FastNamesMary
Hebrew and Egyptian name meaning "From Hebrew Miryam; traditionally linked to roots for 'bitterness' or 'rebellion', though modern etymologists trace it to Egyptian mry, meaning 'beloved'.". Ranked 125th for girls in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Mary
From Hebrew Miryam; traditionally linked to roots for 'bitterness' or 'rebellion', though modern etymologists trace it to Egyptian mry, meaning 'beloved'.
Linguistically, Mary is classified under Hebrew and Egyptian naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "MAIR-ee".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Mary has been given to a total of 4,141,481 girls. It has also been given to 15,173 boys.
Peak year: Mary reached its highest relative share among girls in 1880, when 7,065 babies received the name (77,642 per million births).
All-time best rank: 1st place, first achieved in 1880.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 125th with 2,230 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 123rd (down 2 spots).
Busiest decade: More girls were named Mary in the 1920s than in any other decade (701,755 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 91,668 |
| 1890s | 131,138 |
| 1900s | 161,504 |
| 1910s | 478,636 |
| 1920s | 701,755 |
| 1930s | 573,000 |
| 1940s | 640,080 |
| 1950s | 625,606 |
| 1960s | 355,240 |
| 1970s | 126,254 |
| 1980s | 95,862 |
| 1990s | 75,723 |
| 2000s | 46,337 |
| 2010s | 25,693 |
| 2020s | 12,985 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Mary is most common in the US
Accounting for when Mary was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Alaska: 1.6 times the national rate (4,002 births since 1910).
- Mississippi: 1.3 times the national rate (87,586 births since 1910).
- New Mexico: 1.3 times the national rate (23,842 births since 1910).
- Alabama: 1.3 times the national rate (116,898 births since 1910).
- South Carolina: 1.2 times the national rate (84,152 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Mary?
About 1,733,000 living American girls and women share the name Mary. Additionally, an estimated 5,200 living American boys and men share the name.
The median age of an American named Mary is 70 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Mary
Mary derives from the New Testament Greek Maria, adapting the Hebrew name Miryam (the sister of Moses and Aaron in the Book of Exodus). In the Christian tradition, the name owes its immense, centuries-long dominance to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as well as Saint Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany.
In medieval western Europe, the name was initially considered so sacred that parents rarely bestowed it as an everyday personal name. However, by the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Marian devotion led to widespread adoption. In England, Mary rapidly became the primary feminine given name, held by queens like Mary I and Mary II, and popularized across every social stratum.
In the United States, Mary holds the record for the longest uninterrupted reign at number one in national birth statistics. It was the top girls' name every single year from 1880 through 1946, and regained the crown from 1953 to 1961 during the post-war baby boom. Over 4.1 million American women have officially received the name in SSA files, making it the defining feminine classic of American history.
Folk etymology and misconceptions
Frequently interpreted in folklore as meaning 'star of the sea' (Latin stella maris), an ancient copyist error for the Latin phrase stilla maris ('drop of the sea') translating the Hebrew elements.
Notable people named Mary
- Mary Shelley (1797–1851), Novelist and author of Frankenstein
- Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), Philosopher and writer
- Mary Cassatt (1844–1926), Impressionist painter
- Mary Tyler Moore (1936–2017), Actress and producer
- Mary J. Blige (1971–), Singer and actress
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 184.
- E. G. Withycombe. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (1977), p. 211.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.