Updated February 28, 2024

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Girl name origins & meanings

  • Hebrew: Bitter; the star of the sea
  • Hebrew: Bitter; rebellion

What does Maria mean and stand for?

The name Maria is of Latin origin and means "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved." It is also thought to be of Hebrew origin and means "bitter, rebellious" and derives from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. Maria is quite a popular name in many European countries, though some use it as a masculine middle name. 

Syllables: 3

Discover more baby name meanings to learn what's behind every name. 

How to Pronounce Maria  

The name Maria is pronounced [MUH] + [REE] + [UH]. 

Famous People Named Maria and Maria in Pop Culture

American reporter and television personality Maria Menounos and professional tennis player Maria Sharapova are two popular celebrities named Maria. Maria was also popularized as the name of main characters in musical films like "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music.

Girl name variations

Mary

Mary

0 % this year
Feminine
Common
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Marya

Marya

- 29% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mariah

Mariah

- 3% this year
Feminine
Uncommon
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Marie

Marie

- 1% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Malia

Malia

- 2% this year
Feminine
Common
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Ri

Ri

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mar

Mar

+ 103% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Mari

Mari

+ 5% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Merry

Merry

- 6% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Miriam

Miriam

- 1% this year
Feminine
Common
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Marian

Marian

+ 22% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mame

Mame

- 18% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mamie

Mamie

+ 17% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maymie

Maymie

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mayme

Mayme

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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May

May

+ 27% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mally

Mally

+ 50% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Molly

Molly

- 7% this year
Feminine
Common
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Polly

Polly

+ 8% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mara

Mara

- 16% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maretta

Maretta

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marel

Marel

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marella

Marella

+ 60% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maren

Maren

- 11% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Marlo

Marlo

+ 8% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Mariette

Mariette

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marieta

Marieta

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Meriel

Meriel

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mimi

Mimi

+ 32% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Minette

Minette

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Minnie

Minnie

- 13% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Minny

Minny

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mitzi

Mitzi

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Madonna

Madonna

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marilla

Marilla

+ 145% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marla

Marla

+ 5% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Muriel

Muriel

+ 16% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Manon

Manon

+ 43% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Manette

Manette

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marija

Marija

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marika

Marika

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maire

Maire

- 22% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mare

Mare

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Marquita

Marquita

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maure

Maure

0 % this year
Neutral
Rare
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Mairin

Mairin

- 50% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mair

Mair

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maura

Maura

+ 30% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Maureen

Maureen

+ 56% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Moira

Moira

- 26% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Moire

Moire

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Moya

Moya

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Muire

Muire

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Masha

Masha

+ 50% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mairi

Mairi

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mariya

Mariya

- 4% this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mashia

Mashia

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mash

Mash

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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Mariath

Mariath

0 % this year
Feminine
Rare
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How Popular Is The Name Maria

Family name origins & meanings

  • Spanish (María), Italian, Portuguese, and Hungarian (Mária): from the female personal name, Latin Maria, which arose as a back-formation from the early Christian female name Mariam. This was mistaken for an accusative case, with the usual Latin feminine accusative ending -am, but in fact it is an Aramaic form of the Hebrew name Miryam (see Marie).

Famous people with this first name

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity of the Name Maria 

According to Social Security Administration data, Maria has only recently begun to drop in the ranks, originally maintaining a spot in the top 100 from 2000 to 2011. Despite the slight decline, Maria found itself in the top 110 once again in 2019 and 2020.

Maria is the 28th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years, Maria was at its peak popularity in September 2017.

Maria is the Latin variation of Mary and has been consistently popular in all Spanish-speaking countries. It is one of the most popular girl names starting with M and is timeless. It is popular through all mediums, with namesakes such as opera's Maria Callas (born Sophia Cecelia), tennis's Maria Yuryevna Sharapova, actress Maria Teresa Dizzia, and various royalty. Maria has also been in various songs, such as Ave Maria, "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" in The Sound of Music, and the song from West Side Story.

How Popular is the Name Maria in the U.S.? 

Maria was searched for most often in the following states:

Variations and Nicknames for Maria

  • Ari
  • Mar
  • Mary
  • Mia
  • Mimi
  • Ree
  • Ria

Maria pairs well with these middle names

Meaning and Origin of Maria