Mara

Mara: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “bitter”
Origin: Hebrew
Say it: MAR-uh · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

From Hebrew Mara in the Bible, meaning 'bitter.' It is also used as an Italian short form of names such as Maria.

Hebrew names Italian names English names Classic names Biblical names International names

How popular is Mara?

2024154 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Mara in 2024514

2024 rank#588 girls

Peak year2021

Total US babies since 188023,551

Mara is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Mara

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Elizabethmy God is an oath · Hebrew
Elianamy God has answered · Hebrew
Abigailmy father is joy · Hebrew
Naomipleasantness · Hebrew
Hannahgrace; favor · Hebrew
Maryuncertain, traditionally beloved or bitter · Hebrew
Delilahdelicate · Hebrew
Leahweary; uncertain · Hebrew

Mara questions

What does the name Mara mean?

Mara means "bitter". It comes from Hebrew. From Hebrew Mara in the Bible, meaning 'bitter.' It is also used as an Italian short form of names such as Maria.

Is Mara a boy or girl name?

Mara is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Mara?

514 US babies were named Mara in 2024. Its peak year was 2021.

How do you pronounce Mara?

Mara is usually pronounced MAR-uh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.