Given name & surname
Marit
“lady”
Marit is a variant of Martha. One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marit is a variant of Martha. One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Marit is a variant of Martha. An origin associated with Martha is Aramaic. Marit shares an earlier linguistic root with Margaret. Margaret has been associated with Greek and Hebrew naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1947. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Marit is a variant of Martha. The history of Martha gives this family its wider story. In biblical stories, Martha is associated with the sister of Lazarus and Mary.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Marit through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 800
- 0 boys · 800 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 21 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #7,744 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −32%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,744 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 31.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 21 in 2017. In 2025, Minnesota had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 946 as a first name in 2020; 106 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marit’s family of names
Marit shares a linguistic root with Margaret. Marit has a related form in Martha. Marit is a vernacular form of Margaret.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marit has relatives in 5 languages.
7 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Margaretcognate
- MargaritaSpanish
- Merritequivalent
- MargareteGerman
- Meretequivalent
- Mereteequivalent
- GreteGerman
- Máretderivative · Northern Sami
Show 2 moreShow fewer
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Marit
- Marit BjørgenNorwegian female cross-country skierborn 1980
- Marit LarsenNorwegian singer and songwriter (born 1983)
- Marit Malm FrafjordNorwegian female handball playerborn 1985
- Marit BouwmeesterDutch yacht racerborn 1988
- Marit Røsberg-TorgersenNorwegian handball playerborn 1994
- Marit PaulsenNorwegian-born Swedish politician1939–2022
- Marit van EupenDutch rowerborn 1969
- Marit NybakkNorwegian politicianborn 1947
- Marit Mikkelsplasscross-country skierborn 1965
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marit, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“drunkard”
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Gaby
“man of God” · “a hero of God”
>99% girls
Rivkah
>99% girls