Marija
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from Latin or Greek.
Name Census estimates that about 496 living Americans carry the first name Marija. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marija today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marija births was 2008 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marija. 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.
People living today
496
~ 1 in 691,037 Americans
Peak year
2008
21 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,758
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Marija: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marija from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marija 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 Marija during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marijas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Marija
The name Marija is derived from the Hebrew name Miryam, which is believed to have originated from the ancient Egyptian words "mr" meaning "beloved" and "ym" meaning "sea". This name has been widely used across various cultures and religions for centuries.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Marija is the name given to the mother of Jesus Christ, and she is considered one of the most important figures in Christianity. This association has contributed significantly to the widespread use of the name among Christian communities around the world.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Marija can be found in ancient Greek texts from the 5th century BC, where it was written as "Maria". During the Roman Empire, the name was also popular and was often used by both Christians and non-Christians alike.
Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals who bore the name Marija. One of the earliest was Maria of Alania (c. 1150-1190), a Byzantine princess and regent who ruled over the Kingdom of Georgia during the 12th century.
Another famous Marija was Maria Theresa (1717-1780), the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last Holy Roman Empress. She is credited with implementing significant reforms and modernizing the Austrian Empire.
In the realm of science, Maria Skłodowska-Curie (1867-1934), a Polish physicist and chemist, made groundbreaking contributions to the study of radioactivity and was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
The name Marija has also been associated with artistic excellence, as exemplified by Maria Callas (1923-1977), one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, known for her powerful and expressive performances.
Lastly, Maria Montessori (1870-1952), an Italian physician and educator, pioneered a revolutionary method of education for young children that emphasizes child-centered learning and independence, which has had a lasting impact on educational practices worldwide.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Marija
People
Marija + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marija 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
Marija: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marija?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 496 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marija 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 691,037 US residents.
Is Marija a common name?
We classify Marija as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 519 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marija most popular?
The single biggest year for Marija was 2008, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marija is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marija a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marija 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.