Maura

The first name Maura is a feminine form of Mauro or Mauritius, a variant of the Roman surname Mauricius, which in turn goes back to Maurus.

What does the name Maura mean?

The first name Maura is a feminine form of Mauro or Mauritius, a variant of the Roman surname Mauricius, which in turn goes back to Maurus. Directly translated, it means 'the woman from Mauretania', 'the woman of the Moors', 'the Moorish woman', or 'the dark-skinned one' or 'the dark one'. This refers not to sub-Saharan Africans, but to Berbers and Arabs from the northern Orient (Tunisia, Albania, Morocco). Its origins lie in the Latin expression maurus for 'dark-skinned' or in the ancient Greek words amaurós (ἀμαυρός) for 'dark, black, the moor' or amáurosi (αμαύρωση) for 'burnt, tanned, bronzed'. Furthermore, Maura is considered an English spelling variant of the Irish name Maire (Máire), which likely originally comes from Celtic but is now seen in Ireland as a variant of Maria. In this context, the name means 'the rebellious one', 'the beloved', 'the untamed', 'the gift of God', and also 'the sea drop'. There is also a possible connection to the Gaelic word mór, which translates to 'great', thus giving the meaning 'the great one'. An Irish or Scottish holy martyr from the 5th century bore this name. The name became particularly popular in the Middle Ages due to the veneration of Saint Maurus, who was a student and assistant of Saint Benedict in the 6th century. Additionally, Saint Mauritius contributed to the spread of the name in the 4th century. He is regarded as the leader of the Theban Legion in Switzerland. Other variants include Maure, Maurina, Mauricia, Mauritia, Maurizia, Moritza, and Maurane.

Where does the name Maura come from?

The etymology of Maura is a feminine first name of Latin origin with the meaning 'the woman from Mauretania'. Latin

How do you pronounce Maura?

Sound & pronunciation of Maura: Maura is usually articulated as 'Mau-ra' [ˈmaʊʁa]. The diphthong 'au' at the beginning creates a wide, swinging sound movement that immediately captures attention. The open ending '-a' rounds off softly and brings warmth to the conclusion. Maura feels lively and feminine - melodic, self-assured, and with a southern lightness.

When is the name day of Maura?

The name day of Maura is September 21.

Popularity

Maura is a rare first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 5,884th in the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 2012 at 1,945th. In the last ten years, Maura has been given as a first name about 10 times, placing it at 7,402nd in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 5,733rd.

Nicknames & pet names

MauMau / Maur / Mauri / Maurii / Maury / Miaura / Morchen

Similar first names

Famous people

• Maryli Maura Herz-Marconi (Swiss singer)
• Maura Bosch (composer from the USA)
• Maura Davis (musician from America)
• Maura Gale (actress from America)
• Maura Hanrahan (writer from Canada)
• Maura Haponski (American luger)
• Maura Isles (character from 'Rizzoli & Isles')
• Maura Laverty (actress from Ireland)
• Maura Murphy (Irish writer)
• Maura Oconnell (singer from Ireland)
• Maura Rivera (Chilean dancer)
• Maura Sheridan (American writer)
• Maura Soden (actress from America)
• Maura Stanton (American poet)
• Maura Stone (American writer)
• Maura Tierney (American actress)
• Maura Tombelli (Italian astronomer)
• Maura Viceconte (American long-distance runner)
• Maura Visser (Dutch handball player)
• Maura West (American actress)