Mary is the English form of the Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is uncertain; it is usually explained as "beloved" from an Egyptian root or as "sea of bitterness". As the name of the mother of Jesus it was the most popular girls' name in the United States for most years from 1880 to 1961. Mary ranked number 46 in 2000 and has settled in the 120s for the past decade, standing at number 125 in 2025.