America loves Mary

Maria

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

As a highly popular girls' name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used…

Mary

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"

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…

Rosemary

Latin or English

"dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)"

Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning dew and Marinus meaning of the sea. The plant was termed dew of…

Mariana

Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian

"related to the god Mars"

Mariana is that unusual name that is more than the sum of its parts. While Mary or Maria and Ana or Anna are both perfectly nice classic names, Mariana achieves a lyrical elegance that transcends…

Mariah

Hebrew

"the Lord is my teacher; or drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Thanks to Mariah Carey, everyone now knows this name – and is aware that Mariah's pronounced with a long i – just as Maria was in the Jane Austen era. And though Mariah now sounds modern, it was…

Maren

Latin

"sea"

Maren is one of the many twenty-first-century takes on Mary--but we find the more classic Marin spelling preferable. When spelled Maren, the pronunciation seems more clearly to resemble Mary, with…

Marigold

Flower name, from English

"golden flower"

Marigold, once found almost exclusively in English novels and aristocratic nurseries, is beginning to be talked about and considered here. It has a sweet, sunny, quirky feel. The marigold was the…

Marina

Latin

"from the sea"

This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea." Marina was an epithet of…

Marie

French variation of Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

The ubiquitous French version of Mary came into the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In the United States, Marie was a huge hit at the turn of the last century and for the ensuing…

Myra

Greek

"sweet-smelling oil"

As with many grandmother-y names, this choice may be coming back into style. Myra was invented in the seventeenth century by a poet called Fulke Greville as a short form of Miranda--or perhaps an…

Marisol

Spanish, contracted form of Maria de la Soledad

"Mary of Solitude; sea and sun"

Bright and vivid, Marisol is a sunny name of Spanish origin and an excellent candidate to cross languages, a la Soledad, Paz, and Solana. Familiar in its native Spain (though no longer a top choice),…

Marilyn

English, combination of Mary and Lynn

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake"

For a name that was in the Top 20 for a whole decade – the 1930's – Marilyn has attained the status of almost a one-person name. Just say the name Marilyn, and most people will know who you mean. Yet…

Belen

Spanish place name and form of Bethlehem, Hebrew, Turkish

"house of bread; mountainside"

A fast rising choice in the US, Belen is a name with two possible origins. On one hand, it could be a variation — or an anglicization — of Belén, the Spanish form of Bethlehem. This would make it a…

Luz

Spanish

"light"

Pronounced LOOSE, this name that refers to the Virgin Mary—"Our Lady of Light"—is one of the most widely used Spanish name for girls . Its sleekness and stylish final z gives it a modern appeal, like…

Mercy

English word name

"compassion"

The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots…

Marianna

Italian, Polish, English

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"

While Marianna looks like a spelling variation of Mariana, the two names have different etymologies. While the one-N spelling derives from the Roman name Marianus, Marianna is a combination of two…

Carmela

Italian and Spanish variation of Carmel

"garden"

Carmela has been most famous recently as the name of Tony Soprano's TV wife, played by Edie Falco. The spellings Carmela and Carmella are both used in Latin cultures including Italian, Spanish, and…

Mariela

Spanish diminutive of Maria

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Variant of Mariella

May

Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name

May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the…

Guadalupe

Spanish from Arabic

"hidden river, valley of the wolves"

Popular Spanish name that relates to the patron saint of Mexico. It could conceivably, like Soledad and Consuelo, cross the border into multicultural territory, but the name's decline since the…