The story behind Maria
Borrowed from Latin Maria, borrowed from Ancient Greek Μᾰρῐ́ᾱ (Mărĭ́ā), borrowed from Aramaic מרים (maryam), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryɔm). Doublet of Mary, Marie, and Miriam.
Other language forms and explanations (14)
Danish entry
From Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām). A Latinate variant of the vernacular Danish Marie.
Dutch entry
From Vulgate Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām).
Finnish entry
From Vulgate Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to Biblical Hebrew מרים (Miryām) (whence Mirjam).
French entry
From Vulgate Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām). A Latinate variant of the vernacular French Marie.
German entry
From Vulgate Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām).
Italian entry
Inherited from Latin Maria.
Polish entry
Learned borrowing from Latin Marīa. Doublet of Maryja.
Portuguese entry
Portuguese Maria Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Maria, from Latin Maria, borrowed from Ancient Greek Μᾰρῐ́ᾱ (Mărĭ́ā), borrowed from Aramaic מרים (maryam), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryɔm). Doublet of Miriam.
Swedish entry
From Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām). First recorded in Sweden in 1344.
Indonesian entry
From Vulgate Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām). Doublet of Maryam.
Latin entry
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Μᾰρῐ́ᾱ (Mărĭ́ā), borrowed from Aramaic מרים (maryam), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryɔm). Corresponding to the Biblical Hebrew מרים (miryám).
Tagalog entry
Borrowed from Spanish María, from Latin Marīa, borrowed from Ancient Greek Μᾰρῐ́ᾱ (Mărĭ́ā), borrowed from Aramaic מרים (maryam), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryɔm). Doublet of Mary.
Hawaiian entry
From the 19th century translation of the Bible into Hawaiian, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām).
Yoruba entry
From English Mary.
Pronunciation
usually: /məˈɹiːə/
Regional pronunciation variants
- also especially the variant "Mariah": /məˈɹaɪə/
- Danish: /mɑˈʁiːæ/
- Danish: /mɑˈʁeːæ/
- Danish: /mɑˈʁiˀæ/
- Danish: /mɑˈʁeˀæ/
- Dutch: /maːˈri.(j)aː/
- Finnish: /ˈmɑriɑ/
- Finnish: [ˈmɑ̝riɑ̝]
- French: /ma.ʁja/
- German: /maˈʁiːa/
- Italian: /maˈri.a/
- Polish: /ˈma.rja/
- Portuguese; Brazil: /maˈɾi.ɐ/
- Portuguese; Portugal: /mɐˈɾi.ɐ/
- Swedish: /ma²riːa/
- Indonesian: /ma.ˈri.a/
- Latin; Classical-Latin: [maˈriː.a]
- Latin: [maˈriː.a]
- Latin; Classical-Latin: [ˈma.ri.a]
- Latin: [ˈmaː.ri.a]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /maˈɾia/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [mɐˈɾiː.jɐ]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /maɾiˈa/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [mɐˈɾja]
- Hawaiian: /maˈli.a/
- Hawaiian: [məˈli.jə]
- Yoruba: /mà.ɾí.à/
Popularity
Maria ranked #87 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Maria
Malwina
Borrowed from English Malvina, from Scottish Gaelic Mala-mhìn.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Manuela
Borrowed from English Manuel, Portuguese Manuel, Spanish Manuel.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Marcela
Borrowed from Spanish Marcela.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Marcia
From Latin Marcia, feminine form of Marcius, a derivative of Marcus, ultimately from Mārs, the god of war.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
María
a female given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Mary Inherited from Latin Marīa, from Ancient Greek Μαρίᾱ (Maríā), from Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryām). From Latin Maria, from…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Mariana
Latinized form of Marian, ultimately from Mary or Mary + Ann. It is also the feminine form of Latin Mariānus, derivative of Marius, but these rather rare Roman names have been…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Maria
Æmile
From Latin Aemilius. See also French Émile.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Bairbre
From Latin Barbara (name of a legendary saint), feminine form of barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “strange, foreign”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic Barabal and…
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 1 syllable
- Ending
- ends E
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Baldomero
Borrowed from Spanish Baldomero.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Maria
Aamos
Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew עמוס (Amos).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aapeli
Vernacular form of the biblical Abel or Aabel, from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aarão
From Latin Aarōn, from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן ('aharón). Doublet of Faro.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length