Mary Name Meaning

The name Mary was derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miriam. Miriam was Moses’ sister in the Old Testament. This name may have come from a root meaning “beloved” or a word meaning “bitter” or “rebellious,” a reference to the biblical Miriam’s experience being enslaved in Egypt.

Read on to learn about the name Mary, its popularity, variations, and famous people named Mary.

How Popular Is the Name Mary?

Mary was the most popular baby name for girls in America from 1900 until 1946. It dropped to number 2 in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when Linda took the number 1 slot. However, Mary rose to the top spot again from 1953 to 1961.

The name Mary remained in the top 10 throughout the 1960s but dropped in popularity in the 1970s. It remained a top 25 name until 1980 and has steadily declined in popularity since.

In 2009, Mary dropped in popularity to over 100th place for the first time since 1900. In 2023, it ranked 135.

Name Variations

As a name featured prominently in the Bible, Mary has an equivalent in virtually every known language:

• Maaria (Finnish)
• Maarja (Estonian)
• Mair (Welsh)
• Mari (Danish)
• Maria (Italian)
• María (Spanish)
• Mariam (Armenian)
• Marie (French)
• Mariya (Belarusian)
• Marja (Dutch)
• Maryam (Arabic)

The various spellings of Mariah, Marya, and Maryah are also derived from the same name.

Similar Names

The name Mary has been mashed up or combined with various other names, leading to such combos as Maryann/Maryanne (Mary + Anne), Marybeth (Mary + Beth), Marilee (Mary + Lee), Marilu/Mary-Lou (Mary + Lou), and Marilyn (Mary + Lynne).

More girl names starting with "M" include:

• Madeleine
• Madison
• Maeve
• Margaret
• Martha
• Meredith
• Mia
• Myla

More names associated with royalty include:

• Alexandra
• Anne
• Catherine
• Charlotte
• Diana
• Elizabeth
• Isabella
• Victoria

Suggested Sibling Names

If you're looking for a name to group with Mary, try one of the following:

• Carolyn
• Dorothy
• Helen
• James
• John
• Michael
• Patricia
• Thomas

Famous People Named Mary

There are several prominent figures named Mary from biblical times to current.

Marys from the New Testament

• Mary, the mother of Jesus, known as the Virgin Mary
• Mary Magdalene, an early follower of Jesus
• Mary of Clopas, who accompanied Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus
• Mary of Bethany, a sister of Lazarus

British queens named Mary

• Queen Mary I of England, known for her efforts to re-establish the Catholic Church in England
• Mary, Queen of Scots, the mother of James I of England
• Queen Mary II of England, daughter of James II and wife of King William III

Other notable Marys

• Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science
• Mary J. Blige, Grammy Award-winning singer and actor
• Mary Higgins Clark, best-selling American author
• Mary Jackson, American mathematician and aerospace engineer
• Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln
• Mary Lyon, American pioneer in women's education
• Mary Martin, Broadway performer known for her role as Peter Pan in the 1954 musical
• Mary Pickford, Academy Award-winning film star
• Mary Shelley, English novelist best known for her book Frankenstein 
• Mary Shepard, English artist known for illustrating the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers
• Mary Steenburgen, Academy Award-winning actor
• Mary Stuart Masterson, American actor
• Mary L. Trump, psychologist and author, niece of former President Donald Trump
• Mary Tyler Moore, American actor
• Mary Wells, American singer
• Mary Wollstonecraft, English writer and philosopher