Marygrace
A feminine name of English origin combining Mary and grace, meaning "bitter sea, bitter grace".
Name Census estimates that about 1,795 living Americans carry the first name Marygrace. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marygrace today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marygrace births was 2004 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marygrace. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 190,949 Americans
Peak year
2004
74 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,520
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Marygrace: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marygrace from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 536 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
Marygrace 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 Marygrace during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marygraces live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, New York, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Marygrace, while Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marygrace
Marygrace is a feminine given name that combines the names Mary and Grace. The name Mary has its origins in the ancient Hebrew name Miryam, which likely meant "beloved" or "loved one." This name gained widespread popularity due to its association with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in Christian tradition.
The name Grace, on the other hand, derives from the Latin word "gratia," meaning "favor" or "thanks." It has been a popular name since the Middle Ages, symbolizing virtues such as elegance, beauty, and divine grace. The combination of Mary and Grace creates a name that embodies both the reverence for the Virgin Mary and the notion of divine favor or blessing.
While the exact origin of the name Marygrace is uncertain, it likely emerged as a compound name in English-speaking regions during the late 19th or early 20th century. This period saw a rise in the popularity of combining traditional names, particularly those with religious or virtuous connotations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Marygrace was Marygrace Tobia, an American writer and poet born in 1912. She published several collections of poetry and was active in the literary circles of New York City.
Another notable individual named Marygrace was Marygrace Byrne, an Irish actress and singer born in 1920. She had a successful career on stage and in films, and was particularly known for her roles in musicals and comedies.
In the realm of sports, Marygrace Colón, a Puerto Rican track and field athlete born in 1974, made her mark as a hurdler and sprinter. She competed in multiple Olympic Games and won several medals at international competitions.
Marygrace Antypas, an American artist and sculptor born in 1938, is renowned for her large-scale public art installations. Her works can be found in various cities across the United States and have been celebrated for their exploration of form, texture, and movement.
Marygrace Nnaji, a Nigerian actress and producer born in 1982, has made significant contributions to the Nigerian film industry, often referred to as Nollywood. She has starred in numerous popular movies and has been recognized with several awards for her performances.
While these are just a few examples, the name Marygrace has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history, each adding their unique story and legacy to the rich tapestry of this name's meaning and significance.
People
Marygrace + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marygrace 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
Marygrace: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marygrace?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,795 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marygrace 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 190,949 US residents.
Is Marygrace a common name?
We classify Marygrace as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,971 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marygrace most popular?
The single biggest year for Marygrace was 2004, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marygrace is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marygrace a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marygrace 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.