Mary
Meaning & Origin
Meaning: Sea of Bitterness; Wished For Child
Background: The name Mary originates from the Hebrew name Miriam, which is thought to mean 'sea of bitterness' or 'wished for child.' This name was adopted into Greek as Maria and later into Latin as Maria, retaining its original meanings.
At a glance
Quick stats based on the history of this name.
Lifetime rank
#1
Total births
4,154,332
Most popular decade
1920s
(2,112,561 births)
10-year trend
↓ Falling (-12 ranks)
Years in Top 100
129
First recorded year
1880
Gender usage
0.4% male
99.6% female
Stats by gender
Male
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 27
- First year rank
- #325
- Peak year
- 1930
- Peak year births
- 340
- Peak rank
- #308
- Most recent year
- 2020
- Recent year births
- 5
- Recent rank
- #12,015
Female
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 7,065
- First year rank
- #1
- Peak year
- 1921
- Peak year births
- 73,984
- Peak rank
- #1
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 2,196
- Recent rank
- #132
Births over time
Number of babies given this name each year.
Rank over time
Popularity rank by year (1 = most popular).