Maura

Maura has two distinct origins that have merged in use. In the Latin tradition, it derives from the Roman feminine form of Maurus, meaning dark or Moorish, referring to someone from the ancient region of Mauretania in North Africa; it was borne by several early Christian saints, including a fourth-century martyr venerated alongside Saint Britta. In the Irish tradition, Maura developed as an anglicized form of Máire, itself the Irish equivalent of Mary, which traces back through Latin Maria to the Hebrew Miryam of debated meaning. Related forms include Moira, Máire, and the masculine Maurus.