Mary

#125 for girls in 2025, 2,230 births · Last seen for boys in 2020 at #12,022
Given to girls 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
#1
1921 · 73,984 births
Debut · girls
1880
7,065 births
In top 100 · girls
129 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
4,141,481
since 1880

Mary over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201979peak #1, 1921girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1252,230—
2024#1312,219—
2023#1322,085—
2022#1342,119—
2021#1322,102—
2020#1232,230#12,0225
2019#1262,241—
2018#1262,369—
2017#1262,425—
2016#1262,526—
2015#1232,642—
2014#1202,637#12,1085
2013#1182,669—
2012#1212,587#10,7706
2011#1122,715—
2010#1082,882#12,2315
2009#1023,177—
2008#963,514—
2007#933,697#7,59010
2006#804,116#7,42710
2005#724,481#7,09610
2004#624,838#3,15831
2003#595,043#7,2459
2002#495,487#5,72512
2001#485,762#5,14214
2000#466,222#6,31610
1999#456,390#5,65611
1998#446,478#4,65014
1997#466,650#4,66813
1996#446,968#4,02216
1995#407,458#4,50813
1994#377,758#5,45210
1993#368,124#3,50118
1992#368,463#2,74725
1991#388,764#2,22732
1990#358,670#1,75545
1989#388,645#1,25874
1988#348,518#1,52548
1987#378,395#1,15369
1986#378,507#1,45747
1985#359,240#1,13367
1984#339,293#1,22856
1983#329,897#1,20557
1982#3010,851#1,06473
1981#2711,042#1,11167
1980#2511,474#1,29152
1979#2410,555#1,10865
1978#2410,040#1,12161
1977#2110,656#1,22152
1976#2210,315#1,05662
1975#1910,973#1,00766
1974#1311,738#1,05261
1973#1412,313#1,10854
1972#1313,757#92974
1971#916,703#87786
1970#919,204#81299
1969#819,850#752108
1968#621,727#742101
1967#425,316#662127
1966#328,890#713108
1965#234,270#642136
1964#240,985#665134
1963#241,546#667137
1962#243,502#614158
1961#147,682#610168
1960#151,472#605169
1959#154,502#600169
1958#155,848#648141
1957#161,102#573182
1956#161,741#631145
1955#163,174#608148
1954#168,019#566168
1953#164,389#598146
1952#265,629#555159
1951#265,721#534161
1950#265,481#633119
1949#266,874#512169
1948#268,597#514164
1947#271,690#496184
1946#167,471#469186
1945#159,278#424198
1944#162,476#376253
1943#166,174#384254
1942#163,256#363278
1941#158,048#329315
1940#156,216#326303
1939#154,900#341272
1938#156,225#331284
1937#155,641#320288
1936#154,377#312292
1935#155,076#328277
1934#156,929#313302
1933#155,517#297318
1932#159,883#305330
1931#160,299#306325
1930#164,153#308340
1929#163,512#306327
1928#166,871#330294
1927#170,642#344283
1926#167,832#352272
1925#170,586#368260
1924#173,534#411224
1923#171,634#425203
1922#172,177#448186
1921#173,984#450187
1920#170,983#430195
1919#165,836#482154
1918#167,365#457169
1917#164,280#447159
1916#161,438#437164
1915#158,187#429159
1914#145,346#425127
1913#136,642#374126
1912#132,304#349118
1911#124,390#26298
1910#122,848#23699
1909#119,259#24780
1908#118,665#23579
1907#117,580#25270
1906#116,370#22576
1905#116,067#23968
1904#114,961#24958
1903#114,275#23063
1902#114,486#24856
1901#113,136#22958
1900#116,705#23075
1899#113,172#23450
1898#114,406#24950
1897#113,413#21163
1896#113,811#24057
1895#113,447#26147
1894#113,151#24948
1893#112,784#22955
1892#113,172#25150
1891#111,704#25739
1890#112,078#29035
1889#111,648#26041
1888#111,754#24550
1887#19,888#23047
1886#19,889#30132
1885#19,128#26838
1884#19,217#28836
1883#18,012#28932
1882#18,148#31330
1881#16,919#29629
1880#17,065#32527
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Mary was already there! It came in at #1, and was given to 7,065 baby girls.

Quietest stretch: 2010–2025, when fewer than 2,900 girls a year got the name.

