Gender Female | Word/name Aramaic Region of origin Middle East | |
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Maryam or Mariam is the Aramaic name (ܡܪܝܡ) of Mary the mother of Jesus and of Miriam, the sister of Moses. It is also the form normally used in most indigenous languages of the Middle East, including Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, and Persian, as well as the Horn of Africa, including Amharic and Somali. Other languages of the Middle East in addition use a form similar to it (rather than the Latinate Maria or Mary), e.g. Turkish Meryem and the Azerbaijani Məryəm.
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Being originally the name of Miriam, the name may have originated from the Egyptian language, like possibly Moses; it is likely derivative of the words mry "beloved" or mr "love" or the derived ancient Egyptian name Meritamen or Meri-Amun, "beloved of the God Amun". Other suggestions include the word root m-r-r "bitter" (cf. myrrh), or the Hebrew root (מרי m-r-y) "rebellious", or even possibly "wished-for child", or "strong waters". Maryam is also a name of a flower (tuberose) in the Persian language.
People with this given name
Use in Ethiopian names
Maryam or Mariam is found as part of compound names in Ethiopia, including masculine names.
Hailemariam, often printed as Haile Mariam in the West, means power of Mary.
Earlier examples include:
Still other Ethiopians bear names derived from titles or feasts of St. Mary, such as Zedingil (Of the Virgin) and Kidane (Covenant [of Mercy]).