Mariah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved lady".
Name Census estimates that about 110,502 living Americans carry the first name Mariah. It sits at #413 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mariah today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mariah births was 1996 (5,454 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mariah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Mariah is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 183 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
111K
~ 1 in 3,102 Americans
Peak year
1996
5,454 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2014 SSA rank
#413
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Mariah
Out of the 114,563 babies given the name Mariah since 1880, 99.8% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Mariah as a male name
- Ranked #9,322 in 2014
- 8 male births in 2014
- Peak: 1992 (15 births)
Mariah as a female name
- Ranked #413 in 2024
- 756 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (5,446 births)
Popularity
Mariah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mariah from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 44,684 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mariah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mariahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Mariah, while Vermont, Delaware, Wyoming recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 2,184 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mariah
The name Mariah has its roots in the ancient Hebrew language, originating from the word "mar'ah," which translates to "bitter" or "beloved." It is believed to have gained prominence during the biblical era, circa 1000 BC, in the Middle East region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mariah is found in the Old Testament of the Bible. The prophet Zechariah mentions a woman named Mariah in the Book of Zechariah, which dates back to around 520 BC. This biblical reference lends historical credence to the name's antiquity.
During the Middle Ages, the name Mariah gained traction across various European regions, particularly in England and France. It was often associated with religious devotion and purity, as many young girls were named Mariah in honor of the Virgin Mary.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Mariah was Mariah Falcon (1492-1558), a renowned Italian painter and engraver from the Renaissance era. Her works, which included religious art and portraiture, are celebrated for their intricate details and representation of the human form.
Fast forward to the 18th century, and we encounter Mariah Edgeworth (1767-1849), an Anglo-Irish novelist and writer. She is best known for her novels Castle Rackrent and Belinda, which explored societal themes and provided insightful commentary on the era's cultural dynamics.
Moving into the 19th century, Mariah Carey (1870-1925) was an American suffragist and activist who fought tirelessly for women's rights, particularly the right to vote. Her influential work contributed significantly to the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women's suffrage in the United States.
Another historical figure bearing the name Mariah is Mariah Williamson (1832-1919), a British explorer and writer. She embarked on numerous expeditions to Africa and the Middle East, documenting her travels in captivating memoirs that offered unique insights into the cultures and landscapes she encountered.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Mariah throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mariah
People
Mariah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mariah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mariah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mariah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 110,502 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mariah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,102 US residents.
Is Mariah a common name?
We classify Mariah as "Common". It ranks above 99.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114,563 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mariah most popular?
The single biggest year for Mariah was 1996, when 5,454 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mariah is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mariah a female name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Mariah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.