Mariela is a Spanish pet form of Maria, the name of the mother of Jesus, whose Hebrew source Miriam is of uncertain meaning and most often explained as "beloved" or "wished-for child". The -ela ending gives it the softness of Gabriela and Daniela, and it is well established across Latin America. In the United States Mariela peaked at number 585 in 2004, left the top 1000 in the 2010s and ranks number 1,232 in 2025.