BabyNameLens · Girl names · Boy names
“Variant of Miriam — Bitter; or possibly rebellion/disobedience (debated Hebrew roots)” — Hebrew (via Aramaic) origin
Girl's name · #125 in the US (2025) · Heirloom
Mary was #1 back in 1880, spent 76 years as America's #1 name, and stands at #125 today. About 4.1 million girls have carried it since 1880. In Mississippi and Alabama it runs 5–6× its national rate and ranks #8 in Mississippi. Mary's short forms are Molly, Minnie, Mae, Polly, and Mamie. About 1,500 girls a year are given Molly as their full name.
Around the world: about 1 in 520 girls in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 550 girls in New Zealand (2025) · about 1 in 660 girls in N. Ireland (2025).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 49 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Among 7,719 notable people named Mary:
Artists & writers appear 1.72× more often than among typical names — e.g. Mary Shelley, English writer (1797–1851).
Similar names: Mariah · Anna · Martha · Amari · Sara · Ariyah
Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.