Girl's name
Miriam
Say it MIR-ee-um
Hebrew origin possibly bitter
3 syllables
Where Miriam is loved, common and rare
Loved in Israel. Common across Austria and Italy. Rare in five German cities, Norway, Poland and ten more places.
1 in 1,286 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Israel 3rdAustria 29thItaly 59th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 20 of the 40 official lists, among them Israel (3rd), Austria (29th) and Italy (59th).
Show all 20 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel מרים | 3rd 2024 | 1,296 | about 1 in 61 |
| Austria | 29th 2025 | 216 | 1 in 165 |
| Italy | 59th 2024 | 638 | 1 in 281 |
| Berlin city | 119th 2023 | 27 | about 1 in 537 |
| Norway | 171st 2025 | 28 | 1 in 778 |
| Poland | 197th 2025 | 39 | 1 in 3,071 |
| Munich city | 201st 2025 | 6 | about 1 in 699 |
| Cologne city | 217th 2023 | 5 | about 1 in 1,229 |
| Catalonia region as Míriam | 235th 2025 | 16 | 1 in 1,204 |
| England and Wales | 237th 2025 | 197 | 1 in 1,286 |
| Ireland | 273rd 2025 | 15 | 1 in 1,408 |
| Sweden | 315th 2025 | 23 | about 1 in 1,746 |
| Quebec province | 327th 2025 | 16 | about 1 in 1,625 |
| Ontario province | 372nd 2024 | 34 | about 1 in 1,602 |
| Northern Ireland | 397th 2025 | 3 | 1 in 2,429 |
| Switzerland | 409th 2025 | 17 | 1 in 2,000 |
| Scotland | 474th 2025 | 6 | 1 in 2,982 |
| France | 816th 2025 | 45 | 1 in 6,373 |
| Leipzig city | 107th 2025 | 5 | about 1 in 525 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Rostock, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
In the Bible, Miriam is the sister of Moses, and her name is the Old Testament form of Mary. It comes from Hebrew Miryam, possibly from an Aramaic word for 'bitter'. The meaning has been debated for centuries, and other explanations link it to a root meaning 'rebellion'.
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It has three syllables, MIR-ee-um. Míriam is an accented spelling, Mary, Maria, Maryam and Mariam are forms of the same name, and Mim is a short form.
Miriam is a top-three name in Israel and ranks well in Austria and Italy. In the Ontario and British Columbia records it peaked in 1936, and its trend today is slightly downward.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- MIR-ee-um, 3 syllables
- Meaning
possibly bitter
- Origin
- Hebrew
Counted together here: Míriam.
Etymology
From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are mutiny / rebellion / disobedience from a root מרי (m-r-y).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 20 regions, falling in 5.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 320 | 287 | 306 | 293 | 267 | 275 | 230 | 241 | 259 | 237 |
| Scotland | 311 | 369 | 502 | 322 | 396 | 625 | 476 | 474 | ||
| Northern Ireland | 361 | 336 | 354 | 391 | 227 | 397 | ||||
| Ireland | 359 | 579 | 512 | 325 | 275 | 430 | 317 | 364 | 372 | 273 |
| Ontario | 472 | 349 | 368 | 371 | 297 | 435 | 359 | 401 | 372 | |
| British Columbia | 376 | 284 | 675 | 409 | 390 | 398 | 646 | |||
| Quebec | 402 | 319 | 388 | 410 | 271 | 433 | 328 | 427 | 273 | 327 |
| France | 1318 | 1161 | 1024 | 1005 | 1099 | 911 | 898 | 932 | 913 | 816 |
| The Netherlands | 798 | |||||||||
| Austria | 38 | 37 | 38 | 36 | 37 | 32 | 37 | 36 | 30 | 29 |
| Switzerland | 213 | 389 | 297 | 362 | 196 | 341 | 327 | 227 | 560 | 409 |
| Berlin | 125 | 133 | 97 | 135 | 113 | 163 | 301 | 119 | ||
| Munich | 81 | 120 | 107 | 64 | 80 | 100 | 77 | 113 | 127 | 201 |
| Cologne | 155 | 190 | 233 | 273 | 181 | 322 | 318 | 217 | ||
| Bonn | 107 | 83 | 85 | 221 | 132 | 264 | 181 | 136 | 223 | 173 |
| Leipzig | 44 | 95 | 57 | 92 | 99 | 83 | 98 | 130 | 105 | 107 |
| Rostock | 283 | 66 | 64 | 97 | 202 | 60 | 105 | 68 | ||
| Norway | 156 | 142 | 181 | 157 | 160 | 163 | 209 | 165 | 207 | 171 |
| Sweden | 182 | 200 | 203 | 194 | 232 | 203 | 319 | 201 | 222 | 315 |
| Spain | 92 | |||||||||
| Catalonia | 127 | 150 | 167 | 177 | 231 | 248 | 244 | 202 | 237 | 235 |
| Italy | 38 | 40 | 41 | 47 | 45 | 47 | 58 | 54 | 59 | |
| Poland | 222 | 178 | 199 | 175 | 161 | 172 | 205 | 206 | 211 | 197 |
| Israel | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 237 | 197 | 77.8 |
| 2024 | 259 | 186 | 72.1 |
| 2023 | 241 | 188 | 73.3 |
| 2022 | 230 | 204 | 77.4 |
| 2021 | 275 | 172 | 62.8 |
| 2020 | 267 | 178 | 66.3 |
