Mary
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Mary
Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived 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).
Mary, the quintessential New Testament name, was #1 for girls until the mid-twentieth century. Though still popular, Mary is used now mostly for religious or family reasons. If it's style you're after, Mary's many diminutives and derivatives such as Maire, Mamie, May, Mitzi, Molly, Maura, Marietta, and even Maria may seem more fashionable.
Mary was the most popular and enduring female Christian name in the English-speaking world (as were Maria and Marie in Spanish and French) until the 1940s. That was when in the US Mary was finally dethroned by such trendy upstarts as Linda and Karen.
There are six Marys in the Bible, including the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Mary the mother of Mark, and there have been British royal Marys beginning in the sixteenth century. In earlier times Mary was considered too sacred to be used; it finally gained usage in England in the twelfth century, and by the sixteenth had blanketed the female population, to the point where dozens of pet forms had to be contrived to distinguish one Mary in the family from the others.
The poet Byron deemed Mary a "magic" name, and Bing Crosby proclaimed it "a grand old name." Mary has always been a good-girl name, as reflected by such mid-century icons of propriety and wholesomeness as Mary Poppins and Mary Tyler Moore. The lovely Lady Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey has restored some freshness to the name.
Among the celebs who dropped their birth name of Mary are Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, and Lily Tomlin.
For more detail on the origins and possible meanings of the name Mary, see this excellent post on the subject.
Mary is also given to boys.
Pronounced MAIR-ee.
As of October 2026, Mary ranked #125 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1 in 1890, Nameberry popularity #221.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #120 | 2,636 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #123 | 2,642 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #126 | 2,526 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #126 | 2,424 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #126 | 2,369 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #126 | 2,239 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #123 | 2,229 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #132 | 2,100 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #134 | 2,116 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #133 | 2,081 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #132 | 2,196 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #125 | 2,230 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Mary for girls
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Mary.
Mary on lists
Famous Marys
- Blessed Virgin MaryGirl
mother of Jesus Christ
- Mary MagdaleneGirl
follower of Jesus Christ
- Mary of BethanyGirl
follower of Jesus Christ
- Mary IGirl
Queen of England, aka Bloody Mary
- Mary IIGirl
Queen of England and Scotland, wife of William III
- Mary StuartGirl
Queen of Scots
- MaryGirl
Queen of Hungary
- Mary of GueldersGirl
Queen consort of James II of Scotland
- Mary of GuiseGirl
Queen consort of James V of Scotland; mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Mary of Modena (born Maria Beatrice Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este)Girl
Queen consort of James II and VII of England
- Mary of Teck (born Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes)Girl
Queen consort of George V of the U.K.
- Mary TudorGirl
Queen consort of Louis XII of France
- Mary of AustriaGirl
Queen consort of Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia; Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands
- Mary Elizabeth DonaldsonGirl
Crown Princess of Denmark
- Mary Todd LincolnGirl
U.S. First Lady as wife of President Abraham Lincoln
- Mary Pickford (born Gladys Louise Smith)Girl
Canadian,American actress
- Mary Sean YoungGirl
American actress
- Mary Tyler MooreGirl
American actress
- Mary Noel StreatfeildGirl
English novelist
- Mary Louise "Meryl" StreepGirl
American actress
- Mary Willa 'Mamie' GummerGirl
American actress, daughter of actress Meryl Streep
- Mary Anna McCartneyGirl
daughter of musician Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman McCartney
- Mary Elizabeth WinsteadGirl
American actress
- Mary Jane BligeGirl
American R&B singer
- Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyGirl
English novelist
- Mary Stuart MastersonGirl
American actress
- MaryGirl
Louise Parker, American actress
- Mary Frances CrosbyGirl
American actress
- Mary Hart (born Mary Johanna Harum)Girl
American TV news personality
- Mary Elizabeth MastrantonioGirl
American actress
- MaryGirl
Kate Olsen, American actress and fashion designer; twin of Ashley Olsen
- Mary Katherine CampbellGirl
Miss America 1922 and 1923
- Mary Elise HaydenGirl
American actress
- Mary Pope OsborneGirl
American children's author
- Mary Jean "Lily" TomlinGirl
American actress and comedienne
- Mary Frances "Debbie" ReynoldsGirl
American actress
- Mary Margaret "Marg" HelgenbergerGirl
American actress
- Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Summers)Girl
American singer, wife of guitarist Les Paul
- Mary Ellen MarkGirl
American photographer
- Mary ByrneGirl
Irish singer,songwriter
- Mary BoleynGirl
sister of English Queen consort Anne Boleyn
- Mary Jo EustaceGirl
Canadian actress, singer and chef
- Mary Jo SalterGirl
American poet
- MaryGirl
Charles Jones, American child actress
- Mary WollstonecraftGirl
English author and feminist
- Mary Chapin CarpenterGirl
American country music singer
- Mary Eileen McDonnellGirl
American actress
- Mary StuartGirl
Princess of England, Scotland and Ireland, daughter of James VI and I
- Mary Henrietta of EnglandGirl
Princess Royal, Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau; daughter of Charles I
- MaryGirl
Princess of Great Britain, daughter of George II
- MaryGirl
Princess of the U.K.; Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, daughter of George III
- (Victoria Alexandra Alice) MaryGirl
Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, daughter of George V of the U.K.
- Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of CambridgeGirl
Duchess of Teck; mother of Mary of Teck
- Mary Allin TraversGirl
American singer of group Peter, Paul & Mary
- Mary Blair (born Mary Browne Robinson)Girl
American Disney artist
- Mary BlackGirl
Irish singer
- Mary ReadGirl
English pirate
- Mary JacksonGirl
NASA's first African,american female engineer
- Mary O'Hara AlsopGirl
American novelist and screenwriter
- Mary GilmoreGirl
Australian poet and journalist
- Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs aka Cokie RobertsGirl
American TV journalist and author
- Mary Kay PlaceGirl
American actress
- Mary Kay BergmanGirl
American voice actress
- Mary TammGirl
English actress
- Mary Jo KopechneGirl
American political campaign specialist
- Mary OliverGirl
American poet
- Mary Hunter AustinGirl
American nature writer
- Mary (Theresa Eleanor) Higgins ClarkGirl
American novelist
- Mary WestmacottGirl
alias of novelist Agatha Christie
- Mary AnningGirl
English paleontologist
- Mary Amelia IngallsGirl
sister of novelist Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Mary KubicaGirl
American novelist
- Mary Abigail "Abby" WambachGirl
American soccer player
- MaryGirl
Cooke Branch Munford, American activist and suffragette
- Mary Clementine Ronstadt (b. 1990)Girl
daughter of singer Linda Ronstadt
- Mary Bush (b. 2000)Girl
daughter of TV personality Billy Bush
- Mary James Marsden (b. 2005)Girl
daughter of actor James Marsden
- Mary James Rust (b. 2017)Girl
daughter of Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin
- Mary Iglesias (b. 2020)Girl
daughter of Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias
- Mary ShelleyGirl
English novelist, author of Frankenstein
- Mary Bell (b.1957)Girl
English child murderer aged 10,11 in 1968
Mary in pop culture
- Mary LennoxGirl
main character in F.H. Burnett's "The Secret Garden"
- Mary GraysonGirl
character in DC Universe
- Mary WardwellGirl
character in "Sabrina" universe
- "Mary PoppinsGirl
" series by P.L. Travers, movie, and its main character
- Mary BennetGirl
character in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
- Mary MaloneGirl
character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series
- Mary Morstan WatsonGirl
character in the Sherlock Holmes series
- Mary JensenGirl
main character in film "There's Something About Mary"
- Mary Russell HolmesGirl
character in Laurie R. King's Russell and Holmes series
- Mary Iris "Mim" MaloneGirl
character in "Mosquitoland"
- Mary Sandra WinchesterGirl
character on TV's "Supernatural"
- Mary LisbonGirl
character in "The Virgin Suicides"
- Mary ShepherdGirl
Sunderland, character in video game Silent Hill 2
- Mary TerrafinoGirl
character in Michael Grant's Gone series
- Mary Katherine (M.K.)Girl
main character in movie "Epic"
- Mary BenningtonGirl
character in movie "Three Men and a Little Lady"
- Mary Josephine CrawleyGirl
character on TV's "Downton Abbey"
- Mary Anne SpierGirl
character in The Babysitters Club series
- Mary MahoneyGirl
character in Christopher Durang's "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You"
- MaryGirl
character in G. A. Henty's, For the Temple
- Mary Jane WatsonGirl
character in the Spider,Man series
- Mary Margaret BlanchardGirl
character on TV's "Once Upon A Time"
- Mary Edwards aka GrandmaryGirl
character in the American Girl Samantha series
- Mary JeanGirl
character in Lily Tomlin's sketches
- Mary CamdenGirl
character on TV's "Seventh Heaven"
- Mary SwansonGirl
character in movie "Dumb and Dumber"
- Mary VegaGirl
character in movie "Crusade in Jeans"
- Mary BarrowsGirl
villain in video game "Clock Tower"
