Given name
Marja
“berry”
Marja is a feminine given name. It is used in Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, and Faroese.
Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1921. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marja through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 437
- 0 boys · 437 girls
- Most popular year
- 1978
- 45 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1999. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 45 in 1978. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 759 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.
Marja’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Marja has a diminutive in MALLA. In Finnish usage, Marja has a conventional equivalent in the English form Mary. In Dutch usage, Marja has a related form in Maria.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marja has relatives in 8 languages.
7 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
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 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Marja
- Marja Kubašecsorbian writer1890–1976
- Marja-Sisko AaltoFinnish Lutheran ministerborn 1954
- Marja HelanderFinnish-Sámi photographer (born 1965)
- Marja MortenssonSouth Saami singer from Norwayborn 1995
- Marja KokDutch actress (born 1944)
- Marja VäisäläFinnish astronomer1916–2011
- Kristiina HalkolaFinnish actress, singer and politicianborn 1945
- Marja MłynkowaSorbian author1934–1971
- Marja Bål NangoSami filmmaker and directorborn 1988
Characters named Marja: Maria Bolkonskaya (War and Peace).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marja, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Aja
1% boys · 99% girls
Marlena
Marlena is a feminine given name. It is used in English, Polish, Catalan, and Faroese.
>99% girls
Mandy
“one who is much loved”
>99% girls
Mirna
“one who is much loved”
>99% girls
Maricela
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
Marci
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
Marcy
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
Marni
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls