Mariah is a female name of Middle Eastern ancestry. It is thought to be a variation of the name Maria, which is a Western World version of the ancient Hebrew name Miryam. This name may also be related to the Hebrew place name Moriah. The name Mariah appeared as early as 1550 in Great Britain. A popular example of this name is famous singer Mariah Carey.
Although "Mariah" and "Maria" differ by one letter, the proper pronunciation of the former is "mah-RYE-ah." Other European variations include Marie and Mary.