- Sister Mary BenedictGirl
character in movie "The Bells of St. Mary's"
- Mary O'ConnorGirl
character in G. A. Henty's "With Moore at Corunna and Under Wellington's Command"
- Mary RiversGirl
character in Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre"
- Sister Mary Eunice McKeeGirl
character from "American Horror Story: Asylum"
- Mary ChanceGirl
character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
- Mary WatersGirl
character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Mary LouiseGirl
character on TV's "The Vampire Diaries"
- Blue MaryGirl
character in the video game "King of Fighters"
- Mary "Marjory" KerrGirl
character in G. A. Henty's, In Freedom's Cause
- Mary Lou BareboneGirl
character in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
- Mary PrenticeGirl
character in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
- Mary GriffinGirl
character in "The 100"
- Mary VanderboomGirl
character in Rusty Lake: Roots
- Mary CooperGirl
character, Sheldon's Mother on the prequel series "Young Sheldon"
- Mary AlbrightGirl
character on TV show "3rd Rock from the Sun"
- Mary FioreGirl
character in 2001 film "The Wedding Planner"
- MaryGirl
main character in "The Forest of Hands and Teeth", by Carrie Ryan
- MaryGirl
character in "Mary Death" by Matthew Tarpley
- Mary AdlerGirl
child maths prodigy in film 'Gifted' played by McKenna Grace
- Mary ShannonGirl
main character on the TV series " In Plain Sight"
- Mary (Hatch) BaileyGirl
character in film "It's a Wonderful Life"
- Mary WangGirl
character in the Netflix series "Trollhunters"
- Mary PalmerGirl
character in "The Alienist"
- Mary TestGirl
character on animated series Johnny Test
- Bloody MaryGirl
cocktail inspired by Mary I of England
- "Mary Jane HollandGirl
" Lady Gaga song
- "Bloody MaryGirl
" Lady Gaga song
- The Jesus and Mary ChainGirl
band
- "MaryGirl
" song by The Death Riders
- "Mary had a Little LambGirl
" nursery rhyme
- "MaryGirl
Mary, quite contrary," nursery rhyme
- "MaryGirl
Mary," song by the Monkees
- "Mary's SongGirl
" song by Taylor Swift
- "MaryGirl
" song by Noah and the Whale
- "Miss Mary MackGirl
" song sung in hand clapping rhythm
- "Suddenly MaryGirl
" song by the American alternative rock band The Posies
- "MaryGirl
" song by Scissor Sisters
- Mary JanesGirl
women's shoe
- Mary JaneGirl
slang for marijuana
- Mary SueGirl
term for a perfect female character\
- Mary ShortnickGirl
Character from the webcomic "Sparklecare Hospital"
- Mary SantiagoGirl
main character in movie "Another Cinderella Story"
- "England's Happiness in the Crowning of William and Mary"Girl
17th century Broadside Ballad
- "Fair Mary of Wallington"Girl
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"
- "Mary Hamilton"Girl
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"
- "Bessy Bell and Mary Gray"Girl
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"
Variations & nicknames
- MairGirl
- MalGirl
- MalleGirl
- MameGirl
- MamieGirl
- MarabelGirl
- MarabelleGirl
- MareeGirl
- MarellaGirl
- MarelleGirl
- MarenGirl
- MarettaGirl
- MaretteGirl
- MariamGirl
- MarianaGirl
- MariannGirl
- MarianneGirl
- MaridelGirl
- MariettaGirl
- MarilaGirl
- MarileeGirl
- MarilinGirl
- MarillaGirl
- MarilynGirl
- MarinGirl
- MarlaGirl
- MarloGirl
- MaryaGirl
- MaryannGirl
- MaryannaGirl
- MarylaGirl
- MaryniaGirl
- MarysaGirl
- MarysiaGirl
- MaureneGirl
- MaurineGirl
- MayGirl
- MaymeGirl
- MaymieGirl
- MayraGirl
- MayriaGirl
- MerrillGirl
- MillieGirl
- MillyGirl
- MimiGirl
- MinetteGirl
- MinnieGirl
- MintiGirl
- MirjaGirl
- MollGirl
- MolliGirl
- MollieGirl
- MollyGirl
- PollGirl
- PolliGirl
- PollyGirl