Rosemary
Rosemary was the 251st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,222 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 74th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,542). Over the last ten years it has moved up 266 places. More babies were named Rosemary in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning Rose + Mary; also the herb · English, Latin
Say it ROHZ-mair-ee /ˈroʊzmɛri/
- Rank in 2025
- #251 girls, up 191 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,222girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19474,542 babies
- Total since 1880
- 163,523babies recorded
What does the name Rosemary mean?
Rosemary as a first name is usually explained as a blend of Rose and Mary, recorded from the 18th century; continental forms include Rosemarie and Rosa Maria. It also matches the herb rosemary, from Latin ros marinus, "dew of the sea", and after flower names became common in the 19th century parents may have had the plant in mind. DMNES notes Mary's Hebrew origin is uncertain.
ros marinus (Latin, “dew of the sea (the herb)”)
How sure is this? Probable. Combination of two names, influenced by the herb name.
Related names: Rosemarie, Rose, Mary, Rosie.
See also: English names, names that mean flower.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rosemary', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'rosemary', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Rosemary
The usual nicknames for Rosemary are Rosie and Rose. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Rosemary in the last five years, 237 were named Rose, against 240 twenty years earlier. Rosie is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie · also for Rose, Rosalie, Rosalia | Traditional | #283 | 4,298 |
| Rose | Traditional | #114 | 11,807 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Rosemarys go by each one.
Rosemary popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 358 since 1923.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #251 | 1,222 |
| 2020 | #442 | 698 |
| 2010 | #714 | 396 |
| 2000 | #631 | 397 |
| 1990 | #509 | 472 |
| 1980 | #395 | 576 |
| 1970 | #331 | 797 |
| 1960 | #181 | 2,192 |
| 1950 | #101 | 3,455 |
| 1940 | #85 | 2,874 |
| 1930 | #82 | 3,151 |
| 1920 | #141 | 1,713 |
| 1910 | #329 | 141 |
| 1900 | #539 | 40 |
| 1890 | #689 | 16 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Rosemary, counting every spelling?
Rosemary is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #275 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #251 for Rosemary on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,222 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemary | 1,222 | #251 | 4,984 |
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 Rosemary?
1,222 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rosemary (0.34 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rosemary 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rosemary.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rosemary?
About 87,300 people born in the US named Rosemary are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 42 and 78. That makes Rosemary a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Rosemary by state
How common Rosemary was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Montana (2.5×), Oregon (2.3×), Maine (2.1×), Missouri (2.0×), Tennessee (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, New Jersey, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rosemary: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rosemary, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Rosemary
What does Rosemary mean?
Rosemary means “Rose + Mary; also the herb” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Rosemary?
Rosemary was the 251st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,222 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 74th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,542). Over the last ten years it has moved up 266 places. More babies were named Rosemary in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Rosemary a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rosemary in the US.
Where is Rosemary most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rosemary was most common in Montana (1.55 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and Oregon.