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.
See Mary scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Mary:
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.”.
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 the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
Unlock Mary's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
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.
What would a baby named Mary look like?
NameRoot imagines a one-of-a-kind AI baby portrait for every name, shaped by its heritage — the features, the colouring, the feeling a name like Mary carries. No two are alike.
See Mary's portrait — and its full score — the moment you open the app.
See Mary's baby portrait →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
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