Where does the name Mariah come from?

Mariah is a girl name of Hebrew origin.

Is Mariah a boy or a girl name?

Mariah is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 113,643 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Mariah in 2023?

Mariah ranks #393 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1996 with 5,446 babies.

How do you pronounce Mariah?

Mariah is pronounced mar-EYE-a (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Mariah?

Mariah is also written as Maria, Moriah, Mariya.

A name from Hebrew · Girl

Mariah

An English spelling variant of Maria, ultimately from Hebrew Miriam — of disputed meaning, traditionally interpreted as 'wished-for child' or 'sea of bitterness'. Mariah Carey made this spelling iconic in the 1990s.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

113,643 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

783 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MAn English spelling variant of Maria, ultimately from Hebrew Miriam — of disputed meaning, traditionally interpreted as 'wished-for child' or 'sea of bitterness'. Mariah Carey made this spelling iconic in the 1990s.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Mariah".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Maria Most common Moriah Mariya

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Mariah.

M
Mariah Carey (singer)
M
Mariah (1951 Western film source of the name)

Quick answers

People often ask about Mariah.

What does the name Mariah mean?: Mariah means an English spelling variant of Maria, ultimately from Hebrew Miriam — of disputed meaning, traditionally interpreted as 'wished-for child' or 'sea of bitterness'. Mariah Carey made this spelling iconic in the 1990s.
Where does the name Mariah come from?: Mariah is a girl name of Hebrew origin.
Is Mariah a boy or a girl name?: Mariah is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 113,643 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Mariah in 2023?: Mariah ranks #393 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1996 with 5,446 babies.
How do you pronounce Mariah?: Mariah is pronounced mar-EYE-a (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Mariah?: Mariah is also written as Maria, Moriah, Mariya.

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Mary

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Bitter; beloved; wished-for child

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.