Mariza
A feminine name derived from "Maria", of Latin origin meaning "bitter" or "beloved".
Name Census estimates that about 1,078 living Americans carry the first name Mariza. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mariza today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mariza births was 2005 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mariza. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Mariza with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 317,954 Americans
Peak year
2005
47 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,580
Tracked since 1961
Census
Mariza in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,066 people with the first name Mariza, which placed it at #7,402 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,402
National first-name rank
People counted
2.1K
2,066 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
73.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mariza
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mariza is Hispanic at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.8%) and White (11.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Mariza described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Mariza at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino73.5% · 1,519
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.8% · 243
- White11.2% · 232
- Black or African American2.4% · 49
- Two or more races0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Popularity
Mariza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mariza from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 285 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
Mariza 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 Mariza during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marizas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Mariza, while Illinois, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 132 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mariza
The name Mariza originates from the Portuguese language and has its roots in the medieval era. It is a feminine variant of the name Maria, which itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam or Mariam. The name Mariza likely emerged as a diminutive or pet form of Maria, with the addition of the suffix "-iza" or "-za" denoting affection or endearment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mariza can be found in Portuguese literature from the 16th century. It was used as a character name in plays and poems written during the golden age of Portuguese literature, reflecting its cultural significance and popularity among the Portuguese people at that time.
While the name Mariza does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to the name Maria ties it to the biblical figure of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. This association has likely contributed to its enduring popularity and use among Christian communities, particularly in Portugal and other Catholic-majority regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mariza. One of the earliest recorded was Mariza de Sousa (1354-1409), a Portuguese noblewoman and the illegitimate daughter of King Pedro I of Portugal. Another notable figure was Mariza Pires (1580-1638), a Portuguese poet and writer who gained recognition for her literary works during the Renaissance period.
In the 20th century, Mariza became a renowned name in the world of music, with Mariza Nunes (born 1973), a celebrated Portuguese fado singer and performer, gaining international acclaim for her contributions to the traditional Portuguese music genre of fado.
Another prominent individual with the name Mariza was Mariza Ibérica Izquierdo (1942-2022), a Cuban-American artist and painter known for her vibrant and expressive abstract works. Her artistic career spanned several decades, and she was recognized for her unique style and contribution to the Miami art scene.
Mariza Quintana (1932-2022) was a Venezuelan actress and television personality who gained popularity in her home country and throughout Latin America for her roles in telenovelas and films. She had a successful career spanning over six decades and was widely regarded as a icon of Venezuelan television.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Mariza throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and cultural significance across different regions and time periods.
People
Mariza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mariza 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
Mariza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mariza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,078 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mariza 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 317,954 US residents.
Is Mariza a common name?
We classify Mariza as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,142 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mariza most popular?
The single biggest year for Mariza was 2005, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mariza is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Mariza in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,066 people with the name Mariza, or 0.68 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,402 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Mariza in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Mariza?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Mariza appears almost entirely female. Of the 2,071 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Mariza?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Mariza is Hispanic at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.8%) and White (11.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Mariza most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Mariza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (1,519 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mariza in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mariza a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mariza 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.
Is Mariza still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mariza in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mariza can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people have Mariza as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.