Given name & surname
Marya
“star of the sea”·“from the sea of bitterness”
Marya is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marya is a variant of Mary. Interpretations include “star of the sea” and “from the sea of bitterness”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Russian use, Marya shares an earlier linguistic root with Mary. Mary has been associated with French and Latin 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 1909. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,211
- 0 boys · 2,211 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 49 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #7,023 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,023 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 15.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 49 in 1971. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,041 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.
Marya’s family of names
In German usage, Marya is a diminutive of Maria. Marya shares a linguistic root with Mary. In Cornish usage, Marya has a conventional equivalent in the French form Marie.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marya
- Marya ZaturenskaUkrainian-American poet (1902-1982)
- Marya Chéliga-LoevyPolish writer1854–1927
- Marya KasterskaPolish literary critic, specialist in literature and writer (1893-1969)1894–1969
- Marya HornbacherAmerican journalistborn 1974
- Marya CohnAmerican actressborn 1953
- Marya FreundFrench singer (1876-1966)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marni
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marnie
“woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Marne
“woman of the sea”
4% boys · 96% girls
Marybeth
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Melantha
“resembling a dark-violet flower”
>99% girls
Mlissa
“resembling a flower”
>99% girls
Cari
“from the river” · “from the fort on the hill”
18% boys · 82% girls
Tamara
“date palm” · “from the palm tree”
>99% girls