Mara is a Hebrew name that means "bitter"; in the Book of Ruth the grieving Naomi asks to be called Mara instead. In Slavic and Hungarian families it is also a short form of Maria, and in Latin America it is used on its own. Mara has been in the US top 1000 every year since 2000, when it ranked number 606, peaked at number 540 in 2021 and stands at number 589 in 2025.