Mariel

Actress and author Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary, which first emerged in the 20th century. Also the name of a Cuban town — which provided the source of the actress's name — Mariel is popular in Mexico, and recently saw a spike in interest in the US, tripling in use since 2020.

As an international form of Mary, the meaning 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).

Give to 240 girls in recent stats, Mariel outranks the French Marielle and Spanish Mariela, but is slightly behind the Italian Mariella.

Mariel is also given to boys, where it ranks #13216 in the US.

Pronounced MAIR-ee-ul.

As of October 2026, Mariel ranked #893 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #772 in 1992.