Maria

Meaning: Bitter; or possibly rebellion/disobedience
Origin: Latin (from Hebrew) — Variant of Miriam · Hebrew roots; debated

Nicknames: Mare, Masha

Girl's name · #87 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Maria has held steady since 1880, standing at #87 in 2025. Sixty straight years of records barely move it — one of the steadiest names in American use.

Across the states

See where Maria is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 48 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Maria is especially popular in Portugal, Spain, and Finland (other-lang.).

#1 in Portugal (2023) · #5 in Spain (2024) · #5 in Finland (other-lang.) (2025) · #9 in Ecuador (2025) · #11 in Poland (2025) · #32 in Switzerland (2025) · #42 in Mexico (2024) · #53 in Austria (2025) · #56 in Belgium (2025) · #60 in France (2025) · #61 in Netherlands (2025) · #62 in Norway (2025) and 9 more.

Famous Marias

Maria Sharapova — Russian tennis player
Maria Theresa of Austria — Ruler of the Habsburg Dominions (1717–1780)
Maria Montessori — Italian physician and educator (1870–1952)
Maria Göppert Mayer — German-born American theoretical physicist (1906–1972)
Maria Meneghini Callas — American-Greek operatic soprano (1923–1977)

In stories & tradition

Maria (Salome) — Biblical figure, mother of John and Jacob
Maria (Mary of Clopas) — One of the women present at the crucifixion of Jesus
Maria Hill — Marvel Comics

What Marias become

Among 24,375 notable people named Maria:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.34× more often than among typical names — e.g. Maria Göppert Mayer, German-born American theoretical physicist (1906–1972).

Similar names: Mary · Jacqueline · Mariana · Julia · Anna · Sara

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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