Miriam Name Meaning

The name Miriam is thought to mean “bitter” or “rebellious,” which some may find fitting for a woman who is known for standing up against oppression. However, it can also be translated to mean “wished for child” or “beloved” which is quite the opposite.

Origins of the Name Miriam

The name Miriam has its roots in Hebrew, where it is spelled מִרְיָם (Miryam). In the Bible, Miriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron, and is known for her role in the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. She is also a prophetess, and her song of triumph is recorded in Exodus 15.

Popularity of the Name Miriam

Miriam has been a popular name throughout history, but its popularity has fluctuated over time. In the early 1900s, it was a top 100 name in the United States, but by the 1970s, it had fallen out of favor. Recently, however, it has seen a resurgence in popularity, with many parents choosing to name their daughters Miriam as a nod to their Jewish heritage.

Final Thoughts on the Name Miriam

Overall, the name Miriam is rich in history and meaning. It’s a name that has stood the test of time and has a powerful symbolism behind it. Whether you’re looking for a name with religious significance or simply love the sound of it, Miriam is definitely a name worth considering. So, if you’re looking for a name that’s both classic and unique, look no further than Miriam!

Infographic of Miriam name meaning, which is A form of Mary, Miriam is a Hebrew name meaning of the sea or bitterness.
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Miriam Name Popularity

How popular is the name Miriam? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 190 311 0.0883%
1911 164 434 0.1165%
1912 158 651 0.1291%
1913 147 780 0.1376%
1914 151 948 0.136%
1915 140 1,338 0.1473%
1916 140 1,447 0.1498%
1917 134 1,592 0.1591%
1918 137 1,692 0.1577%
1919 145 1,511 0.1443%
1920 140 1,725 0.1551%
1921 148 1,715 0.1498%
1922 151 1,619 0.1453%
1923 145 1,711 0.1528%
1924 143 1,818 0.1566%
1925 154 1,574 0.1393%
1926 155 1,485 0.135%
1927 163 1,347 0.1217%
1928 168 1,211 0.1132%
1929 186 1,032 0.0996%
1930 182 1,022 0.0978%
1931 210 819 0.083%
1932 201 865 0.0876%
1933 188 879 0.0943%
1934 218 799 0.0827%
1935 216 758 0.078%
1936 216 721 0.0748%
1937 220 725 0.0736%
1938 219 732 0.0715%
1939 230 690 0.0678%
1940 233 694 0.0653%
1941 240 688 0.0611%
1942 258 675 0.0535%
1943 268 665 0.0509%
1944 259 669 0.054%
1945 259 640 0.0525%
1946 276 666 0.0451%
1947 279 731 0.0438%
1948 291 660 0.0413%
1949 293 658 0.0409%
1950 263 809 0.0502%
1951 265 836 0.0493%
1952 266 869 0.0498%
1953 275 869 0.0491%
1954 256 1,001 0.0548%
1955 265 979 0.0532%
1956 265 1,004 0.0532%
1957 296 913 0.0474%
1958 284 953 0.0504%
1959 296 915 0.0482%
1960 281 1,019 0.0538%
1961 299 910 0.0482%
1962 291 965 0.0526%
1963 312 850 0.0474%
1964 319 824 0.0468%
1965 330 706 0.0432%
1966 346 638 0.0409%
1967 349 613 0.0404%
1968 346 608 0.0405%
1969 384 561 0.0364%
1970 367 625 0.0393%
1971 357 650 0.0433%
1972 373 532 0.0391%
1973 356 554 0.0427%
1974 365 543 0.0418%
1975 340 613 0.0477%
1976 346 576 0.0447%
1977 342 620 0.046%
1978 350 579 0.0431%
1979 317 713 0.0506%
1980 308 752 0.0514%
1981 303 761 0.0518%
1982 301 780 0.0522%
1983 313 703 0.0476%
1984 309 740 0.0497%
1985 324 702 0.0463%
1986 321 709 0.047%
1987 322 714 0.0468%
1988 339 693 0.0445%
1989 314 774 0.048%
1990 284 936 0.0565%
1991 275 971 0.0596%
1992 271 1,007 0.0631%
1993 274 982 0.063%
1994 278 978 0.0637%
1995 288 926 0.0614%
1996 290 973 0.065%
1997 307 912 0.0617%
1998 309 951 0.0635%
1999 294 1,018 0.068%
2000 279 1,133 0.0742%
2001 293 1,044 0.0693%
2002 284 1,069 0.0713%
2003 285 1,063 0.0699%
2004 275 1,166 0.0765%
2005 275 1,168 0.0764%
2006 287 1,124 0.0718%
2007 294 1,116 0.0707%
2008 301 1,064 0.0688%
2009 305 1,046 0.07%
2010 299 1,048 0.0727%
2011 326 917 0.0644%
2012 300 1,020 0.0716%
2013 285 1,067 0.0749%
2014 303 1,033 0.0709%
2015 286 1,069 0.0735%
2016 287 1,078 0.0748%
2017 279 1,107 0.0793%
2018 296 1,056 0.0769%
2019 282 1,114 0.0823%
2020 281 1,072 0.0842%
2021 342 832 0.0681%
2022 273 1,135 0.086%

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Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Miriam

If you like Miriam, you’ll love these other names like Miriam.


What names are variants of Miriam?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Miriam.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Mariam

Star of the sea

Latin

Maryam

Drop of sea; bitterness

Hebrew

Meriam

Hebrew

Meryam

Hebrew

Mimi

A diminutive form of Miriam and, through the French, of Wilhelmina.

