Maria Name Meaning & Origin
Maria
Origin of the name Maria:
Latin form of Mary, which is derived from the Hebrew Miryām, a name of debated meaning. Many believe it to mean "sea of bitterness" or "sea of sorrow." However, some sources cite 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 son of God.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Maria Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
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Name Lists Featuring Maria
- Swedish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Sweden
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand 2014
- Belgian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belgium (Flanders) 2014
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland 2014
- Finnish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Finland 2014
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales (2013)
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain 2014
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Northern Ireland 2014
- Italian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Italy
- Russian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Russia 2014
- Polish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Poland 2014
- Armenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Armenia 2014
- Bulgarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Bulgaria 2014
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (Italian)
- Armenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Armenia, 2010
- Austrian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Austria, 2010
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England, 2010
- German Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Germany, 2010
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland, 2010
- Norwegian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Norway, 2010
- Polish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Poland, 2010
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland, 2011
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain, 2010
- Swedish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Sweden, 2010
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland (Italian), 2010
- Argentinian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Argentina (Buenos Aires) 2014
- Portuguese Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Portugal 2014
- English and Welsh Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England and Wales
- English Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in England 2015
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland for 2012
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland for 2012
- Chilean Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Chile 2010
- Paraguayan Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Paraguay
- New Zealand Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in New Zealand for 2012
- Swedish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Sweden for 2012
- Norwegian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Norway for 2012
- Icelandic Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Iceland 2014
- Bolivian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Bolivia
- Portuguese Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Portugal 2012
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain 2012
- Andorran Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in Andorra 2014
- Catalonian Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in Catalonia 2014
- Austrian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Austria 2012
- Estonian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Estonia 2014
- Ukranian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Ukraine 2014
- Russian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Russia 2011
- Belarusian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belarus 2014
- Hungarian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Hungary 2010
- German Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Germany 2012
- Polish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Poland 2012
- Romanian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Romania 2014
- Most Popular Girls' Names of 1950, United States
- French Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in France
- Scottish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Scotland
- Spanish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Spain
- German Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Germany
- Portuguese Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Portugal
- Armenian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Armenia
- Dutch Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in The Netherlands
- Irish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in the Republic of Ireland
- Polish Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Poland
- Icelandic Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Iceland
- Belarusian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Belarus
- Chilean Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Chile
- Estonian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Estonia
- Russian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Russia
- Norwegian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Norway
- Ukranian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Ukraine
- Andorran Girls Names: Most Popular Girls Names in Andorra
- Romanian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Romania
- Canadian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Canada (Quebec)
- Argentinian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Uruguayan Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Uruguay
- Swiss Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Switzerland
- Australian Girls Names: Most Popular Names for Girls in Australia (Northern)
Contribute your knowledge to the name Maria
- Comments and insights on the name Maria
Maria is a classic, popular, long-time favorite, beautiful, feminine name for a baby girl. Pronounced Muh-ree-uh.
Amari, Airam, Maria, Maira and Amira are anagrams of each other, they all contain the same letters.
- Personal experiences with the name Maria
A good friend of mine's name is Maria. While this name is common, yes, it is still a classic, beautiful name with a wonderfully attractive feminine sound to it. She has said before that she loves her name. She has three young daughters who are all very sweet little girls. She takes great care of them. She's a truly magnificent mother. She is an only child, but she married a man (a close friend of mine, also) who has ten siblings, so there's plenty to make her feel warmed and loved, as if they were her own siblings. (They're all friends of mine too.) And actually, I've never (believe it or not, it matters not to me) met anyone else named Maria. I just haven't. But I love it. It's gorgeous. =)
my one friend is also named Maria and the only really thing I can say about her is she is nice strong and #friendgoals P.S I'm Caroline
My name is Maria and I was born in the 1980s in Canada. I like my name. As popular as the name is on a global level, and its timeless nature, I've only encountered one Maria my age, ever. I think it really depends on your demographic.
Maria always has the best memes.
My name is Maria and I love it. People have always commented on how nice my name is, at home and abroad. I was the only Maria in my year group at primary school and there was only one other Maria in my year at secondary school. I'm English and was also born in the 80's. People sometimes abbreviate my name to Marie which is much more English but I don't think it sounds as nice and usually corrects them but they carry on regardless.
