indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Literature, Celtic Mythology
Other Forms FormsBeara, Beare, Béarra, Beira, Béirre, Bhéara, Bheare, Bhéirre, Bhérri, Birra
Meaning & History
Anglicized form of Bheur or Bhuer perhaps meaning "cutting, sharp, shrill" in Scottish Gaelic, from Cailleach Bheur "sharp old wife", the name of the Scottish personification of winter, a reference to wintry winds. Alternatively her name could mean "old woman of Beara" from an Irish place name which according to legend derives from the personal name of Princess Beara of Castille, wife of King Eoghan Mór of Munster.