Maria
The Latin and Greek form of Miriam, the Hebrew name of Moses' sister. Its original sense is uncertain, with proposals ranging from a word for bitterness to an Egyptian term for beloved.
Maria in 2025
Maria was given to 2,893 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 219th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,146 babies born.
The history of Maria
Maria reached its highest point in 1964, when 10,197 babies were given the name, ranking 80th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 71st, in 1974.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 570,389 babies have been named Maria. Half of them were born before 1974, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation X.
Maria by decade
| Decade | Babies named Maria | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,732 | 212 |
| 1890s | 2,866 | 204 |
| 1900s | 4,174 | 190 |
| 1910s | 11,430 | 192 |
| 1920s | 22,895 | 177 |
| 1930s | 20,988 | 178 |
| 1940s | 35,876 | 139 |
| 1950s | 62,808 | 119 |
| 1960s | 89,321 | 79 |
| 1970s | 77,018 | 71 |
| 1980s | 66,714 | 84 |
| 1990s | 71,444 | 85 |
| 2000s | 57,191 | 100 |
| 2010s | 29,037 | 206 |
| 2020s | 16,895 | 196 |
Where Maria is heading
Maria has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 2,839 babies in 2015 to 2,893 in 2025.
Names like Maria
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Maria.