Marie is the French form of Mary, the Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is uncertain and most often explained as "beloved" or "sea of bitterness". Marie Curie and Marie Antoinette carried it into history, and for American families it has been the middle name of choice for generations, which keeps it feeling familiar. As a first name Marie ranked number 374 in 2000, its best year in this century, and stands at number 618 in 2025.