Myriah
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "wished for child".
Name Census estimates that about 1,913 living Americans carry the first name Myriah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Myriah today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Myriah births was 1991 (132 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Myriah. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 179,171 Americans
Peak year
1991
132 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,683
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Myriah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Myriah 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 792 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
Myriah 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 Myriah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Myriahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Myriah, while Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Myriah
The name Myriah is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Miriam. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times in the Middle East. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "mar" which means bitter or rebellious.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miriam is in the Old Testament of the Bible. Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron, and is revered as a prophetess in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She played a pivotal role in the Exodus story, leading the Israelites in song and dance after their crossing of the Red Sea.
In the Middle Ages, the name Miriam gained popularity among Jewish communities across Europe. One notable figure from this period was Miriam of Navarre, a 12th century Jewish scholar and poet from Spain who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.
During the Renaissance, the name Miriam was adopted by some Christian families, particularly in Italy and France. Miriam de' Medici, born in 1573, was a member of the powerful Medici family and a patron of the arts in Florence.
In the 19th century, the name Miriam became more widely used in English-speaking countries. Miriam Coles Harris, born in 1834, was an American author and activist who worked for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
The variant spelling Myriah emerged in more recent times, likely as a creative variation on the traditional name Miriam. One notable figure with this spelling was Myriah Towner, an American singer and songwriter born in 1977 who performed under the stage name Myriah.
While the name Myriah is not as common as its parent name Miriam, it carries a rich historical legacy spanning various cultures and religious traditions. From its ancient Hebrew roots to its modern interpretations, the name has endured for centuries and continues to be cherished by those who bear it.
People
Myriah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Myriah 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
Myriah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Myriah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,913 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Myriah 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 179,171 US residents.
Is Myriah a common name?
We classify Myriah as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,980 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Myriah most popular?
The single biggest year for Myriah was 1991, when 132 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Myriah is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Myriah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Myriah 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.