girl's name
Mary
MAIR-ee
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 4,224,867
the United States
#125
2025 births
Mary is a girl's name of Hebrew origin whose meaning has never been settled. It descends from Miryam, and proposals include "bitter," "beloved," "rebellious" and an Egyptian root meaning to love — none established.
- Mary is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 74,171 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,487 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mary 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 | 92,030 |
| 1890s | 131,632 |
| 1900s | 162,187 |
| 1910s | 480,009 |
| 1920s | 704,186 |
| 1930s | 576,028 |
| 1940s | 642,384 |
| 1950s | 627,144 |
| 1960s | 356,586 |
| 1970s | 126,934 |
| 1980s | 96,472 |
| 1990s | 75,920 |
| 2000s | 46,443 |
| 2010s | 25,709 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,990 |
What Mary means
Mary has no agreed meaning. The traditional gloss of bitter comes from the Hebrew mar, but scholars also propose beloved, rebellious, wished-for child, and a derivation from the Egyptian mry — which fits a name first borne in an Egyptian setting.
Where Mary comes from
Mary comes through the Greek Maria and Latin Maria from the Hebrew Miryam, the name of Moses's sister in Exodus. Its etymology has been debated for two millennia without resolution; the Egyptian proposal gains weight from Miriam appearing in a narrative set in Egypt. As the name of the mother of Jesus it became the most-used female name in Christian Europe for centuries, and in some periods a substantial fraction of English women bore it — which is why it generated Molly, Polly, May, Mamie and Mia. The title Stella Maris, star of the sea, comes from a medieval misreading of one proposed etymology rather than from the name itself.
Mary in use
Polly comes from Molly, which comes from Mary — the same rhyming shift that produced Bob from Rob.
How popular is Mary?
In 2025, Mary was given to 2,230 babies in the United States, ranking #125 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Mary 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 Mary
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mary also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mary over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
5 nicknames for Mary
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.
Mary 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 Mary
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mary — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mary
What does the name Mary mean?
Its meaning is unresolved — proposals include bitter, beloved, rebellious and wished-for child.
Why is Polly a nickname for Mary?
Mary produced Molly, and Molly produced Polly by the medieval rhyming fashion.
Does Mary mean star of the sea?
No. That title came from a medieval misreading of a proposed etymology.
How popular is the name Mary?
In 2025, Mary was given to 2,230 babies in the United States, ranking #125 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Mary a girl's or a boy's name?
Mary is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mary?
Mary has 2 syllables.
When was Mary most popular?
Mary peaked in 1921, when 74,171 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Mary a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mary currently ranks #113 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.