Maryam

MAR-yam; mar-YAM; MUR-yem

Arabic, Persian, and Urdu variant of Mary, Hebrew

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Maryam Origin and Meaning

The name Maryam is a girl's name of Arabic, Greek, Iranian origin meaning "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved".

Classic Mary has many international variations and the strong, pretty Maryam is the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu form. Popular in many countries across the world, from Azerbaijan to France, The Netherlands to Iran and from England to Russia, Maryam is the form of Mary that appears in the Quran.

Just like its source name, Maryam's meaning is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

In Islamic tradition, Maryam is seen as one of the most important women to have lived and she is the only woman to be named in the Quran. She was chosen by God to give both to the penultimate Messiah, Isa.

In Iran, Maryam is the common name for Anastatica, a type of tumbleweed with small white flowers which is believed to help during pregnancy.

Also transcribed as Mariyam, Mariam, Meriem, and Məryəm, Maryam has become increasingly familiar in the US where it has been consistently in the charts since 2009. Given to around 740 girls in 2023, it is now comfortably in the Top 500.

Maryam Rank in US Top 1000

# 415 in the US

Maryam Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1710 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Maryam

• 415 US 2023
• 1710 Nameberry 2025
• 102 Canada 2023
• 277 Future 2028
• 77 England 2023
• 187 Scotland 2024
• 98 Australia 2016
• 85 France 2023
• 145 Netherlands 2015
• 96 Sweden 2022
• 97 Belgium 2023

20 Names Similar to Maryam

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Maryam.

• Marcela
• Lynette
• Romina
• Arabelle
• Madelaine
• Gwenevere
• Liliane
• Paola
• Maddalena
• Maribelle
• Dara
• Amada
• Rosetta
• Ina
• Cécile
• Tamar
• Lidia
• Lissa
• Fernanda
• Evanna

Famous People Named Maryam

• Maryam d'Abo English actress
• Maryam Jinnah the "Flower of Bombay," Indian wife of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
• Maryam Nawaz Pakistani politician; daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
• Maryam Mirzakhani Iranian mathematician; first woman awarded the Fields Medal
• Maryam Yusuf Jamal Bahraini Olympic runner

The name Maryam in Pop Culture

• Kanaya Maryam troll in web series "Homestuck"
• Maryam Misrahi character from Virgins of paradise, by Barbara Wood