Mary

Girl Hebrew /MAIR-ee/ #133 in 2023

Mary is a girl name of Hebrew origin.

Meaning of Mary

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

Popularity of Mary

Popularity, 1880–2023

2,081 births in 2023

1880 2023

4,136,964 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023. Used for both boys and girls — see notes below.

Peak year

1921

74,171 babies

First recorded

1880

Earliest SSA data

Recent trend

Steady

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

MariaMarieMiriam

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

Famous people named Mary

Mary Shelley (author)
Virgin Mary

Similar names

James

Boy · Hebrew

Supplanter; one who follows

John

Boy · Hebrew

Very popular since the Middle Ages

Michael

Boy · Hebrew

Who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel

Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel

God is my oath; consecrated to God

Matthew

Boy · Hebrew

One of the twelve Apostles

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.