The first name Marian
A girl’s name from Hebrew.
3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
A variant of Marion, a medieval derivation of Mary, often also interpreted as a contraction of Mary and Ann, or as a variant of Mariana.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 10 girls were named Marian, making it the 2,605th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 17 births (#1,498).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Marian with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Marian at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 217 girls born in the United States were named Marian, the 1,103rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1924, when 4,197 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Marian in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Marian
45 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Marian AndersonAfrican-American contralto (1897–1993)
- Marián ČalfaCzech lawyer, born 1946
- Marian SimionBoxer, born 1975
- Marian ÁlvarezActress, born 1978
- Marian Wright EdelmanAmerican activist for children's rights (born 1939)
- Marian McPartlandBritish pianist, composer, writer and radio host (1918–2013)
- Marian SarrGerman association football player, born 1995
- Marian HristovBulgarian footballer, born 1973
- Marian MarshActress (1913-2006)
- Marian DiamondAmerican professor of human anatomy and neuroanatomy (1926–2017)
- Marian NixonActress, 1904–1983
- Marian Stamp DawkinsBritish biologist, born 1945
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Marian mean?
- A variant of Marion, a medieval derivation of Mary, often also interpreted as a contraction of Mary and Ann, or as a variant of Mariana.
- What is the origin of the name Marian?
- A variant of Marion, a medieval derivation of Mary, often also interpreted as a contraction of Mary and Ann, or as a variant of Mariana.
- How popular is the name Marian?
- In 2025, 10 girls born in England and Wales were named Marian, ranking 2,605th. Its peak was 2016, with 17 births.
- Is Marian a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 143,295 US babies named Marian since 1880 were girls.
- When was Marian most popular?
- 1924 in the United States, when 4,197 babies were named Marian, its highest rank at 64th.