Maribel
Maribel was the 1662nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 125 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 315th with 769 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 249 places. More babies were named Maribel in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning María + Isabel · Spanish
Say it MAIR-ih-bel /ˈmɛrɪbɛl/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,662 girls, down 34 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 125girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1980769 babies
- Total since 1880
- 25,055babies recorded
What does the name Maribel mean?
Maribel is a Spanish contraction of María Isabel. María (Mary) comes from Hebrew Miryam, of uncertain meaning; Isabel is the medieval Provençal and Spanish form of Elizabeth, "my God is an oath". Wikipedia notes it can also be read in English as Mary plus Belle. In the US Maribel was most common in the 1970s to 1990s.
María Isabel (Spanish, “Mary + Isabel (Elizabeth)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Maribelle, Mary, Isabel, Marybel.
See also: Spanish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maribel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Isabel', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Maribel', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Maribel
The usual nicknames for Maribel are Mari. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Maribel in the last five years, 110 were named Mari, against 44 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mari · also for Mariana, Marisol, Marianna | Modern | #1,620 | 717 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Maribels go by each one.
Maribel popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 185 since 1970.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,662 | 125 |
| 2020 | #1,628 | 128 |
| 2010 | #1,184 | 206 |
| 2000 | #649 | 385 |
| 1990 | #394 | 661 |
| 1980 | #315 | 769 |
| 1970 | #447 | 492 |
| 1960 | #1,150 | 90 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | #2,887 | 10 |
| 1930 | #2,989 | 10 |
| 1920 | #2,536 | 14 |
| 1910 | #2,648 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maribel, counting every spelling?
Maribel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,289 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,662 for Maribel on its own. Together these spellings went to 160 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maribel | 125 | #1,662 | 649 |
| Maribelle | 27 | #4,946 | 203 |
| Marybelle | 8 | #11,557 | 46 |
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 Maribel?
125 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maribel (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maribel 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 67 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maribel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maribel?
About 23,500 people born in the US named Maribel are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 27 and 50. That makes Maribel mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Maribel by state
How common Maribel was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.5×), Texas (1.8×). In 42 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 Maribel: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maribel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Maribel · Sibling names for Maribel
Questions about the name Maribel
What does Maribel mean?
Maribel means “María + Isabel” (Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Maribel?
Maribel was the 1662nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 125 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 315th with 769 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 249 places. More babies were named Maribel in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Maribel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maribel in the US.
Where is Maribel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maribel was most common in California (0.20 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Nevada.