Mary
From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from post-Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic מַרְיָם…
Every Mary since 1880 — 4,156,654 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Mary
Mary is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #125 in 2025 with 2,230 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 4,156,654 American babies have been named Mary. Its peak came in 1921, when 74,171 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Mary stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Mary year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,230 | #125 | — | — |
| 2024 | 2,219 | #131 | — | — |
| 2023 | 2,085 | #133 | — | — |
| 2022 | 2,119 | #134 | — | — |
| 2021 | 2,102 | #132 | — | — |
| 2020 | 2,230 | #123 | 5 | #13,364 |
| 2019 | 2,241 | #126 | — | — |
| 2018 | 2,369 | #126 | — | — |
| 2017 | 2,425 | #126 | — | — |
| 2016 | 2,526 | #126 | — | — |
| 2015 | 2,642 | #123 | — | — |
| 2014 | 2,637 | #120 | 5 | #13,342 |
| 2013 | 2,669 | #118 | — | — |
| 2012 | 2,587 | #121 | 6 | #11,751 |
| 2011 | 2,715 | #112 | — | — |
| 2010 | 2,882 | #108 | 5 | #13,555 |
| 2009 | 3,177 | #102 | — | — |
| 2008 | 3,514 | #96 | — | — |
| 2007 | 3,697 | #93 | 10 | #7,974 |
| 2006 | 4,116 | #80 | 10 | #7,806 |
| 2005 | 4,481 | #72 | 10 | #7,476 |
| 2004 | 4,838 | #62 | 31 | #3,193 |
| 2003 | 5,043 | #59 | 9 | #7,622 |
| 2002 | 5,487 | #49 | 12 | #5,950 |
| 2001 | 5,762 | #48 | 14 | #5,313 |
| 2000 | 6,222 | #46 | 10 | #6,656 |
| 1995 | 7,458 | #40 | 13 | #4,703 |
| 1990 | 8,670 | #35 | 45 | #1,771 |
| 1985 | 9,240 | #35 | 67 | #1,144 |
| 1980 | 11,474 | #25 | 52 | #1,304 |
| 1975 | 10,973 | #19 | 66 | #1,015 |
| 1970 | 19,204 | #9 | 99 | #816 |
| 1965 | 34,270 | #2 | 136 | #642 |
| 1960 | 51,472 | #1 | 169 | #605 |
| 1955 | 63,174 | #1 | 148 | #611 |
| 1950 | 65,481 | #2 | 119 | #634 |
| 1945 | 59,278 | #1 | 198 | #426 |
| 1940 | 56,216 | #1 | 303 | #328 |
| 1935 | 55,076 | #1 | 277 | #328 |
| 1930 | 64,153 | #1 | 340 | #308 |
| 1925 | 70,586 | #1 | 260 | #368 |
| 1920 | 70,983 | #1 | 195 | #430 |
| 1915 | 58,187 | #1 | 159 | #430 |
| 1910 | 22,848 | #1 | 99 | #238 |
| 1905 | 16,067 | #1 | 68 | #239 |
| 1900 | 16,705 | #1 | 75 | #232 |
| 1895 | 13,447 | #1 | 47 | #261 |
| 1890 | 12,078 | #1 | 35 | #293 |
| 1885 | 9,128 | #1 | 38 | #271 |
| 1880 | 7,065 | #1 | 27 | #332 |
Famous people named Mary
- Mary, mother of Jesus Religious figure · -100–100
- Mary, Queen of Scots Politician · 1542–1587
- Mary I of England Politician · 1516–1558
- Mary Magdalene Religious figure · -10–100
- Mary II of England Politician · 1662–1694
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mary mean?
From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from post-Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic מַרְיָם (Maryām), from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryām), of uncertain…
How popular is the name Mary in 2025?
Mary ranked #125 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,230 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Mary?
4,156,654 babies have been named Mary in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Mary most popular?
Mary peaked in 1921, when 74,171 newborns received the name.
Is Mary a boy or girl name?
Mary is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Mary rising or falling?
Mary has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Mary?
Well-known people named Mary include Mary, mother of Jesus (religious figure), Mary, Queen of Scots (politician), Mary I of England (politician).