Mary
Hebrew Miryam by way of Greek Maria; the meaning is unsettled, with “bitter,” “beloved” and “rebellious” all proposed.
Popularity, 1880–2025
The Virgin Mary made this the default girls' name of the Christian world for centuries, and American records opened with it firmly in command; its reign at No. 1 lasted longer than any name is ever likely to match.
Mary appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 2008. It has been the single most popular name for American girls in 76 different years, first in 1880 and most recently in 1961. Its biggest year was 1921, when 73,984 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 1 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 125 for girls. All told, 4,156,654 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Marie (542,270), Mari (16,645), Maury (2,770), Marry (1,873), Marye (1,557), Maree (1,049) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Maria, Marilyn, Dolores, Sally, Molly, Rosemary, Minnie, Maureen
Explore Mary interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 91,668 | No. 1 |
| 1890s | 131,138 | No. 1 |
| 1900s | 161,504 | No. 1 |
| 1910s | 478,636 | No. 1 |
| 1920s | 701,755 | No. 1 |
| 1930s | 573,000 | No. 1 |
| 1940s | 640,080 | No. 1 |
| 1950s | 625,606 | No. 1 |
| 1960s | 355,240 | No. 1 |
| 1970s | 126,254 | No. 9 |
| 1980s | 95,862 | No. 25 |
| 1990s | 75,723 | No. 35 |
| 2000s | 46,337 | No. 46 |
| 2010s | 25,693 | No. 108 |
| 2020s | 12,985 | No. 123 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.