Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία, María or Μαριάμ, Mariam, found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name מרים, as attested by the Septuagint. The vowel "a" in a closed unaccented syllable later became "i", as seen in other names such as "Bil'am" (Balaam) and "Shimshon" (Samson).
Notable quotes
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
— Gospel of Luke, 1:38
“To this day we cannot enjoy the blessing brought to us in Christ without thinking at the same time of that which God gave as adornment and honour to Mary, in willing her to be the mother of his only-begotten Son.”
“But the other conception, namely the infusion of the soul, it is piously and suitably believed, was without any sin, so that while the soul was being infused, she would at the same time be cleansed from original sin and adorned with the gifts of God to receive the holy soul thus infused. And thus, in the very moment in which she began to live, she was without all sin.”
— Martin Luther, Weimar edition of Martin Luther's Works, English translation edited by J. Pelikan [Concordia: St. Louis], Volume 4, 694.
“Virgin Mother who brought forth the King of the whole world.”
— St. Gregory Nazianzen, Poemata dogmatica, XVIII, v. 58; PG XXXVII, 485.
“This New World has been won and conquered by the hand of the Virgin Mary ... [who had] prepared, disposed, and contrived her exquisite likeness in this her Mexican land, which was conquered for such a glorious purpose, won that there should appear so Mexican an image.”
— Miguel Sanchez as quoted by D.A. Brading in Mexican Phoenix Our Lady of Guadalupe:Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries (2001) p 58
“Why, asked Luther, was Mary venerated when her role was at best an example of obedience and essentially that of providing Jesus with a womb for nine months? Or, as it was put more disparagingly by Latimer and others, when she was but a pudding sack or a "bag of saffron...when the spice was out," a slur that was sufficiently au courant in 1536 to be specifically named and banned as heretical.”
— pp.32-33
Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.
Landgrab: Mary Cholmondeley, Lady Delamere Edition
Paint the map. Hold the line. Take the world. Now starring the Mary Cholmondeley, Lady Delamere parody.
Article
Mary (, MAIR-ee) is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία, María or Μαριάμ, Mariam, found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name מרים (Masoretic pronunciation Miryam), as attested by the Septuagint. The vowel "a" in a closed unaccented syllable later became "i", as seen in other names such as "Bil'am" (Balaam) and "Shimshon" (Samson).
Contents
Etymology
The English name Mary arises by adoption of French Marie into Middle English. Wycliffe's Bible still has Marie, with the modern spelling current from the 16th century, found in the Tyndale Bible (1525), Coverdale Bible (1535) and later translations.
The name Mary may have originated from the Egyptian language; it is likely derivative of the root mr, meaning "love; beloved" (compare mry.t-ymn, "Merit-Amun", i.e. "beloved of Amun").
The name Mary was early etymologized as containing the Hebrew root mr, meaning "bitter" (cf. myrrh), or mry, meaning "rebellious". St. Jerome (writing c. 390), following Eusebius of Caesarea, translates the name as "drop of the sea" (stilla maris in Latin), from the Hebrew מר, mar, 'drop' (cf. Isaiah 40:15) and ים, yam, 'sea'. This translation was subsequently rendered stella maris ("star of the sea") due to scribal error, whence Our Lady's title Star of the Sea.
Usage
Mary is among the top 100 names for baby girls born in Ireland, common among Christians and popular among Protestants specifically, owing to Queen Mary II. Mary did not come into common usage in Ireland until the 17th century, as the name was considered too holy to be used. Mary was the 179th most popular name for girls born in England and Wales in 2007.
In the United States, Mary was the most popular name given to baby girls from 1880 (when records were first available) until 1961. It was still the most common name for all women and girls in the United States in the 1990 census. Mary first fell below the top 100 most popular names given baby girls in 2009. In 2025, Mary was the 125th most popular name given to baby girls. However, according to the Social Security Administration, Mary is the seventh most common given name for living women in the United States, with 2.16 million individuals bearing this name as of 2023. The average age of women named "Mary" is 64 years.
The name Mary remains more popular in the Southern United States than elsewhere in the country. Mary was the 15th most popular name for girls born in Alabama in 2007, the 22nd most popular name for girls born in Mississippi in 2007, the 44th most popular name for girls in North Carolina, the 33rd most popular name for girls in South Carolina, and the 26th most popular name for girls in Tennessee.
