mary
mary Lexical Profile
mary Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A traditional and historically common feminine given name of Aramaic and Hebrew origin.
"My grandmother's name was Mary, and she named her firstborn daughter after herself."
In Christian and Islamic tradition, the mother of Jesus Christ, highly venerated as a saint.
"Many classical Renaissance paintings depict Mary holding the infant Jesus."
Word Nuance & Usage
Always capitalized as 'Mary' in standard English. It is one of the most historically prevalent female given names in the English-speaking world, though its use for newborns has declined in recent decades.
• Rhymes for mary
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek María or Mariám, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew Miryām. The exact meaning in Hebrew is debated, with theories ranging from 'sea of bitterness' to 'beloved'.