Mariam
Mariam was the 505th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 589 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 491st with 623 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 59 places. More babies were named Mariam in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning form of Miriam/Mary (origin uncertain) · Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic
Say it MAIR-ee-um /ˈmɛriəm/
- Rank in 2025
- #505 girls, up 132 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 589girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024623 babies
- Total since 1880
- 18,560babies recorded
What does the name Mariam mean?
Mariam is a form of the biblical name Miriam, the source of Mary. Arabic Maryam and Greek Mariam go back through Aramaic Maryam to Hebrew Miryam, the sister of Moses. In the Qur'an, Maryam is the mother of Jesus and gives her name to the 19th chapter. The meaning of Miryam has been debated for centuries: DMNES and Wiktionary note a common link with a root meaning "bitter" and another with "rebellion," and call the origin uncertain.
מִרְיָם (Biblical Hebrew, “Miriam”)مَرْيَم (Arabic, “Maryam”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES calls the origin of Miriam/Mary uncertain; the 'bitter' reading is common but not proven, and 'rebellion' is another proposal.
Pronunciation: Arabic-speaking families usually say MAR-yam.
Related names: Maryam, Miriam, Mary, Maria, Mariama.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'مريم' (Arabic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Miriam' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Mariam popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1989.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #505 | 589 |
| 2020 | #637 | 455 |
| 2010 | #619 | 476 |
| 2000 | #682 | 350 |
| 1990 | #1,103 | 159 |
| 1980 | #1,430 | 86 |
| 1970 | #2,623 | 28 |
| 1960 | #2,554 | 23 |
| 1950 | #1,891 | 26 |
| 1940 | #1,571 | 25 |
| 1930 | #1,057 | 49 |
| 1920 | #870 | 70 |
| 1910 | #1,310 | 13 |
| 1900 | #1,042 | 14 |
| 1890 | #1,294 | 6 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mariam, counting every spelling?
Mariam is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #501 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #505 for Mariam on its own. Together these spellings went to 616 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariam | 589 | #505 | 2,775 |
| Mariame | 22 | #5,651 | 90 |
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 Mariam?
589 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mariam (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mariam 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mariam.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mariam?
About 16,700 people born in the US named Mariam are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 8 and 27. That makes Mariam 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.
Mariam by state
How common Mariam was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (3.6×), New York (2.9×), New Jersey (2.0×), Virginia (1.8×), Ohio (1.7×). In 20 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 Mariam: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mariam, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mariam · Sibling names for Mariam
Questions about the name Mariam
What does Mariam mean?
Mariam is usually explained as “form of Miriam/Mary (origin uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Mariam?
Mariam was the 505th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 589 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 491st with 623 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 59 places. More babies were named Mariam in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mariam a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mariam in the US.
Where is Mariam most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mariam was most common in Michigan (1.24 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and New Jersey.