UK girl's name
Mariyah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "lady" or "mistress of the house".
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.
Mariyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mariyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1262, with 26 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 65 births.
This profile covers 952 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 961 living people in the UK are called Mariyah. 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
- • Mariyah ranked #1262 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 26 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 65 girls were registered as Mariyah.
- • Mariyah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #665 in 2012.
- • About 961 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mariyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1262
2024
Births in 2024
26
Latest year
Peak year
2011
65 births
Estimated living
961
2026
Meaning
What does Mariyah mean?
The name Mariyah is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the ancient Semitic languages. It is derived from the word "maryam," which means "beloved" or "wished-for child" in Arabic. The name is closely associated with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ in Christian tradition, and her name is revered in both Islam and Christianity.
Mariyah is a feminine form of the name Maryam, which is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is believed to have been in use since the 7th century AD when Islam emerged in the Arabian Peninsula. The name gained widespread popularity across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as regions with significant Muslim populations.
In the Christian tradition, the name Mariyah is linked to the Virgin Mary, who is revered as the mother of Jesus Christ. The name is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible and has been in use among Christians since the early days of Christianity. It has been particularly popular in regions with strong Christian communities, such as parts of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mariyah can be found in the writings of the 8th-century Arab scholar Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad. He mentioned a woman named Mariyah bint Shurahbeel, who was known for her expertise in the Arabic language and poetry.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Mariyah. One of the most famous is Mariyah al-Qibtiyya (c. 622-637 AD), an Egyptian Coptic Christian who became a wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Another prominent figure is Mariyah al-Muqaddasa (c. 1256-1322), a Christian mystic and writer from what is now modern-day Lebanon.
In the realm of literature, Mariyah al-Astrulabi (c. 1210-1279) was a renowned Arab astronomer and mathematician from Seville, Spain. Mariyah al-Majritiyya (c. 1459-1494) was a celebrated Andalusian poet and calligrapher from Granada, Spain.
In more recent times, Mariyah Mustafa (1835-1903) was an influential Egyptian feminist and educator who played a significant role in promoting women's rights and education in the late 19th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mariyah over time
The chart below shows babies named Mariyah 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 Mariyah, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 26 births in 2024, compared with 65 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariyah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mariyah 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 | #1636 | 93 | 5 |
| 2010s | #981 | 399 | 10 |
| 2000s | #793 | 365 | 10 |
| 1990s | #910 | 95 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mariyah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mariyah. 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.
Mariyah ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #665 in 2012.
Across the UK
Mariyah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#665 in 2012
4 years of NRS records, 14 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mariyah
- 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
Mariyah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mariyah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mariyah was ranked #1262 for girls in England and Wales, with 26 births registered.
When was Mariyah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 65 babies registered as Mariyah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mariyah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "lady" or "mistress of the house".
How many people are called Mariyah in the UK?
A total of 952 babies have been registered as Mariyah across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 14 more in Scotland.
Where is Mariyah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mariyah ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #665 in 2012. 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.