Miriam

Girl Hebrew #248 in 2023

Miriam is a girl name of Hebrew origin.

Meaning of Miriam

From מִרְיָם, possibly from מרים, from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries.

Popularity of Miriam

Popularity, 1880–2023

1,246 births in 2023

1880 2023

115,353 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Peak year

1924

1,834 babies

First recorded

1880

Earliest SSA data

Recent trend

Steady

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

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.

Miriam מִרְיָם

Hebrew

Mary

English

Maria

Latin / Spanish / Italian

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

Mary

Girl · Hebrew

Bitter; beloved; wished-for child

Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel

God is my oath; consecrated to God

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Etymology adapted from Wiktionary under CC BY-SA 4.0. If you spot an error, please let us know.