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International Variations of Mary

In the world of girl names, Mary is as classic as it comes. Many of its international variations qualify as classics too, especially Maria, the name from which Mary itself derived. Mary was the most popular name for girls for hundreds of years, but today comes in second to Maria. It’s followed by Molly, which held the top spot among Marian names for much of the previous decade.

Along with Maria and Molly, other international variations of Mary in the US Top 1000 include Mia, Malia, Mariana, Miriam, Maryam, Marie, Maren, and Mara. Attractive forms of Mary from around that world that have never gained favor in the US include the French Manon and Milou, Scottish Mairi, and Dutch Marieke.

Mary’s meaning is disputed , but it is undeniably important both spiritually and culturally for many people around the world.

Mary may not be exactly stylish among baby girl names now, but as the top girls' name for centuries, it's spawned many intriguing international variations. Browse our full list, below.

Maija The meaning of Maija is 'the sea' or 'bitter...
Origin:Finnish and Latvian variation of Maria
3862
Maryam

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:Hebrew, Arabic, Iranian
376
Mariam

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:Arabic variation of Mary
397
Ria

Meaning: small river

Origin:Spanish
1520
Origin:Irish variation of Mary
2522
Mairi

Meaning: bitter

Origin:Scottish variation of Mary
2330
Maura The meaning of Maura 'the one from the sea' ...
Origin:Anglicized variation of Maire
1581
Mame The name Mame is primarily used as a girl's ...
Origin:Diminutive of Mary or Margaret
6578
Marilyn

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake

Origin:English, combination of Mary and Lynn
672
Mariella

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:Italian and Dutch diminutive of Maria
1059
Marion

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:English and French diminutive of Marie
872
Maureen The meaning of Maureen is 'star of the sea' ...
Origin:Irish variation of Mary
1488
Marissa

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle

Origin:Variation of Maris or a combination of Maria + Louisa
1115
Origin:Hebrew
5103
Marjan Marjan is a Muslim name of Arabic origin. It...
Origin:Arabic
8672
Mariana

Meaning: related to the god Mars

Origin:Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian
488
Mies

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:Dutch diminutive of Maria
14908
Maikki Maikki is of Finnish origin and is the varia...
Origin:Finnish variation of Mary
6119
Roula The name Roula is an excellent baby name, an...
Origin:Hebrew
9783
Mariska

Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved

Origin:Hungarian diminutive of Maria
3226