UK girl's name
Mariyam
A feminine Arabic name derived from the Biblical name Miriam, meaning "beloved" or "wished-for child".
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.
Mariyam is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mariyam popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1021, with 34 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 34 births.
This profile covers 554 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.
Mariyam is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 554 living people in the UK are called Mariyam. 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
- • Mariyam ranked #1021 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 34 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 34 girls were registered as Mariyam.
- • Mariyam ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #806 in 2015.
- • About 554 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mariyam as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1021
2024
Births in 2024
34
Latest year
Peak year
2024
34 births
Estimated living
554
2026
Meaning
What does Mariyam mean?
Mariyam is a feminine given name derived from the ancient Aramaic and Hebrew name Miryam, meaning "beloved" or "wished-for child." This name has its roots in the Middle Eastern region and can be traced back to biblical times.
The name Mariyam gained widespread recognition as the name of the mother of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. It is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament of the Bible, particularly in the Gospels. The Quranic Arabic variation, Maryam, is also the name of a chapter in the Quran, highlighting the significance of this name in Islamic tradition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Mariyam was Mary, the mother of Jesus, who lived in the 1st century BCE/CE in ancient Judea (present-day Israel/Palestine). Her life and devotion have been celebrated by Christians throughout history.
Another notable figure with this name was Mary of Egypt, a 4th-century Egyptian hermit and saint revered for her asceticism and repentance. She spent nearly five decades as a hermit in the desert, and her life story has been a source of inspiration for many.
In the 6th century, Mary the Younger, also known as Maria of Alitene, was a Christian mystic and ascetic from Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey). She was renowned for her visions and spiritual teachings.
During the 12th century, Mary of Oignies, a Belgian mystic and laywoman, founded a religious community known as the Beguines. She was influential in promoting the spiritual lives of lay women in the Catholic Church.
In the 15th century, Mary of the Incarnation, a French nun and mystic, founded the Order of the Canonesses Regular of Saint Augustine. She played a significant role in the Catholic Reformation and is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Mariyam or its variations, reflecting its rich cultural and religious significance across different regions and faiths.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mariyam over time
The chart below shows babies named Mariyam 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 Mariyam, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 34 births in 2024, compared with 34 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mariyam by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mariyam 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 | #1590 | 104 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1482 | 216 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1434 | 161 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1096 | 73 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mariyam is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mariyam. 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.
Mariyam ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #806 in 2015.
Across the UK
Mariyam in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#806 in 2015
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mariyam
- 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
Mariyam: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mariyam in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mariyam was ranked #1021 for girls in England and Wales, with 34 births registered.
When was Mariyam most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 34 babies registered as Mariyam in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mariyam?
A feminine Arabic name derived from the Biblical name Miriam, meaning "beloved" or "wished-for child".
How many people are called Mariyam in the UK?
A total of 554 babies have been registered as Mariyam across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Mariyam most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mariyam ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #806 in 2015. 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.