Marah
Marah was the 6728th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 17 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1448th; the most babies were born in 2004 (117). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,454 places. More babies were named Marah in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Mara) bitter (biblical Hebrew); also short for Maria · Hebrew, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #6,728 girls, down 949 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 17girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2004117 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,365babies recorded
What does the name Marah mean?
Marah is a spelling of Mara, pronounced the same way, so it shares Mara's meaning and origin.
Mara has more than one source. In the Book of Ruth, Naomi, grieving, asks to be called Mara instead of Naomi, because God has made her life bitter (Ruth 1:20); Wiktionary derives it from Hebrew mar, bitter. Wiktionary also notes that the modern name can be a short form of Maria or Tamara. Separately, Mara is an Irish surname (from O'Mara), and in Buddhist and Hindu tradition Mara is a demon or god of death, from a Sanskrit root meaning to die. These are unrelated words.
מָרָא (Biblical Hebrew, “bitterness”)מַר (Biblical Hebrew, “bitter”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several unrelated sources (Hebrew 'bitter', short for Maria/Tamara, Irish surname, Sanskrit). Which applies depends on the family.
Related names: Maria, Tamara, Marah, Mary.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mara' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Ruth 1:20, The JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition, with translators' note (via Sefaria), Jewish Publication Society / Sefaria
Marah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,728 | 17 |
| 2020 | #5,779 | 21 |
| 2010 | #3,453 | 47 |
| 2000 | #2,119 | 77 |
| 1990 | #1,463 | 107 |
| 1980 | #4,880 | 15 |
| 1970 | #6,127 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Marah, counting every spelling?
Marah is a spelling of Mara, a name family that ranked #579 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6,728 for Marah on its own. Together these spellings went to 522 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mara | 499 | #589 | 2,576 |
| Marah | 17 | #6,728 | 137 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Marah?
17 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marah (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Marah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 495 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marah?
About 2,300 people born in the US named Marah are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 18 and 34. That makes Marah mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Marah by state
How common Marah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Marah
What does Marah mean?
Marah is a spelling of Mara, usually explained as “bitter (biblical Hebrew); also short for Maria”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Marah?
Marah was the 6728th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 17 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1448th; the most babies were born in 2004 (117). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,454 places. More babies were named Marah in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Marah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Marah in the US.
Where is Marah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marah was most common in Michigan (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and Florida.