Find out how popular the first name Marian has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Marian by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Marian is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Marian being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 206 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Marian.

The history of the first name Marian

The name Marian has its origins in the Latin name Maria, which is derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. Miryam is believed to have meant "bitter" or "beloved" in ancient Hebrew. The name Maria gained popularity in the early Christian era due to its association with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

In the early centuries of Christianity, the name Marian emerged as a masculine form of Maria. It was used in various regions of Europe, particularly in areas influenced by Latin culture. The name Marian has been used in countries like Italy, Spain, France, and Poland, among others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marian can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Suetonius, who mentioned a character named Marian in his work "The Twelve Caesars," written around 121 AD. The name also appears in various medieval texts and historical records from different parts of Europe.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Marian. One of the most famous was Marian the Younger (c. 501–559), a Byzantine military leader and statesman who served as the regent of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Justinian I. Another prominent figure was Marian Gombrik (1909–1993), a Polish-born art historian and writer known for his influential work "The Story of Art."

In the field of literature, Marian Engel (1933–1985) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, best known for her novel "Bear," which won the Governor General's Award in 1976. Marian Fallah (1924–2007) was a prominent Lebanese writer and poet who was awarded the prestigious Khalil Mutran Prize for his contributions to Arabic literature.

In the realm of science, Marian Smoluchowski (1872–1917) was a Polish physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the kinetic theory of matter and the understanding of Brownian motion. Marian Rejewski (1905–1980) was a Polish mathematician and cryptologist who played a crucial role in breaking the German Enigma code during World War II.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Marian throughout history, spanning various fields and cultures.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Marian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Marian, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!