NameRealm
Miriam

Miriam: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“uncertain; perhaps beloved or bitter”
Origin
Hebrew
Say it
MEER-ee-um · 3 syllables
Used for
Girls

Biblical Hebrew name of debated meaning, borne by the sister of Moses and Aaron. Miriam is the original Hebrew form behind Mary in many traditions. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

Hebrew namesEnglish namesClassic namesBiblical namesInternational names

How popular is Miriam?

2024381 per million US babies
1880192019602000
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.

Babies named Miriam in 20241,267

2024 rank#250 girls

Peak year1917

Total US babies since 1880116,900

Miriam has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Miriam

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

Miriam questions

What does the name Miriam mean?

Miriam means "uncertain; perhaps beloved or bitter". It comes from Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew name of debated meaning, borne by the sister of Moses and Aaron. Miriam is the original Hebrew form behind Mary in many traditions.

Is Miriam a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Miriam?

1,267 US babies were named Miriam in 2024. Its peak year was 1917.

How do you pronounce Miriam?

Miriam is usually pronounced MEER-ee-um.

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.