Muirín

This name derives from the Irish root “(māra rīganī-s > mór rígan)” and the Welsh root “(mor cant > morcant),” meaning “circle of the sea.” It was initially used exclusively for males and enjoyed good popularity in Wales in the Middle Ages. Since the 1980s, the United States has considerably spread its use by women, maybe due to the reputation of Morgan le Fay or the actress Morgan Fairchild. Morgan le Fay is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician. She became much more prominent in the later cyclical prose works such as the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, in which she becomes an antagonist to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. In Wales, however, is still considered only male (as with the name Meredith).