Mary comes from the Hebrew name Miriam, a name with several possible meanings including beloved, wished for child, and bitter. Its importance is unmatched in Christian tradition because Mary is the mother of Jesus, which helped make the name one of the most enduring choices in the Western world. Simple, sacred, and classic, Mary has been carried by queens, saints, writers, and generations of women across many languages.
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Root name
The root form of Mary is
Miriam — meaning Beloved, wished for child.
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Modern usage
Mary remains a beloved choice. Timeless appeal across cultures and generations.
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How popular is Mary?
1921peak year
Mary was a name of the Roaring Twenties. Through that decade it averaged #1 nationally — one of the era's most chosen names. In 1921, 73,984 babies were given the name — making it the #1 most popular name in the United States that year. In the present decade it sits around #128, with about 2,293 babies given the name annually. Mary's usage has held roughly steady recently. The all-time total comes to roughly 4,154,332 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
73,984 Babies named in peak year (ranked #1)
2,293Avg. per year (last decade)
22,930Total registrations last 10 years
4,154,332All-time total (since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #128)Very popular
Every name has a homeland. Discover beautiful girl names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.