Pamela Redmond is the cocreator and CEO of Nameberry and Baby Name DNA. The coauthor of ten groundbreaking 

, Redmond is an internationally-recognized baby name expert, quoted and published widely in such media outlets as the 

, CNN, and the BBC. She has written about baby names for 

Redmond is also a New York Times bestselling novelist whose books include 

Pamela Redmond

Grace, or perhaps better known as greyblue over on the forums is a lover of names, books, and guinea pigs.

Icon by anastacia_illustrations on Instagram

Grace Royal

The name Mari is a boy's name of Aramaic origin.

While Mari is more popularly used as a feminine name, it was borne by a 1st century saint, venerated by the Assyrian Church of the East. Also known as Mari of Edessa, Saint Maris, or Saint Mares, he was converted by Thaddeus of Edessa, a disciple of Jesus, and went on to perform miracles and carry out missionary work in Nineveh and Nisibis. 
 
His name may relate back to Mary ("beloved", "bitter"), to the Latin Maris ("sea"), or to the Aramaic Mar meaning "My lord".

Mari

Aramaic

The name Mari is currently ranked #11510 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #6757 in 2023. Mari is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

The name Mari is a girl's name of Welsh, Japanese, Armenian origin meaning "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved; gift, mother; truth, genuine, villlage".

Welsh Names

Welsh Names for Girls

4 Letter Girl Names

UK Baby Names

UK Girl Names

Names Ending in I for Girls

Names That Mean Variation

Names That Mean Basque

Two Syllable Names for Girls

Names that Peaked in 1954

Girl Dog Names That Start With M

Dog Names That Start With M

Names That Mean Beloved

Welsh Names that Start With M

Mari enjoyed some mid-century popularity as a nicknameish version of Mary, but now deserves a second look as a multicultural classic. Popular in Norway and Armenia as a variation of Marie, it is also the name of a Basque goddess and an Estonian word name.
 
As a Welsh, Breton, Swedish, Norwegian, Finish, Portuguese, Spanish, Georgian, and Armenian choice, Mari ultimately comes from the Hebrew Miriam, via Mary, Maria, Marie, or Mariam, giving it the possible meanings "drop of the sea", "bitter" and "beloved". The pronunciation of the name would vary depending on where it is used, with MA-ree used in Welsh and Spanish, mah-REE used in Swedish, MAH-ree in Finnish, and MAW-ree in Hungarian and Norwegian. 
 
From its Basque roots, Mari has mythological ties, appearing in Basque legend as a goddess of nature, fertility, and the weather. She is said to live on the slopes of Mount Anboto and cares for both the environment and for justice. In this case, the name comes either emari or amari meaning "gift" and "mother" respectively. MA-ree is the pronunciation here. 
 
The name also has its roots in Japanese, though the meaning shifts depending on what Kanji combination is used. Possibilities include "truth", "genuine logic", "real village", "long distance", and "hemp, white jasmine". MA-REE is the pronunciation in this case.
 
Additionally, Mari may also be used in Korea as a name meaning "mountaintop" or "good, greatest", while in Estonia, it is both a Mary/Marianne variant, and a word name meaning "berry"! 
 
Finally, it is also a male saint's name, borne by Mari of Edessa, venerated by the Assyrian Church. His name may relate to Mary or to the Latin Maris meaning "sea".

Nickname Names

International Variations of Margaret

Nameberry's Favorite Nature Names

Nameberry's Favorite Traveling Lite Names

Nameberry's Favorite Girl Names

Nameberry's Favorite Names

Simple, Sleek, Cool Names

Traveling Lite Baby Names

International Variations of Mary

Welsh

Japanese

Armenian

Basque

Norwegian

Estonian

Nameberry

Unique

Estonia

The name Mari is currently ranked #1620 in U.S. births. and peaked for girls at #464 in 1954. The name is most popular in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Mari is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

Mari

About Mari

Mari on lists

Save Mari