Miriah
A feminine English name derived from the names Mirabelle and Miriam.
Name Census estimates that about 1,769 living Americans carry the first name Miriah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Miriah today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Miriah births was 1991 (201 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Miriah. 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 193,756 Americans
Peak year
1991
201 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,954
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Miriah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Miriah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 986 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
Miriah 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 Miriah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Miriahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Miriah, while Wisconsin, Tennessee, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Miriah
The name Miriah is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, derived from the root word "miryam," which means "beloved" or "wished-for child." This name has been prevalent in Jewish culture for centuries and can be traced back to biblical times.
One of the earliest mentions of the name Miriah can be found in the Old Testament, where it is a variant spelling of the name Miriam, the name of the sister of Moses and Aaron. In the Book of Exodus, Miriam is described as a prophetess and a leader among the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Miriah or its variants. One such figure was Miriam of Nazareth, a Jewish Christian woman who lived in the 1st century AD and is believed to have been a follower of Jesus Christ.
In the Middle Ages, a notable figure named Miriah ben Judah was a renowned Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in Spain during the 12th century. He was known for his contributions to the study of Jewish law and ethics.
During the Renaissance period, there was a Italian artist named Miriah Sirigatti (c. 1520-1589) who was renowned for her intricate tapestries and embroidery work. She was commissioned by several prominent Italian families to create elaborate works of art.
In more recent times, Miriah Carey (1970-) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who has achieved worldwide fame and success in the music industry. She is known for her powerful vocal range and has won numerous awards throughout her career.
Another notable figure with the name Miriah is Miriah Menzel (1985-), an American actress and singer best known for providing the voice of Queen Elsa in the popular Disney animated film "Frozen" and its sequel.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals who have carried the name Miriah throughout the centuries, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
People
Miriah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Miriah 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
Miriah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Miriah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,769 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Miriah 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 193,756 US residents.
Is Miriah a common name?
We classify Miriah as "Rare". It ranks above 93.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,836 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Miriah most popular?
The single biggest year for Miriah was 1991, when 201 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Miriah is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Miriah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Miriah 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.