girl's name
Mariana
ma-ree-AH-na
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 50,481
the United States
#261
2025 births
Mariana names the deepest place on earth by a long chain — the Mariana Trench is called after the Mariana Islands, which were named for a Spanish queen, so the name reaches the sea floor through a monarch.
- Mariana is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 2,069 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,781 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1888.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Mariana 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 | 10 |
| 1890s | 35 |
| 1900s | 80 |
| 1910s | 271 |
| 1920s | 412 |
| 1930s | 322 |
| 1940s | 306 |
| 1950s | 314 |
| 1960s | 486 |
| 1970s | 1,025 |
| 1980s | 2,318 |
| 1990s | 6,147 |
| 2000s | 15,862 |
| 2010s | 11,013 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,371 |
What Mariana means
Mariana means of Marius, or blends Maria with Ana. The Roman reading is the older one, and Maria's own meaning has never been established either way.
Where Mariana comes from
Mariana is the Roman Mariana, feminine of Marianus — belonging to the gens Maria, whose name descends from Mars. It later read as a blend of Maria and Ana, which is how most modern use understands it. Mariana of Austria was queen of Spain, the Mariana Islands were named in her honor, and the Mariana Trench takes its name from the islands — the deepest point on the planet, named at three removes from a Roman war god.
Mariana in use
Mariana peaked in the United States in 2005, when 2,069 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 261st in the United States on 1,192 births, 873rd in France on 45, 1087th in Ireland on 3 and 1568th in England and Wales on 20, across 50,481 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1888.
How popular is Mariana?
In 2025, Mariana was given to 1,192 babies in the United States, ranking #261 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Mariana 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 Mariana
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mariana also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mariana over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Mariana
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.
Mariana 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 Mariana
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mariana — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mariana
What does the name Mariana mean?
Of Marius, from the Roman gens Maria — or a blend of Maria and Ana in modern use.
Is the Mariana Trench related?
Yes, at three removes — the trench from the islands, the islands from Mariana of Austria.
Is Maria's meaning known?
No. Bitter, beloved and rebellious have all been proposed and none established.
How popular is Mariana?
261st in the United States, and stable rather than falling in our data.
Is Mariana a girl's or a boy's name?
Mariana is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mariana?
Mariana has 4 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Mariana?
Mariana is usually shortened to Mari and Ana.
Is Mariana a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mariana currently ranks #261 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.