girl's name
Mariam
MAR-ee-am
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 41,580
the United States
#506
2025 births
Mariam is a girl's name of Hebrew origin and a spelling of Maryam, the Arabic and Aramaic form of Miriam. Like Maryam, its meaning is disputed between "bitter" and "beloved."
- Mariam is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 623 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,629 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1882.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mariam over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 |
| 1890s | 56 |
| 1900s | 96 |
| 1910s | 410 |
| 1920s | 589 |
| 1930s | 349 |
| 1940s | 248 |
| 1950s | 251 |
| 1960s | 341 |
| 1970s | 435 |
| 1980s | 1,086 |
| 1990s | 2,248 |
| 2000s | 4,085 |
| 2010s | 5,125 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,230 |
What Mariam means
Mariam carries the same unsettled meaning as Maryam and Miriam: most often given as bitter, from the Hebrew mar, or beloved, from an Egyptian root. No reading has ever been proved.
Where Mariam comes from
Mariam is the Greek New Testament spelling of the Hebrew Miryam, and it remains the standard form in Georgian, Armenian, Coptic and much of the Arabic-speaking Christian world. That double heritage is why it is used by Christian and Muslim families alike, often in the same country. Our records show it in United States data from 1882, considerably earlier than Maryam, which reflects the older Eastern Christian immigration.
Mariam in use
Mariam and Maryam are the same name, and our data holds them separately because birth registers do. Between the two spellings the name is far more used than either ranking suggests — a fragmentation the charts systematically hide.
How popular is Mariam?
In 2025, Mariam was given to 589 babies in the United States, ranking #506 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Mariam is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Mariam
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mariam also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mariam over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Mariam
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Mariam in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Mariam
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mariam — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mariam
What does the name Mariam mean?
The meaning is disputed. The main candidates are "bitter," from the Hebrew mar, and "beloved," from an Egyptian root.
What is the difference between Mariam and Maryam?
Only spelling. Mariam follows the Greek rendering, Maryam the Arabic one.
Is Mariam a Christian or Muslim name?
Both. It is standard in Georgian, Armenian and Coptic Christian use and equally common among Muslim families.
How popular is the name Mariam?
In 2025, Mariam was given to 589 babies in the United States, ranking #506 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Mariam a girl's or a boy's name?
Mariam is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mariam?
Mariam has 3 syllables.
When was Mariam most popular?
Mariam peaked in 2024, when 623 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Mariam?
Mariam is usually shortened to Mari and Mimi.
Is Mariam a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mariam currently ranks #86 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.