Mary is one of the oldest and most classic names, and it has roots in Hebrew; of course, Mary appears in the Bible both in Mary, mother of Christ, and Mary Magdalene. Name meanings include "bitter," "wished-for child," and "rebellion."
Other names meaning "bitter" include Annamaria, Damara, Herve, Jesimae, Maeron, Meryl, Maire, Manon, Mariah, Marie, Mayleah, Miri, Moira, Polly, Rosemary, and Sol. "Wished-for child" names include Evelyn, Avelyn, Ava, and Avery. But perhaps the most fun are other names meaning "rebellion," such as Alexandra, Diana, Cassandra, Hera, Leia, Carol, Meghan, and of course Rebel herself.
Famous (non-Biblical) Marys include...well, there's a ton of them. From Mary, Queen of Scots to writer Mary Shelley and Abraham Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln, the name Mary has held quite the historical significance. Modern-day Marys include Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, poet Mary Oliver, singer Mary J. Blige, and plenty of actors: Mary "Meryl" Streep, Mary "Lily" Tomlin, Mary Tyler Moore, Mary Steenburgen, and Mary Martin. Of course, there are plenty of fun fictional Marys as well, including P.L. Travers' notable nanny, Mary Poppins.
Mary has long been a popular name choice, and was the #1 name for girls in the U.S. almost nonstop from 1880 straight until 1960 (although it did drop down to the #2 slot for a couple years in the 1940s — looking at you, Linda). Then, Mary began slowly but consistently dropping on the charts, and reached its lowest-usage year ever in 2019 at #126. Still, that's pretty popular, considering.
Mary in quotes:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
― Mary Oliver
“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
― Mary Shelley, 'Frankenstein'
Meanings
English Baby Names Meaning:
In English Baby Names the meaning of the name Mary is: "Bitter." The biblical mother of Christ. Other names with similar meanings, including Dolores and Mercedes, have been created to express aspects of Mary's life and worship.
Hebrew Baby Names Meaning:
In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Mary is: Wished-for child; rebellion; bitter. Famous Bearers: the Virgin Mary; Mary Magdalene; Mary, Queen of Scots.