Fictional characters
Mary Flynn, various characters
Mary Tate, various characters
Mary Worth, various characters
Princess Mary, in Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov's 1840 novel A Hero of Our Time
Mary, in the 1917 British silent drama film Mary Girl, played by Jessie Winter
Mary, in the 1923 American silent semi-autobiographical comedy film Mary of the Movies, played by Marion Mack
Mary, in the 1969 British animated children's television series Mary, Mungo and Midge, voiced by Isabel Ryan
Mary, in the 1974 American made-for-television drama film Can Ellen Be Saved
Mary (Ma Li), in the 1992 Hong Kong film Mary from Beijing, played by Gong Li
Mary, in the 2005 American musical children's television series Jack's Big Music Show, played by Alice Dinnean
Mary, in the 2006 British science fiction television program Torchwood, played by Daniela Denby-Ashe
Mary, in the 2017 Canadian drama film Mary Goes Round, played by Aya Cash
Mary Aiken, in the 1977 US comedy film Andy Warhol's Bad, played by Susan Tyrrell
Mary Albright, in the 1996 American sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by Jane Curtin
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Mary Alfyorov, in the 1926 Russian novel Mary
Mary Andrews, Archie Andrews's mother in Archie Comics and Riverdale
Mary Bailey, in the 1989 American animated sitcom The Simpsons, voiced by Maggie Roswell and Tress MacNeille
Mary Bailey, in the 2006 American post-apocalyptic action drama television series Jericho, played by Clare Carey
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski, in the 2007 American action comedy spy drama television series Chuck, played by Linda Hamilton
Mary Bell, in the 1992 Japanese magical girl anime series Flower Witch Mary Bell, voiced by Chieko Honda
Mary Bennet, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Mary Bishop, in the 1963 American television soap opera General Hospital, played by Catherine Wadkins
Mary Bradburn, in the 1996 British crime drama television series Silent Witness, played by Diana Hardcastle
Mary Burns, in the 1935 American drama film Mary Burns, Fugitive, played by Sylvia Sidney
Mary Camden, in the 1996 American family drama television series 7th Heaven, played by Jessica Biel
Mary Cherry, in the 1999 American teen comedy-drama television series Popular, played by Leslie Grossman
Mary Connor, in the 1931 British thriller film 77 Park Lane, played by Betty Stockfeld
Mary Cooper, Sheldon Cooper's mother in Young Sheldon
Mary Corleone, in the 1990 American epic crime film The Godfather Part III, played by Sofia Coppola
Mary Crane, in the 1921 short story The Voyage
Mary Crane, in the 1959 American horror novel Psycho
Mary Crawford, in the 1814 novel Mansfield Park
Mary Darling, in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan
Mary DeAngelis, in the 1999 American crime drama television series The Sopranos, played by Suzanne Shepherd
Mary Daisy Dinkle, in the 2009 Australian adult stop-motion animated comedy-drama film Mary and Max, played by Toni Collette (as an adult) and Bethany Whitmore (in her youth)
Mary Drake (Pretty Little Liars), in the 2010 American mystery teen drama television series Pretty Little Liars, played by Andrea Parker
Mary Driscoll, in the 1922 Irish novel Ulysses
Mary Flaherty, in the 2003 American sex comedy film American Wedding, played by Deborah Rush
Mary Flaherty, in the 1985 British television soap opera EastEnders, played by Melanie Clark Pullen
Mary Goodnight, in the 1974 American spy film The Man with the Golden Gun, played by Britt Ekland
Mary Goskirk, in the 1972 British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Louise Jameson
Mary Gray, in the 1926 American silent comedy film The American Venus, played by Esther Ralston
Mary Grayson, in DC Comics
Mary Grey, in the 1939 American comedy film 5th Ave Girl, played by Ginger Rogers
Mary Hamilton, in the 2019 American superhero television series Batwoman, played by Nicole Kang
Mary Harkinson, in the 1985 British television soap opera EastEnders, played by Mary Woodvine
Mary Hartman, in the 1976 American satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, played by Louise Lasser
Mary Hatch Bailey, in the 1946 American Christmas supernatural drama film It's a Wonderful Life, played by Donna Reed (as an adult) and Jeanne Gale (as a child)
Mary Hilton, in the 1956 British crime drama film Yield to the Night, played by Diana Dors
Mary Howard, in the 1941 American romantic comedy film When Ladies Meet, played by Joan Crawford
Mary Hurley Jenkins, in the 1985 American sitcom 227, played by Marla Gibbs
Mary Jackson, in the 1960 British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Barbara Ashcroft
Mary Jackson, in Stephen King's novels The Regulators (1996) and Desperation (1996)
