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Miriam

girl name
Origin
Hebrew
Syllables
3
Peak era
1890s/2020s
Today
▬ Steady

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Meaning

wished-for child

The story

Miriam's roots and its Hong Kong life belong in the same story, but they are not the same thing. Miriam is the biblical Hebrew name of the sister of Moses and Aaron. Its meaning is uncertain, and proposals such as beloved or bitter should remain proposals rather than translations. Singer and actor Miriam Yeung makes the name unmistakably part of Hong Kong popular culture. That use does not make the name etymologically Cantonese. It shows how a Hong Kong family may carry a character-based Chinese name and an English or international name for school, work, or life across languages. The US curve is remarkably steady and low across more than a century. A public bearer can make a name feel familiar without proving why any family chose it, so the cultural example and the chart should not be confused. Miriam's durability comes from more than one place: scripture, long international use, Christian naming in Hong Kong, and a modern Cantonese-speaking bearer.

More names with stories →

Miriam across languages

One shared root links 17 names across 9 languages.

Shared root: from Hebrew Miryam, its meaning long debated; traditional glosses run "bitter" and "beloved", with an Egyptian root meaning "love" also argued

The constellation

MiriamHebrewMaryEnglishMariaLatin · SpanishMarieFrenchMariWelshMaryamArabicMauraIrish
10 more branches of this family
MollyEnglish · short formMollieEnglish · variantPollyEnglish · short formMaureenIrish · diminutiveMarionFrench · diminutiveMarianEnglish · variantMarielEnglish · diminutiveMariellaItalian · diminutiveMariettaItalian · diminutiveMarielaSpanish · diminutive

Ways to honor Mary →

How popular is Miriam around the world?

In the United States, 7,334 babies were named Miriam between 2020 and 2025. In Austria, 216 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 29th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

Miriam is on the official records of the United States, Austria, Spain, Norway, Brazil, England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, Mexico City, Poland, Scotland, Montevideo, South Australia, Chile, France and Argentina.

Miriam crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish

United States

1 in 3,000

In the United States, 7,334 babies were named Miriam between 2020 and 2025.

peak 1890s2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Miriam peaked in the 1890s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Austria

1 in 350

In Austria, 216 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 29th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2021

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Spain

1 in 700

In Spain, 64,208 residents are named Miriam, the 75th most common name among women, with a mean age of 33.2 years.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Norway

1 in 950 · register 2026

In Norway, 28 girls were given the name Miriam in 2025.

1945peak 20012025

share of the girls on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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Brazil

1 in 2,700

At the 2022 census, 74,005 people in Brazil were named Miriam, the 410th most common name, with a median age of 45.

1930s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 1,139 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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England and Wales

1 in 3,000

In England and Wales, 197 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 237th most common name among girls that year.

1996peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Ireland

1 in 3,600

In Ireland, 15 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 273rd most common name among girls that year.

peak 19642025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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Canada

1 in 4,900

In Canada, 75 girls named Miriam were born in 2024, the 396th most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 2020

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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Mexico City City

1 in 5,100

In Mexico City, there were 23 registrations of Miriam in 2022.

peak 20002022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

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Poland

1 in 6,300

In Poland, 39 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 197th most common name among girls that year.

peak 20042025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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Scotland

1 in 7,600

In Scotland, 6 girls named Miriam were registered in 2024, the 476th most common name among girls that year.

1974peak 20012024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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Montevideo City

1 in 8,200 · 2011

In Montevideo, 2 girls named Miriam were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
In Montevideo, 1 boy named Miriam was born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.

1940peak 19642011

share of that year’s births on record

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

South Australia

1 in 9,200 · 2017

In South Australia, 2 girls were registered as Miriam in 2017.

1944peak 19832017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

Chile

1 in 14,000

In Chile, 13 girls were registered as Miriam in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

1920peak 19652021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

France

1 in 14,000

In France, about 45 girls named Miriam were born in 2025, the 846th most common name among girls that year.

1900peak 2025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Argentina

1 in 19,000

In Argentina, 34 newborns were given the name Miriam in 2024.

2012peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

See the full list for Argentina →

New Zealand

last on record 2019

Miriam is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.

peak 19122025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

Puerto Rico

last on record 2010

Miriam is not on the 2025 record for Puerto Rico, which withholds births under 5, and 51 babies have carried the name there since 1998.
The count never rose above 9 in a year, too few to chart.

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Miriam

People given the name Miriam in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1960 to 2019. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Miriam

Sara Gabriella Eliana Giovanna Raquel Sabra

Where Miriam travels

Jewish American · traditionally 'wished-for child' or 'bitter'; a cherished matriarch name honoring Moses's sister

Hebrew · wished-for child, or bitter sea

Cantonese and Hong Kong · biblical Hebrew name of uncertain meaning; familiar in Hong Kong through Miriam Yeung and Christian naming

Keep exploring

Jewish American baby names · Hebrew baby names · Cantonese and Hong Kong baby names

The Miriam deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Miriam truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Miriam fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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