Girl name · Latin
Rosemary
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: dew of the seaRosemary is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "dew of the sea". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Dew of the sea
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #251 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Rosemary
As a girl's name, Rosemary comes from Latin and means "dew of the sea". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Rosemary on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Rosemary on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Rosemary on 6 lists.
“Latin for dew of the sea, a fragrant herb”
From Bunny names, girl bunny names
“Fragrant herb with tiny blue flowers”
From Bee names, flower and garden names for bees
“Village about 30 km northwest of Brooks”
From Funny town names in Alberta, alberta town names that sound like food
“A fragrant herb long linked with remembrance”
From Girl dog names, flower and nature names for girl dogs
“Rose plus Mary, and also the herb, from Latin ros marinus, dew of the sea”
From Plant names, plant names for girls
“Dew of the sea; Latin. Also read as Rose plus Mary”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Rosemary?
- US rank in 2025
- #251
- 1,222 babies, 760 per million girls
- Best rank
- #74 in 1946
- Most babies: 4,542 in 1947
- Babies since 1882
- At least 163,165
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 56 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 90 per million |
| 1900s | 217 per million |
| 1910s | 868 per million |
| 1920s | 2,172 per million |
| 1930s | 2,331 per million |
| 1940s | 2,368 per million |
| 1950s | 1,301 per million |
| 1960s | 800 per million |
| 1970s | 377 per million |
| 1980s | 290 per million |
| 1990s | 225 per million |
| 2000s | 214 per million |
| 2010s | 339 per million |
| 2020s | 584 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #436 | #453 | #453 | #404 | #442 | #363 | #365 | #310 | #301 | #251 |
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.
Names with a similar meaning
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- CoralReef stone of the sea (Greek, girl)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
- KaiThe sea (Hawaiian, unisex)
- MarinoOf the sea (Latin, boy)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- MurchadhSea warrior (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- MurphySea warrior (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
Middle names for Rosemary
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- DianaDivine, heavenly (Latin, girl)
Rosemary: common questions
What does the name Rosemary mean?
Rosemary comes from Latin and means "dew of the sea".
Is Rosemary a boy or girl name?
Rosemary is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Rosemary come from?
Rosemary comes from Latin and means "dew of the sea". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Rosemary?
Rosemary ranked #251 in the US in 2025, with 1,222 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Rosemary?
Middle names that flow well with Rosemary include Eliza, Jane, Jean, Joy and June. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.