| 2019 | 293 | 166 | 59.3 |
| 2018 | 306 | 155 | 53.8 |
| 2017 | 287 | 171 | 57.2 |
| 2016 | 320 | 156 | 50.8 |
| 2015 | 309 | 156 | 50.7 |
| 2014 | 333 | 137 | 44.7 |
| 2013 | 355 | 128 | 41.5 |
| 2012 | 357 | 135 | 41.9 |
| 2011 | 398 | 115 | 35.8 |
| 2010 | 330 | 142 | 44.2 |
| 2009 | 355 | 122 | 38.9 |
| 2008 | 336 | 133 | 42.1 |
| 2007 | 329 | 133 | 43.4 |
| 2006 | 340 | 127 | 42.4 |
| 2005 | 325 | 125 | 43.4 |
| 2004 | 330 | 118 | 41.3 |
| 2003 | 332 | 114 | 40.9 |
| 2002 | 357 | 98 | 36.7 |
| 2001 | 340 | 103 | 38.4 |
| 2000 | 293 | 127 | 46.5 |
| 1999 | 325 | 102 | 36.2 |
| 1998 | 292 | 126 | 43.6 |
| 1997 | 294 | 124 | 42.3 |
| 1996 | 244 | 161 | 54.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Miriam in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1980. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1936, at 97.6 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Miriam per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 1936 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Miriam
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 5,282 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 1,921 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 571 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 660 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 271 in Ireland
1 in 640 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 187 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Miriam.
Middle names for Miriam
1 in 71 in Scotland
Miriam Olivia
3-4 beats · initials MO
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Miriam Charlotte
3-2 beats · initials MC
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Miriam Sophie
3-2 beats · initials MS
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Miriam Grace
3-1 beats · initials MG
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Miriam Anna
3-2 beats · initials MA
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 154 in Ireland
Miriam Emma
3-2 beats · initials ME
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Miriam Alice
3-2 beats · initials MA
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Miriam Amelia
3-4 beats · initials MA
Changes the beat after Miriam: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
Same style as Miriam
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 577 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
94% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 761 in England and Wales
93% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 491 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 640 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 311 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
1 in 571 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Miriam across countries and decades.
Famous people named Miriam
Miriam Makeba, Miriam Hopkins, Miriam Margolyes, Miriam Rodríguez Martínez, Miriam Oremans, Miriam Stevenson, Miriam A. Ferguson and Miriam Defensor Santiago.
Show all 8Show less
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South African singer and civil rights activist (1932–2008)
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American actress (1902-1972)
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British-Australian actress born 1941
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Mexican human rights activist 1960 to 2017
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Dutch tennis player born 1972
-
American actress and model born 1933
-
American politician (1875-1961)
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Filipina politician, lawyer, and author (1945–2016)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Miriam
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Miriam?
Her best rank is No. 3 in Israel in 2024, about 1 in 61 girls. She is in the published lists of 20 of our 40 regions.
What does Miriam mean?
Wiktionary glosses Miriam as "possibly bitter".
How do you pronounce Miriam?
MIR-ee-um, with 3 syllables.
Is Miriam getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 20 regions, falling in 5.
Which sister names go with Miriam?
The deck's top five sisters for Miriam: Rebecca, Daniela, Joanna, Leah and Isabel. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.