Mary Jamison, in the 2014 American supernatural drama television series The Leftovers, played by Janel Moloney
Mary Lamb, in the 2023 American Christmas comedy-drama film The Holdovers, played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Mary Lennox, in the 1911 children's novel The Secret Garden
Dr. Mary Lightly, in the 2006 American comedy-drama television series Psych, played by Jimmi Simpson
Mary Loomis, in the 1983 American psychological slasher film Psycho II, played by Meg Tilly
Mary MacPherran, in Marvel Comics
Dr. Mary Malone, in Sir Philip Pullman's fantasy novel trilogies His Dark Materials (1995) and The Book of Dust (2017)
Mary Maloney, in the 1954 short story Lamb to the Slaughter
Mary Marvel, in DC Comics
Mary Mathew, in the 1990 Indian Hindi-language action crime film Agneepath, played by Maadhavi
Mary May, in the 1994 American comedy-drama film Andre, played by Andrea Libman
Mary McGee, in the 1948 American drama film Speed to Spare, played by Jean Rogers
Mary Melody, in the 1990 American animated television series Tiny Toon Adventures, voiced by Cindy McGee (in 1990) and Cree Summer (from 1990 to 1994)
Mary Moreland, in the 1917 American silent drama film Mary Moreland, played by Marjorie Rambeau
Mary Morstan, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adaptations of Sherlock Holmes
Mary Mouse, envisioned by British children's author Enid Blyton
Mary Noble, in the 1935 American soap opera radio program Backstage Wife, played by Vivian Fridell (from 1935 to the early 1940s) and Claire Niesen (from 1945 to 1959)
Mary O'Connor, in the 1920 American drama film The Prince of Avenue A, played by Cora Drew
Mary O'Connor, in the 1996 British soap opera London Bridge, played by Simone Lahbib
Mary Anastasia O'Connor, Maisie Ravier's alter ego in the Maisie film series
Mary Parker, the mother of Spider-Man
Mary Plain, an anthropomorphic bear in Welsh author Gwynedd Rae's children's novels
Mary Poppins, in P. L. Travers's eponymous book series
Mary Reid, in the 1982 British television soap opera Brookside, played by Carolyn Jordan
Mary Richards, in the 1970 American television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, played by Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Rose, in J.M. Barrie's play Mary Rose (1920)
Mary Russell, in the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes mystery series
Mary Ryan, in the 1949 American crime drama film Mary Ryan, Detective, played by Marsha Hunt
Mary Sanderson, in the 1993 American fantasy comedy film Hocus Pocus, played by Kathy Najimy
Mary Saotome, in the 2014 Japanese manga series Kakegurui, voiced by Minami Tanaka
Mary Sawyer, in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mary Shannon, in the 2008 American drama TV series In Plain Sight, played by Mary McCormack
Mary Shaw, in the 2022 Canadian animated web series Mary and Flo On the Go!, voiced by Rebecca Liddiard
Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, in the Japanese horror anthology media franchise Silent Hill, voiced by Monica Taylor Horgan
Mary Shieler, in the 2009 American documentary film Talhotblond
Mary Simpson, in the 1964 Italian comedy film Two Mafiamen in the Far West, played by Ana Casares
Mary Simpson, in Eric Flint's 1632 book series (2000)
Mary Smith, in the 1921 British silent drama film Mary-Find-the-Gold, played by Betty Balfour
Mary Smith, in the 2017 Japanese animated fantasy film Mary and the Witch's Flower, voiced by Hana Sugisaki
Mary Smythe, in the 1970 American television soap opera All My Children, played by Anna Stuart
Mary Spuckler, in the 1989 American animated sitcom The Simpsons, voiced by Zooey Deschanel
Mary Stillworth, in the American writer George Henry Miles's 1854 drama Mary's Birthday; or the Cynic
Mary Stubbs, in the 1960 British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Joy Stewart
Lady Mary Talbot, in the 2010 British historical drama television series Downton Abbey, played by Michelle Dockery
Mary Taylor, in the 1960 British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Patti Clare
Mary Taylor, in the 1982 American science fiction film E.T., played by Dee Wallace
Mary Thomas, in the 1993 American television sitcom Frasier, played by Kim Coles
Mary Walker, the alter ego of Typhoid Mary (character)
Mary Walker, in the 2017 American television series Iron Fist, played by Alice Eve
Mary Whitehead, in the 1969 American comedy film Angel in My Pocket, played by Lee Meriwether
Mary Williams, in the 1973 American television soap opera The Young and the Restless, played by Carolyn Conwell
Mary Williams, in the 1977 French film Another Man, Another Chance, played by Jennifer Warren
Mary Winchester, in the 2005 American television drama series Supernatural, played by Samantha Smith
Mary Wright, in the 2008 American fantasy horror drama television series True Blood, played by Valarie Pettiford
