan 'rosebush', from the Mare de Déu del Roser, Our Lady of the Rosary.Victorian

MeritxellGirlFrom the shrine of Our Lady of Meritxell, patroness of Andorra; the place-name is of uncertain origin.Modern

QueraltGirlFrom the Marian sanctuary of Queralt above Berga in Catalonia; the place-name is of uncertain origin.Modern

ElisendaGirlUncertain. Often taken as a medieval Catalan form of Elisabeth, though a Germanic origin has also been proposed.Middle Ages

AinaGirlMajorcan and Catalan form of Anna, from Hebrew Hannah 'favour, grace'.Middle Ages

LaiaGirlA Catalan short form of Eulàlia, from Greek 'well-spoken'.Modern

MaryGirlFrom Hebrew Miryam, through Greek and Latin Maria; the meaning is uncertain, with many proposals and none settled.Biblical · peak 1891

MarkBoyLatin Marcus, probably from the god Mars.Biblical · peak 1960

Where this comes from

Well-known works of literature
National birth statistics of European countries source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.