Mari

MAH-ree or Marie

Welsh, Breton, Scandinavian, Hungarian, Estonian, and Basque variation of Maria or Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Mari Origin and Meaning

The name Mari is girl's name of Welsh origin meaning "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved".

Mari enjoyed some mid-century popularity as a nicknameish version of Mary, but now deserves a second look as a multicultural classic. Mari is the name of the Basque goddess of fertility and weather and is also, for unrelated reasons, popular in Norway. The biggest problem with the potentially-lovely Mari will be getting people to say it the way you want. While some Europeans pronounce it as Marie, that will only confuse things more. Better to make it its own individual name by pronouncing it MAH-ree. As one commenter pointed out, in Estonian the name is not a Mary variation but means "berry" – all the more reason for us to like it!

The meaning of Mary 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).

Mari Popularity

• 596 Nameberry 2023
• 471 Unique 2022
• 973 England 2021
• 46 Norway 2015
• 90 Estonia 2022