How to say it
ROSE · mar · y
/ˈroʊz.mɛr.i/
Feminine
Rosemary
Dew of the sea, or Rose + Mary
What it means
The garden herb, from Latin ros marinus ('dew of the sea'). English speakers reread it as a blend of Rose and Mary, and it works as both.
Rosemary began as the plant name, Latin ros marinus, the 'dew of the sea' shrub that grows along the Mediterranean coast. As a given name it gets reinterpreted as a tidy compound of Rose and Mary, which is why it feels at home beside both. It peaked in the US in the 1940s, took a hit from the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby, and now rides the vintage herb-name revival next to Hazel and Ivy. Rosie is the everyday short, Romy the cooler one.
Popularity over time
peaked at #74 in 1946, currently #251 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
- Nickname
Rosie is the warm everyday short; Romy is the unexpected, more modern one.
- Pop culture
Rosemary's Baby (1968) attached a horror association that has mostly faded with time.
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.
- Rosemary Clooney American singer and actress, 1950s star and George Clooney's aunt
- Rosemary Kennedy eldest Kennedy daughter, subject of renewed historical attention
Spelling variants
- Rosemarie
Names with the same feeling
See Rosemary from another angle
By meaning
By style