Maryland Unisex

Popularity: · Trend: → Stable

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MAIR-uh-lənd /ˈmɛrɪlənd/

Origin: English; American

Meaning: Mary's land; land of Mary

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Maryland is derived from the combination of the words "Mary" and "land." The name "Mary" has its roots in the Hebrew name "Miryam," which is believed to mean "sea of bitterness" or "rebelliousness." This name was adopted into Greek as "Maria" and then into Latin as "Maria," before being introduced into Old French and eventually into English. The suffix "land" comes from the Old English word "land," meaning "land" or "country." Thus, Maryland can be interpreted as "the land of Mary." Historically, the name Maryland is closely associated with the founding of the Maryland colony in the early 17th century.

Established in 1634 by Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, the colony was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I of England. This connection to royalty and the establishment of a colony for religious freedom, particularly for Catholics, marked a significant milestone in American history.

The name gained further prominence through its use in various historical documents and narratives surrounding the early colonial period. Culturally, Maryland has come to symbolize a blend of various traditions and influences, reflecting its diverse population and history.

The name evokes a sense of place and identity, often associated with the state's rich heritage, including its role in the American Revolution and the Civil War. Additionally, the name Maryland has been embraced in various cultural expressions, from literature to music, reinforcing its significance in American culture.

The diminutive form "Mary" is also noteworthy, as it has been widely used in various contexts, further embedding the name within the cultural fabric.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Maryland, 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 Maryland. 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 Maryland was first seen in the United States in 1884.

Maryland has ranked as high as #2273 nationally, which occurred in 1927, and has been most popular in North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Maryland has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Maryland 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 Maryland was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

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 Maryland.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2020 5 0 5
2016 5 0 5
2005 6 0 6
2003 5 0 5
1991 5 0 5
1985 5 0 5
1983 5 0 5
1978 5 0 5
1977 6 0 6
1975 6 0 6
1974 7 0 7
1973 5 0 5
1972 8 0 8
1971 9 0 9
1970 5 0 5
1969 8 0 8
1968 13 0 13
1967 24 6 18
1966 5 0 5
1965 7 0 7
1964 13 0 13
1963 5 0 5
1962 7 0 7
1961 10 0 10
1960 7 0 7
1959 19 6 13
1958 21 5 16
1957 15 5 10
1956 20 5 15
1955 17 7 10
1954 23 7 16
1953 21 8 13
1952 15 5 10
1951 26 9 17
1950 25 8 17
1949 11 0 11
1948 30 5 25
1947 24 0 24
1946 29 5 24
1945 17 0 17
1944 28 8 20
1943 33 8 25
1942 27 5 22
1941 30 9 21
1940 19 7 12
1939 33 6 27
1938 18 9 9
1937 26 10 16
1936 18 0 18
1935 15 0 15
1934 21 9 12
1933 25 6 19
1932 22 12 10
1931 27 10 17
1930 20 6 14
1929 20 11 9
1928 30 8 22
1927 39 6 33
1926 29 6 23
1925 34 7 27
1924 29 9 20
1923 21 6 15
1922 23 12 11
1921 27 12 15
1920 20 11 9
1919 20 12 8
1918 14 0 14
1917 19 8 11
1916 24 8 16
1915 26 9 17
1913 9 0 9
1912 9 0 9
1910 7 0 7
1909 5 0 5
1908 6 0 6
1907 5 0 5
1905 6 0 6
1902 5 0 5
1901 6 0 6
1884 5 5 0

Top States for Maryland (1967)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 5
100%