What does the name Mary mean?

Mary means bitter; beloved; wished-for child. Mother of Jesus.

Where does the name Mary come from?

Mary is a girl name of Hebrew origin.

Is Mary a boy or a girl name?

Mary is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Mary are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Mary in 2023?

Mary ranks #133 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1921 with 74,171 babies.

How do you pronounce Mary?

Mary is pronounced MAIR-ee (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Mary?

Mary is also written as Maria, Marie, Miriam.

A name from Hebrew · Girl

Mary

Bitter; beloved; wished-for child. Mother of Jesus.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

4,137,032 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

2,085 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MBitter; beloved; wished-for child. Mother of Jesus.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Mary".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Maria Most common Marie Miriam

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.

Mary

English

Maria

Latin / Spanish / Italian

Marie

French

Maryah

Aramaic / Syriac

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Mary.

M
Mary Shelley (author)
M
Virgin Mary

Quick answers

People often ask about Mary.

What does the name Mary mean?: Mary means bitter; beloved; wished-for child. Mother of Jesus.
Where does the name Mary come from?: Mary is a girl name of Hebrew origin.
Is Mary a boy or a girl name?: Mary is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Mary are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Mary in 2023?: Mary ranks #133 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1921 with 74,171 babies.
How do you pronounce Mary?: Mary is pronounced MAIR-ee (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Mary?: Mary is also written as Maria, Marie, Miriam.

Similar names

If you love Mary, also consider…

James

Boy ·Hebrew

Supplanter; one who follows

Michael

#16

Boy ·Hebrew

Who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel

God is my oath; consecrated to God

Supplanter; one who follows

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.