Mary (given name)

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Mary
Given Name


The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The reverence for Mary, the mother of Jesus, is in large part responsible for the use of the name Mary and its variants.
Gender female
Meaning "bitter", "beloved," "rebelliousness," "wished for child"
Origin English via Latin, Greek, and Hebrew
Related names Maria, Marija, Mariam, Marie, Miriam
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with Mary
Look up Mary in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.[1]

The usual meaning given by various sources for the name is the Hebrew "bitterness." Other meanings suggested include "sea of bitterness," "rebelliousness," or "wished for child" or "Our Lady" or "beloved lady," referring to the Christian reverence for the Virgin Mary. The Web site Behind the Name notes that the name could also be a name of Egyptian origin, perhaps from the word elements mry, meaning "beloved" or mr, meaning "love."[2]

The name was also considered in the Middle Ages to be connected to the sea and the word mare, as in the term Stella Maris, or "star of the sea," an epithet for the Virgin Mary.[3] The name has been widely used due to its associations with the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, and with Saint Mary Magdalene, who was called an apostle to the Apostles. It was viewed as too holy a name for use in Celtic communities until toward the end of the 1400s, though other forms of the name were used.[4] The name María, in combination with other names or with titles of the Virgin Mary, has been the most popular in Spanish-speaking countries, much as Marie was popular in combination with other names in French-speaking countries and Mary was popular in combination with other names in English-speaking countries. Though Mary and Marie were the most common forms of the name in English-speaking countries, the name Maria was also in use in England, where it was often given the aristocratic pronounciation of mah righ' ah prior to the 20th century and inspired the alternate spelling Mariah.[5] Mariam or Maryam, an Arabic form, has been a popular name in predominantly Muslim countries due to the respect given to Mary, mother of Jesus, in Islam. Muslim parents want their daughters to be like Mary in her "chastity and demureness," according to a 2006 IslamOnline.net article.[6] Miriam, a Hebrew form of the name, has remained well-used among Jews because of the Biblical prophetess Miriam, sister of Moses. Miriam is also in use worldwide among Christians.

Mary was the most popular name for girls in the United States until the 1960s and is still ranked in the top 100 names for girls, though it ranks behind other forms of the name. Maria was the 54th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007; Mariah was the 92nd most popular name for girls born there in 2007 and Mary was the 93rd most popular name for American girls in 2007. Short form Molly was the 97th most popular name for American girls.[7] The name Mary remains more popular in the Southern United States than elsewhere in the country. Mary was the 15th most popular name for girls born in Alabama in 2007[8]; the 22nd most popular name for girls born in Mississippi in 2007[9]; the 44th most popular name for girls in North Carolina[10]; the 33rd most popular name for girls in South Carolina[11]; the 26th most popular name for girls in Tennessee[12]. Mary was the most common name for women and girls in the United States in the 1990 census.[13] It is also still among the top 100 names for baby girls born in Ireland.[14] Mary was the 179th most popular name for girls born in England and Wales in 2007, ranking behind other versions of the name. Molly, a short form, was ranked as the 29th most popular name there and spelling variant Mollie at No. 107; Maria was ranked at No. 93; Maryam was ranked at No. 116.[15]

[edit] Variants, including short forms and diminutives

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Behind the Name
  2. ^ Behind the Name
  3. ^ Rosenkrantz and Satran (2006), p. 168
  4. ^ Todd (1998), p. 57
  5. ^ Wallace (2004)
  6. ^ )Islam Online- News Section
  7. ^ Behind the Name
  8. ^ Social Security Administration (Alabama)
  9. ^ Social Security Administration (Mississippi)
  10. ^ Social Security Administration (North Carolina)
  11. ^ Social Security Administration (South Carolina)
  12. ^ Social Security Administration (Tennessee)
  13. ^ Behind the Name
  14. ^ Behind the Name
  15. ^ Baby Planners

[edit] References

  • Rosenkrantz, Linda and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2005). Beyond Jennifer and Jason, Madison and Montana. St. Martin's Paperbacks, Fourth Edition. ISBN 0312940955
  • Todd, Loreto (1998). Celtic Names for Children. Irish American Book Company. ISBN 0-96278-556-1
  • Wallace, Carol (2004). The Penguin Classic Baby Name Book. Penguin. ISBN 0142004707
  • Wood, Jamie Martinez (2001). ¿Cómo te llamas, Baby? Berkley. ISBN 0-425-17959-1