I met a girl named Maria over the summer. Absolutely beautiful. A little bit exotic, with beautiful long brown hair, and eyes that changed color with the light; sometimes they looked brown or gold even, and they shone a beautiful green when her eyes sparkled or caught the light. Amazing personality, she puts everyone at ease. She is friendly, personable, it's impossible not to fall in love with her. The farther she lets you in, the more you fall in love with every aspect of her. The more I got to know her the more complexity I found in her personality. Although there is never a dull moment with Maria as she's the life of the party, she is also a sort of melancholy kind of beautiful as well. There are so many layers to her I which I could find out more.
- Nicknames for Maria
Marie, Mary, Ria, Mimi, Mia, Mari, Maya, Maia, Molly, Mariah, Mar, Ri-Ri,
Nacha, MashkaAlso some Marias have second names:
LUISA,Paula,Gabriela,Ana,Louise and matilde.Nicknames for MARIA LUISA
Malu Marielu Marilulu Marie Malulu MalulaMæja (Icelandic María)
- Meanings and history of the name Maria
Meanings of the name "Maria".
French:
Bitter.German:
Bitter.Italian:
Bitter.Spanish:
Bitter.Swedish:
Bitter.American:
Bitter.Hebrew:
Wished-for-child; rebellion; bitter.Latin:
Commonly-used Wished-for child; rebellion; bitter. Fact: Popular with both Spanish and non-Spanish cultures.Norse:
Name not originally Norse but it appears in several sagas and is the name of King Harald Sigurdsson's daughter.- Famous real-life people named Maria
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (1899 - 1918), daughter of Nicholas II
Maria Feodorovna (1847 - 1928), wife of Alexander III
Maria Alexandrovna (1824 - 1880), first wife to Alexander II
Maria Reynolds, mistress to Alexander Hamilton
The Virgin Mary - in Spanish La Virgen María
Maria Callas, legendary Greek Soprano
Maria Malibran, Legendary Spanish-French Opera Singer and First Female Classic Composer
Maria Von Trapp, real-life inspiration for "The Sound of Music"
St. Maria Goretti (1890–1902) Patron of teenage girls and crime victims
Maria Shriver, journalist, Kennedy cousin and wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maria Kanellis, wrestler
Maria V. Snyder, author
Maria Sharapova, tennis player
Maria Brink, vocalist for the band In This Moment
Maria Nikolaevna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia (1899-1918) Maria Isabel, singer, winner of Junior Eurovision 2004
Maria Selman, Mario Selman (social media star) sister
Maria Adela Huggins (b. 2009), daughter of American actress Penelope Ann Miller- Maria in song, story & screen
"Ave Maria", hymn
The name Maria was mentioned in the song "Round Here" by the Counting Crows
"Maria (I just met a girl named Maria)" song from the musical West Side Story
"Maria Blanca", children's song
"Maria, Maria" song by Santana
"My Maria" song by Brooks and Dunn
"Take a Letter Maria," song by R.B. Greaves
"O Maria", song by Beck
"(How Do You Solve A Problem Like) Maria", song from The Sound of Music
"Dear Maria, Count Me In", song by the band All Time Low
María, a novel by Jorge Isaacs
"Maria" song by Debbie Harry/Blondie.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, a British and Canadian talent show
Maria Gianni, character from the American telenovela Fashion House, played by Bo Derek
Maria Traydor, character in tri-Ace's role playing video game Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Maria, character from the video game Silent Hill 2 and its mini-prequel "Born from a Wish."
Maria Robotnik, character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games
Maria Rodriguez, long-running character on Sesame Street played by Sonia Manzano
Maria, lead character in The Sound of Music
Maria, lead character in West Side Story
Maria DeLuca, character from Roswell (TV series)
Maria Petrova, character from the video game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Maria Ushiromiya, a character in the visual novel, manga and anime series Umineko no Naku Koro ni
"Maria", song by Green Day
"Maria" song from Broadway musical "West Side Story".
"Beautiful Maria of My Soul" song from "The Mambo Kings" movie soundtrack.
Maria Josefina Montoya, American Girl
Maria Callasantos, Feral from Marvel’s X-Force comics