Mari

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly bitter or rebellious
Origin: Hebrew — Form of Maria in several languages

Meaning: Varies with the kanji; often truth, or jasmine
Origin: Japanese — Written 真理, 麻里, 茉莉 and other ways

Girl's name · #1620 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Mari holds its lane: charted since 1897 and rarely far from where it stands today (#1620 in 2025). About 17,000 girls have carried it along the way.

Across the states

See where Mari is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 12 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Mari ranks in other countries and regions.

#94 in Norway (2025) · #821 in Austria (2025) · #1,051 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,148 in Belgium (2025) · #2,118 in Ecuador (2025) · #2,203 in Sweden (2025) · #3,478 in Canada (2025) · #5,835 in France (2025) · #4,068 in Italy (2024) · #659 in Poland (2016) · #758 in Ireland (2010) · #687 in Scotland (2005) and 1 more.

Famous Maris

Mari Kiviniemi — Prime Minister of Finland from 2010 to 2011 (born 1968)
Mari Miyamoto — Japanese footballer (born 2000)
Mari Kawamura — Japanese footballer (born 1988)
Mari Yamamoto — Japanese actress (born 1986)
Mari Okada — Japanese screenwriter (born 1976)

In stories & tradition

Mari — Main goddess of pre-Christian Basque mythology
Mari (Vixen) — DC Comics superheroine
Mari Illustrious Makinami — Fictional character in Neon Genesis Evangelion

Where Maris come from

Among 825 notable bearers:

Japan 33%, Norway 15%, Finland 15%, Estonia 10%, Spain 7%, United States 5% and 44 more countries.

What Maris become

Among 953 notable people named Mari:

Entertainers appear 2.55× more often than among typical names — e.g. Mari Boine, Norwegian Sámi singer (born 1956).

Similar names: Mariyah · Betsy · Marta · Annmarie · Rena · Amariah

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

Home · About · Italian baby names · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service