Mara Name Meaning, Popularity and Origins
Origin:
Hebrew
Gender Distribution:
0% Masculine / 100% Feminine
Meaning:
Meaning 'bitter' or 'sorrowful', Mara is a Hebrew name with roots in the Old Testament and Buddhism.
Meaning of the Name Mara
Mara is a Hebrew name meaning 'bitter' or 'sorrowful'. It has roots in the Old Testament, where Mara is the name given to Naomi after the deaths of her husband and sons. In Buddhism, Mara is the name of a demon who represents desire and temptation. Despite its associations with bitterness and sorrow, Mara can also be seen as a strong and resilient name.
Popularity of the Name Mara
The popularity for the name Mara peaked in popularity in the year 2021 with 568 births, which ranked number 1,052 out of 28,927 unique names for that year. Mara had the most female births in 2021 with 568, which ranked number 539 out of 17,628 female names for that year, and had the most male births in 1983 with 6, which ranked number 5,484 out of 7,342 male names for that year. The number of births for the name Mara has increased sharply over the last ten years from 335 births to 476 births, an increase of 42.09%. Among females, Mara has increased sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 335 births to 476 births, an increase of 42.09%.
Nationwide Popularity of Mara
- 20 Year Trend of Mara: 13.33%
- 10 Year Trend of Mara: 42.09%
- 10 Year Female Trend of Mara: 42.09%
Popularity of Mara by State
Among females, Mara was most popular in Midwestern states with 169 births in the region. It was most commonly used in CA, with 47 female births. See below for a full state by state breakdown of the name Mara. States with less than five births recorded will not be shown.
| State | Male Births | Male Gender Rank | Female Births | Female Gender Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 559 |
| AZ | < 5 | N/A | 6 | 920 |
| CA | < 5 | N/A | 47 | 713 |
| CO | < 5 | N/A | 10 | 520 |
| CT | < 5 | N/A | 10 | 310 |
| DC | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 170 |
| FL | < 5 | N/A | 17 | 908 |
| GA | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 1171 |
| IA | < 5 | N/A | 14 | 223 |
| ID | < 5 | N/A | 9 | 210 |
| IL | < 5 | N/A | 15 | 661 |
| IN | < 5 | N/A | 11 | 571 |
| KY | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 725 |
| MA | < 5 | N/A | 8 | 595 |
| MD | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 725 |
| MI | < 5 | N/A | 24 | 362 |
| MN | < 5 | N/A | 29 | 190 |
| MO | < 5 | N/A | 8 | 648 |
| NC | < 5 | N/A | 9 | 956 |
| NE | < 5 | N/A | 5 | 407 |
| NJ | < 5 | N/A | 12 | 634 |
| NY | < 5 | N/A | 19 | 819 |
| OH | < 5 | N/A | 36 | 322 |
| OR | < 5 | N/A | 10 | 326 |
| PA | < 5 | N/A | 15 | 669 |
| SD | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 135 |
| TN | < 5 | N/A | 7 | 908 |
| TX | < 5 | N/A | 23 | 1185 |
| UT | < 5 | N/A | 8 | 468 |
| VA | < 5 | N/A | 13 | 598 |
| WA | < 5 | N/A | 15 | 449 |
| WI | < 5 | N/A | 20 | 267 |
2024 Popularity Projections for Mara
- Total Births of Mara: 493 (3.58%)
- Female Births of Mara: 493 (3.58%)
Given the upward trend of Mara over the last 10 years, we expect this to continue in 2024 with roughly a 3.58% increase in total births, for a total of 493 births in 2024. For Females, births for Mara have been increasing over the past 10 years, and we expect roughly 493 female births in 2024, an increase of 3.58%.