Miriam


This is the Old Testament name from which we get the New Testament name Mary. Miriam (or Maryam) is the original Hebrew version, an ancient name with possible Egyptian roots. It may be related to the element mrh meaning "to swell," implying fullness, or fertility. It has also been hypothesized that it is linked to the Indo-European word for "mother." Many baby name books list Mary and Miriam as meaning "rebellious" or "bitter," this comes from linking it to the name Mara, which means "bitter." It is probably not related to this word.
See Also: Mirjam, Mary

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