Literal meaning uncertain, through the Mary and Miriam name tradition.
Marie is documented as the French equivalent and a historical English spelling of Mary. The reviewed Mary ancestry describes the early meaning as uncertain; bitter remains an older licensed interpretation, not a confirmed universal translation.
Origin
French and historical English
The French equivalent of Mary; the spelling also occurs in the history of English Mary. These are transmission routes, not a claim that the deeper name originated in France.
English pronunciation
/məˈɹiː/
English given-name reading; the source also lists a dated alternative.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2025
Girls
82 · preliminary
373
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
1992
Boys
6
1504
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Girls
510 (rounded to 5)
101
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
France
2007
Boys
5 (rounded to 5)
3822
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Girls
47
778
Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2024
Girls
4
337
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Girls
4
632
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2024
Girls
6
556
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2025
Girls
474
617
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
1996
Boys
6
7971
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Meaning: Literal meaning uncertain, through the Mary and Miriam name tradition.
Checked against cited source
Marie is documented as the French equivalent and a historical English spelling of Mary. The reviewed Mary ancestry describes the early meaning as uncertain; bitter remains an older licensed interpretation, not a confirmed universal translation.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Mimi
Checked against cited source
Documented as a short form of Marie in French usage. This is an optional naming relationship, not a nickname assumed for every bearer. Other language traditions and popularity records remain separate. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, Mimi entry. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Mimi&oldid=90247507. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: the explicit short-form relationship is condensed and labelled by language; no pronunciation, audio or images transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: French and historical English
Checked against cited source
The French equivalent of Mary; the spelling also occurs in the history of English Mary. These are transmission routes, not a claim that the deeper name originated in France.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /məˈɹiː/
Checked against cited source
English given-name reading; the source also lists a dated alternative.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Related name: Mary
Checked against cited source
Related English forms with a shared linguistic source; not interchangeable spellings or a nickname claim. Popularity counts remain separate.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Supporting evidence: Mary: meaning and transmission history
Checked against cited source
Supporting evidence for this specific name tradition. Adapted from Wiktionary contributors; distinct traditions and reconstructed roots are explicitly qualified in the explanation.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.