Mariah Girl

Popularity: #370 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: muh-RY-uh /məˈraɪə/

Origin: Hebrew; Latin

Meaning: Hebrew: bitter; Latin: sea of bitterness

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Mariah is of Hebrew origin, derived from the name Miriam, which is believed to mean "sea of bitterness" or "rebelliousness." The name Miriam appears in the Hebrew Bible, where she is the sister of Moses and Aaron, playing a significant role in the Exodus narrative. The transition of the name into English can be traced through the Greek form Maria, which was used in the New Testament, and subsequently into Latin as Maria.

The name gained further prominence in medieval Europe, particularly through the veneration of the Virgin Mary, whose name is also derived from Maria, thus enriching its cultural and religious significance. Historically, the name Mariah has been used in various forms across different cultures and languages.

In the Christian tradition, Mary, as the mother of Jesus, has been a pivotal figure, leading to the name's widespread adoption in Christian communities. The name appears in various historical texts and translations, including the King James Bible, which was published in the early 17th century and has contributed to the enduring legacy of biblical names in English-speaking cultures.

The use of Mariah as a distinct form can be noted in the 19th century, reflecting a trend of creating variations of traditional names. Culturally, Mariah has been associated with themes of strength and resilience, often linked to the biblical figures that bear similar names.

The name has also been embraced in various artistic expressions, including literature and music, where it has been used to evoke a sense of grace and beauty. The diminutive form "Maria" remains historically relevant, often used interchangeably in different cultures, further highlighting the name's versatility and enduring appeal throughout history.

Famous people named Mariah

In this section, you will find notable people named Mariah. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Mariah who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Mariah who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Mariah Carey is a singer and songwriter best known for Vision of Love, Hero, and All I Want for Christmas Is You.

Mariah Huq is a television personality best known for her role on Married to Medicine.

Mariah Bell is a figure skater best known for her performances at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the World Figure Skating Championships.

Fictional characters named Mariah

The following list of fictional characters named Mariah is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Mariah is a fictional character from the manga and anime series One Piece. She is a member of the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates, known for her skills in combat and her loyalty to her friends.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Mariah, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Mariah. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Mariah was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Mariah has ranked as high as #131 nationally, which occurred in 1996, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Mariah has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Mariah is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Mariah was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Mariah (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
TX 91
13%
CA 81
12%
FL 54
8%
NY 43
6%
NC 36
5%
OH 32
5%
GA 31
4%
VA 25
4%
IL 22
3%
PA 22
3%
AL 20
3%
IN 19
3%
TN 19
3%
NJ 19
3%
AZ 17
2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Mariah.

YearBirths
2024756
2023780
2022931
2021955
20201,070
20191,196
20181,438
20171,616
20161,930
20152,118
20142,409
20132,772
20122,904
20112,995
20103,113
20093,605
20084,040
20073,707
20064,075
20053,840
20042,982
20033,073
20022,672
20013,585
20004,104
19994,646
19985,086
19974,803
19965,446
19954,773
19944,749
19934,093
19924,712
19915,192
19901,103
1989399
1988423
1987437
1986272
1985341
1984311
1983335
1982361
1981322
1980387
1979305
1978289
1977299
1976190
1975156
1974118
1973135
197261
197160
197043
196927
196828
196713
196614
196519
196419
196312
19625
19616
196011
195913
19585
19578
19566
19558
195416
195312
195217
195114
195016
194911
194817
194711
194618
19458
194411
194320
194211
194118
194012
193916
193818
193718
193614
193521
193429
193310
193223
193116
193022
192920
192825
192722
192625
192523
192429
192332
192229
192132
192038
191940
191843
191730
191633
191523
191431
191333
191225
191125
191025
190915
190820
190717
190624
190525
190424
190322
190223
190114
190029
189917
189826
189726
189623
189529
189432
189328
189223
189121
189031
188930
188819
188730
188624
188526
188421
188315
188222
188113
188022