Mary
/M-EH-R-IY/
Beloved, or sea of bitterness — from Hebrew Miryam, the name of the mother of Jesus and the most widely given female name in history.
Get Mary's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about Mary:
How well does Mary fit your family?
This page tells you what Mary means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock Mary's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Mary is a Christian girl name of Hebrew origin, meaning “Beloved, or sea of bitterness — from Hebrew Miryam, the name of the mother of Jesus and the most widely given female name in history.”.
Mary is a girl's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Beloved, or sea of bitterness — from Hebrew Miryam, the name of the mother of Jesus and the most widely given female name in history." and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Common among European, Arab, Israeli, Singaporean families, Mary carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind Mary
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. Mary lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See Mary's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See Mary's saint & feast day →What does Mary's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Mary resonates in either tradition.
Mary's destiny number is 3 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Mary's full reading →
Does Mary go with your family's names?
Mary breaks into 4 sounds: /M-EH-R-IY/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Mary sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Mary beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Mary — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Mary
If Mary resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian girl names, common in European families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian girl names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian girl names that open with the same syllables as Mary
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Mary — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Mary
What does the name Mary mean?
Mary means "Beloved, or sea of bitterness — from Hebrew Miryam, the name of the mother of Jesus and the most widely given female name in history.." It is a girl name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Mary a boy or girl name?
Mary is most commonly used as a girl name.
What is the origin of the name Mary?
Mary is of Hebrew origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among European, Arab, Israeli families.
Is Mary a Christian name?
Yes. Mary is a girl name traditionally used in Christian families, of Hebrew origin.
What does Mary mean in Hebrew?
Mary originates from Hebrew, where it means "Beloved, or sea of bitterness — from Hebrew Miryam, the name of the mother of Jesus and the most widely given female name in history.."
What are common nicknames for Mary?
Common short forms of Mary include Molly, Mimi, Polly.
What is the numerology of Mary?
Mary has a Pythagorean destiny number of 3 — creativity and joyful expression.
See how Mary scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Mary is waiting.
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