Mary
Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία, María or Μαριάμ, Mariam, found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name מרים, as attested by the Septuagint.
- English
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Mary
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία, María or Μαριάμ, Mariam, found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name מרים, as attested by the Septuagint.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Biblical
Etymology
The Story of Mary
Mary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 7,065 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 73,984 Marys were born — ranking #1 that year. As of 2026, Mary ranks #138 for baby girls with 2,140 births, gradually falling (-6%). In total, more than 4.1M Marys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Mary
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Mary. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Where is Mary most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- Nigeria31%
- GH28%
- China15%
- Romania13%
- Italy12%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Mary
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mary is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mary
What does the name Mary mean?
What is the origin of the name Mary?
How popular is Mary in 2026?
When was Mary most popular?
In which U.S. states is Mary most popular?
Is Mary a unisex name?
What names go well with Mary?
What are nicknames or variants of Mary?
About the name Mary
Mary is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 4.1M births in the dataset. Mary's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare Mary's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.