How to say it
ma · RI · a
/məˈri.ə/
Feminine
Maria
Beloved, or 'bitter'
What it means
Latin form of Hebrew Miriam, with disputed root meanings: 'beloved,' 'bitter,' or 'wished-for child.' The Virgin Mary's name in nearly every European language outside English, where it's Mary.
Maria is the Latin form of Hebrew Miriam, the name of Moses's sister and, more famously, of the mother of Jesus. The root is contested by linguists: candidates include 'beloved' (from an Egyptian root), 'bitter' (mar), or 'wished-for child.' Latin Maria spread through Catholic Europe and the Spanish-speaking world; Mary is the English derivation. In Latino communities Maria is often paired as a compound (Maria José, Maria Elena, Maria Fernanda). Common shorts are Mari, Mia, and Marie. The plain María is still in the top 100 across Spanish-speaking countries and steady in the US top 200.
Popularity over time
peaked at #30 in 1975, currently #87 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
Two pronunciations: mah-REE-ah (Spanish/Italian/standard) and muh-RY-ah (the American Mariah Carey form, with a Y sound). The accent on the I matters in writing in Spanish (María).
- Nickname
Mari, Marie, and Mia all circulate. In Latino families Maria often pairs as a compound (Maria Elena, Maria José) and either half can become the daily-use name.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Virgin Mary Mother of Jesus, the most-depicted woman in Western art
- Maria Callas Greek-American operatic soprano, 20th-century opera defined
- Maria Montessori Italian educator behind the Montessori method
Spelling variants
- Mary
- Marie
- María
- Mariah
Names with the same feeling
See Maria from another angle
By meaning
By style