UK girl's name
Mariah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved lady".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mariah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mariah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 80 births.
This profile covers 1,282 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 23% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,307 living people in the UK are called Mariah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mariah ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 80 girls were registered as Mariah.
- • Mariah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #350 in 2021.
- • About 1,307 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mariah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1672
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
1996
80 births
Estimated living
1,307
2026
Meaning
What does Mariah mean?
The name Mariah has its roots in the ancient Hebrew language, originating from the word "mar'ah," which translates to "bitter" or "beloved." It is believed to have gained prominence during the biblical era, circa 1000 BC, in the Middle East region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mariah is found in the Old Testament of the Bible. The prophet Zechariah mentions a woman named Mariah in the Book of Zechariah, which dates back to around 520 BC. This biblical reference lends historical credence to the name's antiquity.
During the Middle Ages, the name Mariah gained traction across various European regions, particularly in England and France. It was often associated with religious devotion and purity, as many young girls were named Mariah in honor of the Virgin Mary.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Mariah was Mariah Falcon (1492-1558), a renowned Italian painter and engraver from the Renaissance era. Her works, which included religious art and portraiture, are celebrated for their intricate details and representation of the human form.
Fast forward to the 18th century, and we encounter Mariah Edgeworth (1767-1849), an Anglo-Irish novelist and writer. She is best known for her novels Castle Rackrent and Belinda, which explored societal themes and provided insightful commentary on the era's cultural dynamics.
Moving into the 19th century, Mariah Carey (1870-1925) was an American suffragist and activist who fought tirelessly for women's rights, particularly the right to vote. Her influential work contributed significantly to the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women's suffrage in the United States.
Another historical figure bearing the name Mariah is Mariah Williamson (1832-1919), a British explorer and writer. She embarked on numerous expeditions to Africa and the Middle East, documenting her travels in captivating memoirs that offered unique insights into the cultures and landscapes she encountered.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Mariah throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mariah over time
The chart below shows babies named Mariah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mariah, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 80 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mariah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1358 | 120 | 5 |
| 2010s | #907 | 413 | 10 |
| 2000s | #672 | 465 | 10 |
| 1990s | #431 | 284 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mariah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mariah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mariah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #350 in 2021.
Across the UK
Mariah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#783 in 2009
5 years of NRS records, 17 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#350 in 2021
5 years of NISRA records, 16 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mariah
-
Mariah Gale
actor; film actor
British actress
1980-
Related
Names similar to Mariah
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Mariah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mariah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mariah was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Mariah most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 80 babies registered as Mariah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mariah?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved lady".
How many people are called Mariah in the UK?
A total of 1,282 babies have been registered as Mariah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 17 more in Scotland and 16 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Mariah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mariah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #350 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.