UK girl's name
Mariska
A variant form of Mary, derived from the Hebrew meaning "bitter" or "beloved".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mariska is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mariska popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5765, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 5 births.
This profile covers 18 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2005 to 2017. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 18 living people in the UK are called Mariska. 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 2018 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mariska ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales in 2017, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 5 girls were registered as Mariska.
- • About 18 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mariska as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5765
2017
Births in 2017
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
5 births
Estimated living
18
2026
Meaning
What does Mariska mean?
The name Mariska is a feminine given name with origins in several European languages. It is a diminutive form of the name Maria, which is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam. The name Maria has its roots in the biblical figure Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
In its earliest form, Mariska was used as a pet name or nickname for Maria in various Slavic languages, such as Russian, Czech, and Slovak. The suffix "-ka" or "-iska" is a common diminutive ending in these languages, used to create affectionate or diminutive forms of names.
The name Mariska can also be found in Hungarian, where it is a variant of the name Mária. In this context, the name is likely influenced by the Slavic form but may have developed independently due to the similarities in the languages' naming traditions.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Mariska can be found in the 16th century, when a Hungarian noblewoman named Mariska Révai lived during the reign of King Ferdinand I. Another notable historical figure with this name was Mariska Vinogradov, a Russian ballerina who lived in the late 19th century and was renowned for her performances with the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg.
In the 20th century, Mariska gained popularity as a given name in various parts of Europe and beyond. One famous bearer of the name was Mariska Aldrich, an American actress and singer born in 1928, who appeared in several films and television shows during the 1950s and 1960s.
Another notable Mariska was Mariska Hargitay, an American actress born in 1964, best known for her role as Olivia Benson on the long-running crime drama series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Her mother, Jayne Mansfield, a famous actress and sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s, also named her Mariska as a nod to her Hungarian heritage.
In literature, the name Mariska appeared in the novel "The Captive" by Victor Hugo, published in 1862, where it was the name of one of the characters.
Overall, the name Mariska has a rich history spanning several centuries and cultures, with its origins firmly rooted in the diminutive forms of the name Maria, which itself has strong religious and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mariska over time
The chart below shows babies named Mariska registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mariska, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2017, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariska by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mariska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5381 | 10 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4464 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Mariska
- 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
Mariska: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mariska in the UK right now?
In 2017, Mariska was ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Mariska most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 5 babies registered as Mariska in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mariska?
A variant form of Mary, derived from the Hebrew meaning "bitter" or "beloved".
How many people are called Mariska in the UK?
A total of 18 babies have been registered as Mariska across the 5 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.