Given name
Mariama
“a gift from God”
Mariama is used as a given name. One African interpretation is “a gift from God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “a gift from God.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mariama through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,177
- 0 boys · 2,177 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 77 babies
- 2025
- 76
- #2,375 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +3%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 76 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,375 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 3.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (32). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,901 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mariama’s family of names
Mariama has a conventional equivalent in the French form Marie. Mariama has a related form in Mariamma. Mariama has a related form in Mariame.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mariama
- Mariama BâSenegalese writer (1929–1981)
- Mariama JamankaGerman bobsledderborn 1990
- Mariama HimaFilmmaker, ethnologist and Nigerien politicianborn 1951
- Mariama SignatéFrench handball playerborn 1985
- Mariama Sylla FayeSenegalese film director
- Mariama KhanGambian filmmaker, poet, cultural activist and scholarborn 1977
- Mariama KeïtaNiger journalist and feminist activist1946–2018
- Mariama OuimingaBurkinabe athletics competitor (born 1970)
- Mariama NdoyeSenegalese writerborn 1953
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mariama, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Afia
“born on a Friday”
>99% girls
Safia
“one who is pure” · “having the lion's share”
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Rehema
“a compassionate woman”
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Hawa
“one who is desired”
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Khadija
“a perfect woman” · “a child born prematurely”
>99% girls
Adila
“one who is just and fair” · “equal”
>99% girls
Neema
“born into prosperity”
>99% girls
Anaya
“one who looks up to God”
>99% girls