The meaning of the name “Maria” is different in several languages, countries and cultures and has more than one possibly same or different meanings available.
Additional information: The name is a Latinate form of Mary. It has many origins and meanings, from Italian meaning “beautiful” to Latin meaning “ransom”, “virgin” or “merciful”. A Latin form of the Greek word Μαρία, and when looked from Hebrew derivation, the word is ‘מִרְיָם’. Maria is the primary form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English where the common form is Mary.
Historically, the name was also sometimes used as a male middle name. It was also adorned by the Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780).
The meaning of the name is debated, while some suggest it to mean "sea of bitterness" or "sea of sorrow". However, some sources quote the alternative definitions of "rebellion," "wished-for child," and "mistress or lady of the sea." The name is borne in the Bible by the mother of Jesus.
The name has bought strength and laurels to star player Maria Sharapova, famous actress and activist Maria Bello, metal singer Maria Brink, wrestler Maria Kanellis and late dancer Maria Tallchief to name a few.
The year when the name Maria was most popular was 2002. For 2014, the number of births with name Maria represented 0.141 percent of total female births in U.S. In Mexico, it is a tradition to name the firstborn daughter as Maria. It also makes to the top 50 Irish baby girl names. An astounding fact is that 33.3% of all women in Bulgaria, are called Maria.
Maria also appears as a character in a Philippines based urban legend called ‘Maria Labo’. Some say she was the most beautiful girl in the world! In the Hispanic Legend ‘La Llorona’.
Mary, and Marie were the most prevalent forms in English-speaking countries.
Its counterparts are Marie in German, Marja, Marjo in Dutch, Marie, Mary, Maleah, Mariah in English, Maaria, Marja, Marjo in Finnish and Mariam in Biblical Greek.
Pronunciation: (mah REE ah); (mar EYE ah) Form of:Miryam
Considering Maria as a Baby Name?
The first thing you should know if you are considering Maria for your baby's name is that in most countries all over the world the name Maria is a girl name.
The name Maria is of Hebrew, Latin origins, which means it has more than one root, and is used in more than one countries and different languages of the world, especially Armenian speaking countries, Catalan speaking countries, Dutch speaking countries, English speaking countries, Estonian speaking countries, German speaking countries, Greek speaking countries, Hungarian speaking countries, Italian speaking countries, Norwegian speaking countries, Polish speaking countries, Portuguese speaking countries, Slovak speaking countries, Spanish speaking countries, Swedish speaking countries among others.
If you consider naming your baby Maria we recommend you take note of the special meaning and history of the name as your baby’s name will play a big role in its life and your baby will hear it spoken every day. Searching for a name is a very important and fun process as it’s the very first gift you will give to your baby. Many people believe that the name can affect success in life, through their children's working career and other circumstances, so they choose more “respectable” names or name meanings as they believe that the name meaning reflects the personality of the child.
Maria Name Meaning
The meaning of Maria has more than one different etymologies. It has same or different meanings in other countries and languages. The different meanings of the name Maria are:
Hebrew meaning: Bitte; sea of bitterness
Latin meaning: Virgin. merciful, ransom
Keep in mind that many names may have different meanings in other countries and languages, so be careful that the name that you choose doesn’t mean something bad or unpleasant. Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Maria and its name origin or of any other name in our database. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Maria and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. The history and meaning of the name Maria is fascinating, learn more about it. (If you know more meanings of the name and you would like to contribute click here to submit another name meaning).
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Name Maria Categories
The name Maria is in the following categories: American Names, Argentine Names, Armenian Names, Austrian Names, Biblical Names, Canadian Names, Chilean Names, Christian Names, Costa Rican Names, Dutch Names, English Names, Estonian Names, German Names, Greek Names, Hungarian Names, Italian Names, Peruvian Names, Polish Names, Portuguese Names, Puerto Rican Names, Romanian Names, Russian Names, Scandinavian Names, Slovak Names, Spanish Names, Twilight Names. (If you would like to suggest one or more categories for the name, click here). We have plenty of different baby name categories to search for special meanings plus popular and unique names, search our database before choosing but also note that baby name categories designed to help you and not to be an influential factor when choosing a name. Instead, we recommend that you pay a greater attention to the origin and meaning of the name Maria. Read our baby name articles for useful tips regarding baby names and naming your baby. If you are thinking of giving your baby the beautiful name Maria, spread the love and share this with your friends.
Popularity of the Name Maria
Below you will find the popularity of the baby name Maria displayed annually, from 1880 to the present day in our name popularity chart. Hover over or click on the dots that represent a year to see how many babies were given the name for that year, for both genders, if available.
Maria Boy Name Popularity Chart
Maria Girl Name Popularity Chart
Note:The data above is from the Social Security Administrator of United States, (more info here) from Social Security card applications for births in US for every name, from 1880 up to the present year. The gender associated with the name might be incorrect, as the data presents the record applications without being edited for errors. The name's popularity and ranking is announced annually, so the data for this year will not be available until next year. The more babies that are given a name, the higher popularity ranking the name receives. For names with the same popularity, the tie is solved by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. This means that if two or more names have the same popularity their rankings may differ significantly, as they are set in alphabetical order. If a name has less than five occurrences, the SSA excludes it from the provided data to protect privacy.
If you’re not sure yet, see our wide selection of both boy names and girl names all over the world to find the ideal name for your new born baby. We offer a comprehensive and meaningful list of popular names and cool names along with the name's origin, meaning, pronunciation, popularity and additional information.
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Do your research and choose a name wisely, kindly and selflessly.
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