mary

Mary












Name Nerds main

FOR REAL: Mary comes from the Hebrew Miriam, a name with many disputed meanings. It may derive from mara, meaning "bitter." Another meaning put forth by Hebrew scholars is from mrh "to swell," implying pregnancy or completion. This word may link with the word for "mother" in many languages, or it may come from a Syriac word meaning "elevated." LIke many biblical names, it may be a Hebrewized form of an Egyptian name, and therefore could be related to the words mry "beloved" or mr "love." At any rate, Mary was one of the most common names given to English speaking girls for centuries. In fact, 2009 marks the first year Mary fell out of the top 100 for girls in the USA in probably 300 years.

diminutives: Molly, Moll, Polly, Mamie

related names: Marie, Maria, Marion, other forms