Mariah
Mariah was the 448th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 693 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 62nd; the most babies were born in 1996 (5,446). Over the last ten years it has moved down 296 places. More babies were named Mariah in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew, English
Say it muh-RY-uh /məˈraɪə/
- Rank in 2025
- #448 girls, down 146 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 693girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19965,446 babies
- Total since 1880
- 115,279babies recorded
What does the name Mariah mean?
Mariah is a variant of Maria, used in English since the 19th century, according to Wiktionary. The spelling shows the older English way of saying Latin Maria, with a stressed "eye" sound, as Wikipedia explains. Singer Mariah Carey, whose name came from the song "They Call the Wind Maria" in the 1951 musical Paint Your Wagon, made it widely known from 1990. Maria is the Latin and Greek form of Hebrew Miryam (Mary), whose original meaning DMNES calls uncertain.
מִרְיָם (Hebrew, “Miryam (Miriam, Mary); meaning uncertain”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Mariah is a spelling of Maria; the meaning of the underlying Hebrew name Miryam is uncertain.
Pronunciation: Mariah rhymes with "pariah"; Maria is usually said muh-REE-uh.
Related names: Maria, Mary, Miriam, Moriah.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mariah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Mariah (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Mariah Carey', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Mariah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 183 since 1976.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #448 | 693 |
| 2020 | #302 | 1,071 |
| 2010 | #97 | 3,113 |
| 2000 | #75 | 4,104 |
| 1990 | #259 | 1,103 |
| 1980 | #513 | 387 |
| 1970 | #1,975 | 43 |
| 1960 | #4,077 | 11 |
| 1950 | #2,625 | 16 |
| 1940 | #2,516 | 12 |
| 1930 | #1,734 | 22 |
| 1920 | #1,249 | 38 |
| 1910 | #872 | 25 |
| 1900 | #668 | 29 |
| 1890 | #474 | 31 |
| 1880 | #349 | 22 |
How popular is Mariah, counting every spelling?
Mariah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #459 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #448 for Mariah on its own. Together these spellings went to 693 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariah | 693 | #448 | 4,127 |
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 Mariah?
693 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mariah (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mariah 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mariah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mariah?
About 112,000 people born in the US named Mariah are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 17 and 31. That makes Mariah 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.
Mariah by state
How common Mariah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (2.6×), Alabama (2.4×), South Carolina (1.9×), Georgia (1.9×), Louisiana (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Idaho, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mariah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mariah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mariah · Sibling names for Mariah
Questions about the name Mariah
What does Mariah mean?
The origin of Mariah is uncertain: Mariah is a spelling of Maria; the meaning of the underlying Hebrew name Miryam is uncertain.
How popular is the name Mariah?
Mariah was the 448th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 693 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 62nd; the most babies were born in 1996 (5,446). Over the last ten years it has moved down 296 places. More babies were named Mariah in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Mariah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mariah in the US.
Where is Mariah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mariah was most common in Mississippi (1.32 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alabama and South Carolina.