Mary

Updated: October 24, 2023 by Olivia Mittak

From important Biblical figures, like Jesus's mother, to infamous members of royalty, like Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary has been one of the most popular names for baby girls for centuries. For years, it was the top name in the United States. Not only is Mary still beloved today, but many of its nicknames and derivatives are as well.

Meaning and Origin of the Name Mary:

Mary is the English version of the Latin name Maria. Maria was derived from the Greek name Mariam, which came from the Aramaic name Maryam, a variation of the Hebrew name Miryam. In Egyptian, the name means “beloved”. In Hebrew, it means “drop of the sea or bitter”.

Symbolism of the Name Mary:

The name Mary is important to Christians because there are several women with this name in the Bible. The most infamous, however, is probably the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Nicknames for the Name Mary:

Despite being a shorter name, Mary actually has a lot of nicknames that come from it. Check out the full list here:

Mare
Molly
Mitzi
Mae
Mamie
Mares
Ary
Air
Ri
RiRi
Maisie
Madge

Style of the Name Mary:

Classic

Gender of the Name Mary:

Mary is a girl's name.

Pronunciation of the Name Mary:

MEH-ree

Number of Syllables in the Name Mary:

Two

Emotion Evoked From the Name Mary:

Because of its connection to many biblical figures, queens and characters in pop culture, the name Mary evokes the image of a girl who is good and virtuous.

Alternative Spellings for the Name Mary:

Mari
Maree
Meri
Merri
Merry

Popularity of the Name Mary:

From 1900 until the 1960s, Mary was either the first or second-most popular baby name in the United States, according to the Social Security Administration. While it has fallen out of favor a bit, it remains fairly popular. As of 2022, it was ranked as the 136th-most popular name for girls.