UK girl's name
Mariem
A given feminine Arabic name meaning "daughter of the blessed one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mariem is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mariem popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 6 births.
This profile covers 50 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 50 living people in the UK are called Mariem. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mariem ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 6 girls were registered as Mariem.
- • About 50 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mariem as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2009
6 births
Estimated living
50
2026
Meaning
What does Mariem mean?
The name Mariem is a variant of the name Mary, derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam. It is believed to have originated from the Hebrew root words "mar" (bitter) and "yam" (sea), potentially referring to the bitterness associated with the Israelites' journey through the Red Sea during the Exodus from Egypt.
The name Mariem first appeared in religious texts such as the Bible and the Quran, referring to the mother of Jesus Christ in Christianity and the Islamic tradition. It gained popularity across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe during the spread of Christianity and Islam.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mariem can be found in the Gospels of the New Testament, where it is the name given to the mother of Jesus. In the Quran, the name is mentioned as Maryam, and she is revered as a righteous woman and a symbol of purity.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Mariem. One of the earliest recorded was Mariem of Qidun (c. 640 CE), a Christian martyr from modern-day Syria, who was executed for her refusal to renounce her faith during the Muslim conquest of the region.
Another notable Mariem was Mariem al-Astrulabi (c. 1030 CE), a renowned female astronomer and mathematician from Aleppo, Syria, who made significant contributions to the field of astrolabe construction and celestial observations.
In the 12th century, Mariem of Antioch (c. 1150 CE) was a Syrian Christian mystic and visionary who is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Her visions and teachings influenced the development of mystical theology in the region.
During the Renaissance period, Mariem Palestrina (c. 1500-1580) was an Italian composer and singer, known for her contributions to the development of early polyphonic music and her collaborations with renowned composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.
In the modern era, Mariem Fekini (1936-2021) was a renowned Tunisian writer and activist, known for her works exploring women's rights, social justice, and the struggle for independence in Tunisia. Her novels and essays played a significant role in shaping the literary and intellectual landscape of the country.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mariem over time
The chart below shows babies named Mariem registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mariem, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariem by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mariem 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 | #5330 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #5012 | 19 | 5 |
| 2000s | #4621 | 15 | 4 |
| 1990s | #3810 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Mariem
- 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
Mariem: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mariem in the UK right now?
In 2023, Mariem was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Mariem most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 6 babies registered as Mariem in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mariem?
A given feminine Arabic name meaning "daughter of the blessed one".
How many people are called Mariem in the UK?
A total of 50 babies have been registered as Mariem across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.