UK girl's name
Meriem
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "having the qualities of Mary".
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.
Meriem is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Meriem popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 16 births.
This profile covers 187 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 186 living people in the UK are called Meriem. 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
- • Meriem ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 16 girls were registered as Meriem.
- • About 186 living people in the UK are estimated to have Meriem as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2016
16 births
Estimated living
186
2026
Meaning
What does Meriem mean?
Meriem is a feminine given name with roots tracing back to ancient Aramaic and Hebrew languages. It is a variant spelling of the name Miriam, derived from the Hebrew word "mar" meaning bitter or beloved. The name likely originated around 1300 BCE in the Levant region of the Middle East.
This name carries significant religious and cultural significance in Judaism and Christianity. In the Bible's Old Testament, Miriam was the name of the sister of Moses and Aaron, a respected prophetess who led the Israelites in praise after their exodus from Egypt. The name Meriem appears in the Islamic Quran, referring to Mary the mother of Jesus.
Early recorded examples of the name include Miriam bat Amram, sister of Moses in the Book of Exodus around 1300 BCE. Mary the mother of Jesus, known as Meriem in Arabic, lived around 20 BCE to 30 CE. Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani was an Algerian freedom fighter and revolutionary who lived from 1923 to 1996.
Throughout history, notable figures with this first name include Queen Meriem of Georgia (c. 1312 - 1340 CE), a monarch who ruled the Kingdom of Georgia. Meriem Fennell (1867 - 1954) was a Moroccan-American author, activist and first Muslim woman immigrant into the United States. Meriem Rhaiem (born 1986) is a contemporary Tunisian actress known for her roles in Arabic films.
Other historical examples are Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani (1923 - 1996), an influential Algerian militant and activist during the Algerian War. Meriem Ismael (1956 - 1986) was a prominent Comorian lawyer and human rights activist who was assassinated for her political views. The name has maintained its usage across various regions and cultures over many centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Meriem over time
The chart below shows babies named Meriem 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 Meriem, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 16 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meriem by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Meriem 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 | #4483 | 22 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2879 | 89 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2528 | 70 | 9 |
| 1990s | #3810 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Meriem
- 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
Meriem: questions and answers
How popular is the name Meriem in the UK right now?
In 2024, Meriem was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Meriem most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 16 babies registered as Meriem in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Meriem?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "having the qualities of Mary".
How many people are called Meriem in the UK?
A total of 187 babies have been registered as Meriem across the 26 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.