Girl name · Hebrew
Maria
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Greek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaningMaria is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "Greek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning". It is used in English, Greek and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Greek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #87 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Maria
As a girl's name, Maria comes from Hebrew and means "Greek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning". It is used in English and Greek.
As a girl's name, Maria comes from Hebrew and means "Spanish form of Maria; the most common name of all, often in compounds". It is used in Spanish. In Spanish it is spelled María.
In Greek, say mah-REE-ah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Maria on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Maria on 2 lists.
“The Greek and Latin form of Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is debated. The most common name in Greece. Say mah-REE-ah”
From Greek girl names, popular Greek girl names
“Meaning uncertain; Hebrew, via Latin. Long the most widespread women's name in Italy. Say mah-REE-ah”
From Italian girl names, italian women's names
How popular is Maria?
- US rank in 2025
- #87
- 2,887 babies, 1,796 per million girls
- Best rank
- #30 in 1975
- Most babies: 10,148 in 1964
- Babies since 1880
- At least 566,111
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,319 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,290 per million |
| 1900s | 1,426 per million |
| 1910s | 1,389 per million |
| 1920s | 1,889 per million |
| 1930s | 1,936 per million |
| 1940s | 2,456 per million |
| 1950s | 3,247 per million |
| 1960s | 4,864 per million |
| 1970s | 4,943 per million |
| 1980s | 3,830 per million |
| 1990s | 3,938 per million |
| 2000s | 3,085 per million |
| 2010s | 1,655 per million |
| 2020s | 1,733 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #113 | #111 | #115 | #106 | #109 | #105 | #91 | #82 | #74 | #87 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Maria
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Miatraditional short form (English)
Names spelled like Maria
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AlanMeaning uncertain; perhaps little rock, or from the Alans (Brythonic, boy)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- AgataGood, from Greek agathos (Greek, girl)
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- AresPerhaps from Greek words for bane, ruin, or male (Greek, boy)
- ArthurOf uncertain Celtic origin (Celtic, boy)
- AthenaMeaning unknown; the Greek goddess of wisdom (Greek, girl)
- AtlasPossibly enduring, from Greek tlao, to endure (Greek, boy)
- CatalinaSpanish form of Katherine, later linked to Greek pure (Greek, girl)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DorianMember of an ancient Greek tribe (Greek, boy)
- HesterLatin form of Esther (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Maria
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AmberAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
- ClementineMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- CosimaOrder, decency (Greek, girl)
- DahliaFlower named for botanist Anders Dahl (Swedish, girl)
- EsmeraldaEmerald (Spanish, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
- UndineWave (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- ElisabethGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
Maria: common questions
What does the name Maria mean?
Maria comes from Hebrew and means "Greek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning". It also has another origin: "Spanish form of Maria; the most common name of all, often in compounds" from Hebrew.
Is Maria a boy or girl name?
Maria is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 2,887 girls and 6 boys in the US were named Maria, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Maria?
Common nicknames for Maria include Mia.
How popular is the name Maria?
Maria ranked #87 in the US in 2025, with 2,887 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Maria?
Names spelled like Maria include Marina, Marta, Maia, Marie and Mara.
What middle names go with Maria?
Middle names that flow well with Maria include Alice, Amber, Clementine, Cosima and Dahlia. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.