Rosemary is the name of the fragrant herb, from the Latin ros marinus, "dew of the sea", though English speakers have long heard it as a blend of Rose and Mary and it is often used as a compound of those two names. Shakespeare's Ophelia says rosemary is for remembrance, and the herb has stood for fidelity and memory ever since. In the United States Rosemary was number 631 in 2000 and has climbed with the revival of vintage names to number 251 among girls' names in 2025, its best rank in this century.