Maura

Maura has two distinct origins that converged into a single form. In the Latin tradition, it derives from the Roman feminine name Maura, itself a feminine form of Maurus, meaning dark or Moorish, referring to people from the North African region of Mauretania. In the Irish tradition, it arose as an anglicization of Máire, the Irish form of Mary, which traces back through Latin Maria to Hebrew Miryam, a name of debated meaning often associated with sea of bitterness or beloved. Related forms include Moira, Maureen, and Máire.