Is Mariam a boy or a girl name?

Mariam is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 17,343 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Mariam in 2023?

Mariam ranks #534 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2016 with 570 babies.

How do you pronounce Mariam?

Mariam is pronounced MAR-yam (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Mariam?

Mariam is also written as Maryam, Miriam, Mary.

A name from Arabic · Girl · Named in the Qur’an

Mariam

مَرْيَم

"Beloved; exalted." Arabic form of Mary. The only woman named in the entire Qur'an and the only one with a surah named after her (Surah Maryam, #19) — the mother of Isa (Jesus), honored as the greatest woman in Islam.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 141-year arc in numbers.

17,343 U.S. births recorded from 1882–2023.

Popularity · 1882–2023

568 births in 2023

1882 1952 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

M"Beloved; exalted." Arabic form of Mary. The only woman named in the entire Qur'an and the only one with a surah named after her (Surah Maryam, #19) — the mother of Isa (Jesus), honored as the greatest woman in Islam.

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: From Hebrew Miryam — possibly "beloved" or "bitter"

Regional variants

Cross-Abrahamic bridge name par excellence — venerated in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. "Maryam" is the Qur'anic spelling; "Mariam" is the French-influenced North African form common in the US.

Islamic depth

Named in the Qur’an in the Qur'an.

Classical commentary, verse references, and what the name means in tradition.

Maryam مَرْيَم

Maryam (Mary), mother of Isa, is the only woman named directly in the Qur’an. Sura 19 bears her name. She is described as chosen above the women of all creation, a model of purity and devotion.

From the Qur'an

""And [mention] when the angels said, ‘O Maryam, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.’""

— Qur'an, Al-Imran 3:42

""And [the example of] Maryam, the daughter of ʿImran, who guarded her chastity… and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the devoutly obedient.""

— Qur'an, At-Tahrim 66:12

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Mariam".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Maryam Most common Miriam Mary

Name family

Mary / Maryam / Miriam

The mother of Jesus (Isa). Maryam is the only woman named in the Qur’an, and Surah Maryam (19) bears her name. Miriam, sister of Moses, shares the Hebrew root.

Maryam مَرْيَم

Arabic

Mariam

Arabic / Coptic

Latin / Spanish / Italian

Marie

French

Maryah

Aramaic / Syriac

Related guides

People who carry the name Mariam.

M
Maryam (Qur'anic figure, mother of Jesus)
M
Maryam Mirzakhani (Fields Medal mathematician)

Quick answers

People often ask about Mariam.

What does the name Mariam mean?: Mariam means "Beloved; exalted." Arabic form of Mary. The only woman named in the entire Qur'an and the only one with a surah named after her (Surah Maryam, #19) — the mother of Isa (Jesus), honored as the greatest woman in Islam.
Where does the name Mariam come from?: Mariam is a girl name of Arabic origin. Cross-Abrahamic bridge name par excellence — venerated in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
Is Mariam a boy or a girl name?: Mariam is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 17,343 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Mariam in 2023?: Mariam ranks #534 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2016 with 570 babies.
How do you pronounce Mariam?: Mariam is pronounced MAR-yam (2 syllables).
Is Mariam mentioned in the Qur'an?: Maryam (Mary), mother of Isa, is the only woman named directly in the Qur’an.
What are common spellings of Mariam?: Mariam is also written as Maryam, Miriam, Mary.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.

Mariam

A 141-year arc in numbers.

A name that means something.

Named in the Qur’an in the Qur'an.

3 ways to spell "Mariam".

Mary / Maryam / Miriam

Read more in the Almanac.

30 Quranic Baby Names for Boys and Girls (With Verses)

People who carry the name Mariam.

People often ask about Mariam.

If you love Mariam, also consider…

About this page