Mary

Mary is a girl name of Hebrew origin, meaning Beloved; star of the sea.

What Mary means

Beloved; star of the sea.

Mary is short — 4 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.

Where Mary comes from

Hebrew names are frequently built as short phrases rather than single words, and many are theophoric — they contain a name of God as one element. This is why so many carry a full sentence of meaning.

Mary is recorded as Hebrew in origin. Browse other Hebrew names.

How popular is Mary?

You will not find Mary in the top 100 girl names at the moment. Plenty of well-known names sit outside the charts; popularity measures how often a name is registered, not how good or how real it is.

The character of Mary

We group Mary under scripture, the long-established classics and Ocean — an unusual pairing, and often the reason a name feels the way it does. Each theme opens a full list of names sharing it.

Themes: Biblical, Classic, Ocean

Names like Mary

These share Mary's themes, origin, or both — closest first.

  • Josephine — God will increase.
  • Elizabeth — Pledged to God; God is my oath.
  • Judith — Woman of Judea; praised.
  • Leah — Weary; delicate.
  • Rebecca — To bind; captivating.
  • Sarah — Princess; noblewoman.
  • Benjamin — Son of the right hand.
  • James — Supplanter; a timeless classic.
  • Joseph — God will increase.
  • Jacob — Supplanter; holder of the heel.
  • John — God is gracious.
  • Isabella — Devoted to God.

More Hebrew names

  • Marnie — Of the sea; rejoice.
  • Matthew — Gift of God.
  • Malachi — My messenger.
  • Micah — Who is like God?
  • Liora — My light.
  • Michael — Who is like God?
  • Lilibet — Pledged to God; a royal pet name.
  • Michal — Who is like God?
  • Levi — Joined, attached, united.
  • Miriam — Wished-for child; beloved.