Given name & surname · also Hebrew

Maria

“of the shining sea”·“woman of the sea”·“from the river's mouth”

In English use, Maria has a related form in Marilla. One English interpretation is “of the shining sea.” Maria has a related form in Marina. One Latin interpretation is “woman of the sea.”

Original Hebrewמִרְיָם

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Meaning & origin

What it means

In English use, Maria has a related form in Marilla. One English interpretation is “of the shining sea.” Maria has a related form in Marina. One Latin interpretation is “woman of the sea.” In German use, Maria is a variant of Ria. One Spanish interpretation is “from the river's mouth.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.

How it developed

In Latin use, Maria is used as a form of Mary.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

In the Bible

In the Bible, the name Maria appears in Matthew 1:16, John 19:25.

Matthew 1:16
John 19:25

From biblical name research

Maria through the years

Babies since 1880: 570,389; 4,278 boys · 566,111 girls
Most popular year: 1964; 10,197 babies
2025: 2,893; #87 for girls · #11,511 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +7%; Steady

Maria in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNebraska, Alabama, Arizona

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Nebraska (25), Alabama (56), Arizona (85), Texas (435), Connecticut (31).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 2,887 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 87 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 10,148 in 1964. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (435). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,652,966 as a first name in 2020; 4,733 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Maria’s family of names

In German usage, Maria has a diminutive in Mia. Maria shares a linguistic root with Mary. In Norwegian usage, Maria has a related form in Marie.

Walk Maria’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Maria has relatives in 70 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.

Hebrewwhere Maria comes from · 3 names

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 118

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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And 58 more.

Spellings & scripts 9

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

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Mariáspelling

Across languages 104

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

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And 44 more.

People named Maria

Characters named Maria: Maria Hill (Marvel Comics), Maria Stark (Marvel Comics), Maria Bolkonskaya (War and Peace).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Maria, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

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Sibling ideas

Names that share Maria’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Maria

A sister for Maria

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