Maria
About Maria
Although almost always feminine in the first name spot, Maria (and its French cognate Marie) are regularly used in the middle or in compound first names in Catholic cultures. Famous examples include Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke, Italian composer Giovanni Maria Nanino, and German fashion designer Guido Maria Kretschmer.
Maria ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
Pronounced mah-REE-ah.
As of October 2026, Maria ranked #11511 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #825 in 1982.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Maria.
- Raee
- Che
- Narayan
- Milano
- Jaana
- Lejla
- Melise
- Felicita
- Jacobo
- Genavieve
- Sala
- Cissy
- Aalexis
- Cajsa
- Merced
- Toru
- Kinzie
- Linzi
- Alajandra
- Minako
Maria on lists
Famous Marias
- René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria "Rainer" Rilke
Bohemian,Austrian poet
- José María Alfredo Aznar
former Prime Minister of Spain
- José María "Pechito" López
Argentine racing driver
- José María Olazábal
Spanish golfer