Miriam is an ancient female Hebrew given name (מִרְיָם) that has taken on many other forms in other languages and cultures, including the English name Mary.
Origin and variants
Its earliest appearance in writing may be in the biblical Book of Exodus, in which the elder sister of Moses is called Miriam.
The origin of the Hebrew: מִרְיָם, Modern Miryam, Tiberian Miryām is not clear. It may mean "wished-for child", "bitter", "rebellious" or "strong waters". Alternatively, bearing in mind that many Levite names are Egyptian, it might be derived from an Egyptian word myr "beloved" or mr "love". A more convoluted Christian interpretation of the name's variant form Maryam led to its translation as "drop of the sea" ("Stilla Maris" in Latin), and due to a copying error further to "star of the sea" or "Stella Maris"; alternatively, the same understanding might have been reached directly through association with מאור (ma'or), "star" (see Our Lady, Star of the Sea).
Rashi, an 11th-century Jewish commentator on the Bible, wrote that the name was given to the sister of Moses because of the Egyptians' harsh treatment of Jews in Egypt. Rashi wrote that the Israelites lived in Egypt for two hundred ten years, including eighty-six years of cruel enslavement that began at the time Moses' elder sister was born. Therefore, the girl was called Miriam, because the Egyptians made life bitter (מַר, mar) for her people.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, bore a Judeo-Aramaic variant of this name, Maryām (מרים). In the New Testament of the Bible, written in Greek, her name is transformed to Mariam (Μαριάμ) or Maria. Several other women in the New Testament, including Mary Magdalene, are called by the same name.
Because of Mary's great significance to two other world religions, variants of her name are often given to girl children in both Christian and Islamic cultures. In the Quran, Mary's name assumed the Arabic form Maryam (مريم), which has also passed into other languages. The Greek variant Maria passed into Latin and many modern European languages.
Variants of the name include Mary, Myriam, Mirjam, Maria, Mariam, Mira and Miri. In Israel, "Mimi" is a common diminutive.
Miriam, the sister of MosesWoman with seven sons, Jewish martyr named in Lamentations Rabbah as Miriam bat TanhumMary the Jewess, also known as Miriam the Prophetess, believed to have lived some time between the first and third centuries AD, and considered to be the first non-fictitious alchemistMiriam, daughter of RashiMiriam (TV personality) (born c. 1981), Mexican transwoman who starred in There's Something About MiriamMiriam Ben-Porat (1918–2012), Israeli judge and state comptrollerMiriam Cani (born 1985), Albanian singerMiriam Defensor Santiago (1945–2016), Senator in the PhilippinesMiriam Flynn (born 1952), American voice artist and character actressMiriam Gallardo (born 1968), Peruvian volleyball playerMiriam Goldberg (born 1916), American newspaper publisher and editorMiriam Gonzalez (born 1977), Playboy playmateMiriam Israeli (born 1966), American-Israeli singer and lyricistMiriam Kara (born 1938), Israeli Olympic gymnastMiriam Leslie (1828–1914), American author, publisher, woman suffrage advocate, and philanthropistMiriam McDonald (born 1987) Canadian actress, star of Degrassi: The Next GenerationMiriam Makeba (born 1932), South African singer and activistMiriam Margolyes (born 1941), British actressMiriam O'Callaghan, several notable people share this nameMiriam Pirazzini (born 1918), Italian singerMiriam Ramón (born 1973), Ecuadorian racewalkerMiriam Roth, Israeli writer and scholar of children's books, kindergarten teacher, and educatorMiriam Shaviv (born 1976), literary editor of the Jerusalem PostMiriam Siderenski (born 1941), Israeli Olympic runnerMiriam Stockley (born 1962), English South African-born singerMiriam Stoppard (born 1937), British physician, author, television presenter, and agony auntMiriam Toews (born 1964), Canadian authorMiriam Yalan-Shteklis (1900–84), Israeli writer and poetMiriam Yeung (born 1974), Hong Kong singer-actressMiriam Olivarri (born 1981), American inspirationMyriam Abel or Myriam Morea (born Myriam Abdel Hamid, 1981), French singer of Algerian descentMyriam Avalos, Peruvian pianistMyriam Baverel (born 1981), French martial artistMyriam Bédard (born 1969), retired Canadian athleteMyriam Birger (born 1951), French pianistMyriam Boileau (born 1977), Canadian diverMyriam Bru (born 1930), French actressMyriam Capes (born 1984), Canadian fitness championMyriam Casanova (born 1985), Swiss tennis playerMyriam Fares (born 1983), Lebanese singerMyriam Flühmann (born 1986), Swiss figure skaterMyriam Fox-Jerusalmi (born 1961), French canoerMyriam Francois-Cerrah (born 1983), British actressMyriam Glez (born 1980), French swimmerMyriam Hernández (born 1967), Chilean singer-songwriter and television presenterMyriam Korfanty (born 1978), French handball playerMyriam Léonie Mani (born 1977), Cameroonian athleteMyriam Leuenberger (born 1987), Swiss figure skaterMyriam Lignot (born 1975), French synchronized swimmerMyriam Marbe (1931–1997), Romanian composer and pianistMyriam Merlet (c. 1957–2010), Haitian political activistMyriam Montemayor Cruz (born 1981), Mexican pop star known as "Myriam"Myriam Moscona (born 1955), Mexican journalistMyriam Muller (born 1971), Luxembourgian actressMyriam Sarachik (born 1933), Belgian physicistMyriam Shehab (born 1982), Lebanese singer known as "Melissa"Myriam Sirois (born 1975), Canadian actressMyriam Soumaré (born 1986), French athleteMyriam Vanlerberghe, Belgian politicianMyriam Yardeni (born 1932), Romanian-born Israeli historianMiriam bat Mordecai, in The Roman MysteriesMiriam Blaylock, in 1983 film The HungerMiriam Leveirs, in D.H. Lawrence's novel Sons and LoversMiriam Pataki, from the cartoon Hey Arnold!Miriam Rooth, in Henry James's novel The Tragic MuseMiriam was the other name of Queen Marion in the 4kids version of Winx Club.Miriam is the title character (or characters) of Truman Capote's eponymous short story, his first widely acclaimed fictional work from 1949.
