UK girl's name
Mhari
Scottish feminine diminutive of Mary, ultimately from Hebrew for "beloved".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mhari is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Mhari popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 6 births.
This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1998 to 2022. 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 221 living people in the UK are called Mhari. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mhari ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 6 girls were registered as Mhari.
- • Mhari ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
- • About 221 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mhari as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4645
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
2017
6 births
Estimated living
221
2026
Meaning
What does Mhari mean?
The name Mhari is a Scottish Gaelic variant of the Hebrew name Mary. It is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Miryam, which is believed to have been derived from the Egyptian words "mry" meaning "beloved" and "ym" meaning "sea." The name Mary is found in the New Testament as the name of the mother of Jesus Christ.
In Scotland, the name Mhari has been in use since at least the Middle Ages. It is a Gaelic form of the name Mary, which was popularized by the Christian church and became a common name throughout Europe during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mhari can be found in the 15th century, when a woman named Mhari Macdonald was born on the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides in around 1450. She was a member of the powerful Clan Donald and is believed to have been a skilled herbalist and healer.
In the 16th century, a woman named Mhari MacLeod (1560-1626) was a renowned poet and bard in the Scottish Highlands. She composed many works in Gaelic and was highly regarded for her skill with language.
Another notable figure named Mhari was Mhari Chisholm (1718-1786), who was a prominent figure in the Jacobite Risings of the 18th century. She was a staunch supporter of the Stuart cause and provided aid and shelter to Jacobite soldiers during the uprisings against the British crown.
In the 19th century, Mhari Maclean (1825-1898) was a respected educator and advocate for Gaelic language and culture. She worked to establish schools and promote the teaching of Gaelic in the Highlands.
More recently, Mhari Hendry (1906-1989) was a Scottish singer and storyteller who was renowned for her performances of traditional Gaelic songs and tales. She helped to preserve and promote Gaelic culture through her work.
While the name Mhari has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Egyptian languages, it has become firmly established as a Scottish Gaelic name with a rich history and tradition. It has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries and continues to be a popular name for girls in Scotland and among those with Scottish heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mhari over time
The chart below shows babies named Mhari registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mhari, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mhari by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mhari 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 | #4920 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3583 | 6 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4255 | 6 | 2 |
| 1990s | #2701 | 5 | 1 |
Geography
Where Mhari is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mhari. 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.
Mhari ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
Across the UK
Mhari in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#687 in 2005
30 years of NRS records, 196 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mhari
- 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
Mhari: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mhari in the UK right now?
In 2022, Mhari was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Mhari most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 6 babies registered as Mhari in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mhari?
Scottish feminine diminutive of Mary, ultimately from Hebrew for "beloved".
How many people are called Mhari in the UK?
A total of 28 babies have been registered as Mhari across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 196 more in Scotland.
Where is Mhari most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mhari ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #687 in 2005. 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.