French

Mirham

Hebrew

Mirjam

Hebrew

Mirjana

Hebrew

Mirriam

Hebrew

Miryam

Hebrew

Mitzi

German

Mitzie

Star of the sea

Hebrew

Miyana

Hebrew

Miyanna

Hebrew

Myriam

Hebrew


What names sound like Miriam?

If you like how Miriam sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Miriam.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Mairim

Star of the sea

Irish


What names are similar to Miriam?

Find a name that’s like Miriam, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Marianne

A combined form of Mary and Anne, Anne here representing, it is believed, the mother of the Virgin Mary.

French


Lists With Miriam

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Miriam.


Siblings of Miriam

Mamas with kids named Miriam also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Gershom

Exile

Hebrew

Joshua

God is salvation

Hebrew

15 Comments

  1. My Name Is Micheal miriam and Am A Secondary School Graduale My Name Was Also Mis spelt and Mis pronuced which Made Me Really Hate my Name Especially Because Of The Meaning i Planned On Changing My Name If I Leave My parents House But No i Wouldnt do It am Proud of Being A Miriam and I Will Forever Love The Name we Would Never Be Bitterness To Our Lives instead we Will Bring Happiness And Joy To Our Lives

  2. We have always wanted to have a girl named Miriam so out of my 6 girls, I had to do that. Since we are Swedish, we changed it up a bit, so it is now Mirijum. It fits well with her 5 other siblings named Kajsa, Vera, Leena, Solveig, and Greta

  3. Am Miriam and I love my Name, I always give thanks to my parents for giving me this name ,some people think the name means bitterness, and star ,I will never accept that bitterness in my life, I will be a great woman, and am lovely ? ? ? ? ?

  4. My name is Miriam and I am the first daughter after 5 sons. I grew up as ‘Mimi’ in the family, and ‘Miriam’ at school. While my name was hard for others to pronounce, as they would say, ‘Mariam’, I began to doubt the uniqueness of my name. As I got older, I realized that not only is my name unique (as I have only met 4 other Miriam’s my entire life), it truly defines us in nature. Miriams are strong-willed individuals. They are natural advocates for themselves and others, especially for those they love. I thank God and my dad for naming me Miriam, as it has helped me embrace my unique qualities and appreciate how much I do stand out. As a Spanish teacher of High School students in urban areas, I make it a point for my students to seek the history of their names, and how it defines them as an individual.

    • I know 20 Miriams

  5. My best friend’s name is Miriam. I met her in 5th grade at a youth group for church. She went to my same school in 6th grade where I became really good friends with her. We sing for our youth group together, go to youth group on wednesdays and Sundays and we literally do everything together that our leaders have to split us up. Although she can be a little crazy, I love her for who she is and I will never meet someone like her again. They say at church that your friends define who you are. Miriam has taught me faith and to be happy. Even during the hardest times (when my uncle died), she still made me laugh. I love her and I hope that I will never lose her and we will be friends till the end and reunite in heaven together. Although most friendships won’t last, I know that this one will.

  6. We chose it for the biblical meaning and for it being classic and recognizable.

  7. Growing up I wanted to be named Maria, but my mum thought the name was not too good for a child so she rejected and gave me so many other names which I rejected them too, she later gave me Miriam and I gladly accepted it because it sounds like Maria ?. After my high school I discovered the meaning of Miriam (bitterness) ? my life truly has been so full of bitter moments ? I have suffered ??? most times I feel maybe is because of my name because People always say the meaning of ones name defines her. Am scared ?? but everyday I pray to God to make my life better.
    I will really appreciate if someone can reach out to me and throw more light please ?

    • I don’t believe the meaning of ones name defines someone.
      I also believe the power of what you tell yourself matters. so if you believe bitterness defines you, you will most likely become bitter or be aware of every bitterness. If you think your definition is meaningless, then it won’t affect you. And if you tell yourself you are beautiful, smart, lovely, happy, kind – i believe you can become such. If you pray to God for wisdom, you will become wise.
      Also the name Miriam in Hebrew means ‘wished for one’ which i think is a good meaning making Miriam a beautiful name. Miriam is also the sister of the Prophet Moses in the Bible, she literally saves Moses life and helps bring him up. -Miriam is an important historical figure in my opinion.
      My sister is Miriam and she is lovely. She is not bitter at all x

  8. My name is spelled in Spanish-Miryam- 1st grade teacher thought it was misspelled & Put Miriam. So for 10 years it was mis pronounced, spelled wrong & I disliked my name! I went to get my Drivers permit and I saw my name & I liked it. It was an old unique name. My first job, my boss told me do you know what your name means? I said no; he said it’s Hebrew, the sea, you have a beautiful name. In the Bible Moses sister name is Miriam. I felt a glow in my heart & loved my name since then.

  9. I grew up hating my name because it sounds like an old lady name and could not stand people who butchered such a simple name. But once i matured i embraced it and i adore my name and would not have it any other way.

  10. Miriam is a name found in the old testament in the story of Moses. At only 7 years old, she had to be very brave and place her baby brother in the Nile River so that he would not be killed by Pharoah. Miriam in Hebrew means “drop or star of the sea” and my husband and I felt it was a beautiful name to represent our 1st home birth and our baby naturally coming through the waters of birth

  11. First prophetess in the Bible!

  12. I just thought the name Miriam was real cute and unique.. I got the name Miriam from out of our bible study book we were reading and I said if I was to ever have a baby girl I was going to name her Miriam?

  13. When we found out we were having a daughter it was not long since the passing of my father in laws mother and we were happy to pick this name to honour her after her passing as is the custom of Ashkenazi Jews and bring happiness to my father in law. I am happy with the name and like it, Miriam was an important biblical prophetess and many great women have been named after her. I hope my daughter will be worthy of the name.


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