Marjan

A succinct and multicultural choice, Marjan's meaning and pronunciation differs depending on which root you follow.

As a Dutch name, it is a variation of Marianne, a name that blends the classic Marie with traditional Anne. In this case, it would be pronounced as mahr-YAHN, and could mean "beloved grace".

As a Persian and Kazakh name, Marjan ultimately has its roots in Arabic in which it means "coral". Marjane and Marzhan are alternative spellings, while the Turkish form is Mercan and the Swahili variant is Marijani. In this form, however, it would be pronounced as mar-JAWN or mahr-ZHAHN.

Marjan is also used as a variation of the Sanskrit names Marjani and Marjana, meaning "purification" or "cleansing". Here, it would be said as mah-juhn.

The name is also used as a Slavic form of Marianus, a name that likely relates to Mars. In this case, it would be used as a boy name.

Pronounced MAR-yahn.

As of October 2026, Marjan ranked #8168 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #5043 in 1949.