girl's name
Miriam
MEER-ee-um
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 129,778
the United States
#246
2025 births
Miriam is the origin of Mary, Maria, Marie, Maureen, Marion and Molly — the largest name family in Europe — and it still charts in all seven markets we track, with its top four inside 46 places of each other.
- Miriam is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 1,834 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,627 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Miriam 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 | 462 |
| 1890s | 1,397 |
| 1900s | 2,566 |
| 1910s | 11,062 |
| 1920s | 15,518 |
| 1930s | 8,376 |
| 1940s | 7,107 |
| 1950s | 9,570 |
| 1960s | 8,095 |
| 1970s | 6,475 |
| 1980s | 7,793 |
| 1990s | 10,141 |
| 2000s | 11,361 |
| 2010s | 10,933 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,334 |
What Miriam means
Miriam has no securely known meaning. Bitterness, beloved, wished-for child and an Egyptian derivation are all proposed, and none of them has ever been established.
Where Miriam comes from
Miriam is the Hebrew Miryam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who leads the women in song after the crossing of the sea in Exodus — one of the oldest passages in the Hebrew Bible. Its meaning is genuinely unrecovered: bitterness from mar, beloved, and wished-for child are the standard proposals, and a fourth argues the name is Egyptian rather than Hebrew, which would fit the setting exactly. Every Mary in Europe descends from it, so the most-used name family on the continent rests on a word nobody can translate.
Miriam in use
Miriam peaked in the United States in 1924, when 1,834 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in all seven markets we track, and unusually tightly — 227th in Northern Ireland on 7 births, 237th in England and Wales on 197, 246th in the United States on 1,262 and 273rd in Ireland on 15, all inside 46 places, then 476th in Scotland on 6 and 816th in France on 45 — across 129,778 lifetime births.
How popular is Miriam?
In 2025, Miriam was given to 1,262 babies in the United States, ranking #246 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Miriam 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 Miriam
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Miriam also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Miriam over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Miriam
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.
Miriam 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 Miriam
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Miriam — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Miriam
What does the name Miriam mean?
Not known. Bitterness, beloved, wished-for child and an Egyptian source are all proposed, and none is established.
Is Miriam the original form of Mary?
Yes. Mary, Maria, Marie, Maureen, Marion and Molly all descend from it.
Who was Miriam in the Bible?
The sister of Moses and Aaron, who leads the women in song after the crossing of the sea.
Where is Miriam used?
All six markets we track, with Northern Ireland, England, America and Ireland all inside 46 places of each other.
How popular is the name Miriam?
In 2025, Miriam was given to 1,262 babies in the United States, ranking #246 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Miriam a girl's or a boy's name?
Miriam is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Miriam?
Miriam has 3 syllables.
When was Miriam most popular?
Miriam peaked in 1924, when 1,834 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Miriam?
Miriam is usually shortened to Mimi, Miri and Mira.
Is Miriam a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Miriam currently ranks #227 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.