Where Mary is popular in 1979

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #24 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 107 girlsAKMaine: #34 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 152 girlsMEVermont: #22 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 91 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #37 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 142 girlsNHWashington: #32 for girls · 161 births · 1 in 157 girlsWAIdaho: #35 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 141 girlsIDMontana: #25 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 117 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #49 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 201 girlsNDMinnesota: #35 for girls · 175 births · 1 in 159 girlsMNIllinois: #24 for girls · 535 births · 1 in 140 girlsILWisconsin: #39 for girls · 178 births · 1 in 172 girlsWIMichigan: #29 for girls · 378 births · 1 in 158 girlsMINew York: #28 for girls · 571 births · 1 in 173 girlsNYMassachusetts: #31 for girls · 208 births · 1 in 147 girlsMARhode Island: #35 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 144 girlsRIOregon: #34 for girls · 97 births · 1 in 173 girlsORNevada: #30 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 133 girlsNVWyoming: #23 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 92 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #40 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 162 girlsSDIowa: #42 for girls · 112 births · 1 in 176 girlsIAIndiana: #28 for girls · 281 births · 1 in 129 girlsINOhio: #29 for girls · 526 births · 1 in 137 girlsOHPennsylvania: #27 for girls · 500 births · 1 in 137 girlsPANew Jersey: #27 for girls · 226 births · 1 in 165 girlsNJConnecticut: #39 for girls · 80 births · 1 in 184 girlsCTCalifornia: #39 for girls · 806 births · 1 in 203 girlsCAUtah: #31 for girls · 113 births · 1 in 142 girlsUTColorado: #32 for girls · 113 births · 1 in 165 girlsCONebraska: #35 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 161 girlsNEMissouri: #28 for girls · 246 births · 1 in 131 girlsMOKentucky: #14 for girls · 311 births · 1 in 79 girlsKYWest Virginia: #16 for girls · 154 births · 1 in 79 girlsWVVirginia: #19 for girls · 299 births · 1 in 98 girlsVAMaryland: #22 for girls · 170 births · 1 in 115 girlsMDDelaware: #31 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 115 girlsDEArizona: #35 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 188 girlsAZNew Mexico: #27 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 120 girlsNMKansas: #35 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 162 girlsKSArkansas: #21 for girls · 120 births · 1 in 108 girlsARTennessee: #13 for girls · 350 births · 1 in 81 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #13 for girls · 381 births · 1 in 86 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #11 for girls · 243 births · 1 in 71 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #19 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 103 girlsDCOklahoma: #24 for girls · 162 births · 1 in 114 girlsOKLouisiana: #22 for girls · 231 births · 1 in 127 girlsLAMississippi: #8 for girls · 221 births · 1 in 71 girlsMSAlabama: #14 for girls · 253 births · 1 in 91 girlsALGeorgia: #12 for girls · 366 births · 1 in 92 girlsGAHawaii: #48 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 216 girlsHITexas: #21 for girls · 869 births · 1 in 128 girlsTXFlorida: #23 for girls · 342 births · 1 in 137 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#8 · 1 in 71
  2. South Carolina#11 · 1 in 71
  3. Georgia#12 · 1 in 92
  4. Tennessee#13 · 1 in 81
  5. North Carolina#13 · 1 in 86

Best ever in a state: #1 in Alaska, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#82211 in 71
South Carolina#112431 in 71
Georgia#123661 in 92
North Carolina#133811 in 86
Tennessee#133501 in 81
Alabama#142531 in 91
Kentucky#143111 in 79
West Virginia#161541 in 79
District of Columbia#19541 in 103
Virginia#192991 in 98
Arkansas#211201 in 108
Texas#218691 in 128
Louisiana#222311 in 127
Maryland#221701 in 115
Vermont#22271 in 91
Florida#233421 in 137
Wyoming#23311 in 92
Alaska#24251 in 107
Illinois#245351 in 140
Oklahoma#241621 in 114
Montana#25401 in 117
New Jersey#272261 in 165
New Mexico#27721 in 120
Pennsylvania#275001 in 137
Indiana#282811 in 129
Missouri#282461 in 131
New York#285711 in 173
Michigan#293781 in 158
Ohio#295261 in 137
Nevada#30281 in 133
Delaware#31241 in 115
Massachusetts#312081 in 147
Utah#311131 in 142
Colorado#321131 in 165
Washington#321611 in 157
Maine#34401 in 152
Oregon#34971 in 173
Arizona#35951 in 188
Idaho#35491 in 141
Kansas#35891 in 162
Minnesota#351751 in 159
Nebraska#35641 in 161
Rhode Island#35311 in 144
New Hampshire#37341 in 142
California#398061 in 203
Connecticut#39801 in 184
Wisconsin#391781 in 172
South Dakota#40291 in 162
Iowa#421121 in 176
Hawaii#48221 in 216
North Dakota#49231 in 201

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Mary
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 6 spots since 2024 (#131 → #125)
  • 2 spots since 2020 (#123 → #125)
  • 2 spots since 2015 (#123 → #125)
  • Biggest jump: 6 spots in 2025 (#131 → #125)
  • Biggest drop: 13 spots in 2007 (#80 → #93)
Rise & fade · girls
41 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1921 at #1 (73,984 births)
  • Births halved by 1965, 44 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 92 yrs
  • Top 10: 92 yrs · run 1880–1971
  • Top 100: 129 yrs · run 1880–2008
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 13
  • Highest: 1 in 13 girls born in 1880 were named Mary (7.8%)
  • Latest: 1 in 721 girls born in 2025 (0.14%)
  • Its best rank, #1 in 1921, was only 1 in 17 (6.0%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 16.9% of all girls named Mary (701,755) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s91,668#1 (1888)#1
1890s131,138#1 (1898)#1
1900s161,504#1 (1909)#1
1910s478,636#1 (1918)#1
1920s701,755#1 (1921)#1
1930s573,000#1 (1930)#1
1940s640,080#1 (1946)#1
1950s625,606#1 (1954)#1
1960s355,240#1 (1960)#3
1970s126,254#9 (1970)#17
1980s95,862#25 (1980)#33
1990s75,723#35 (1990)#40
2000s46,337#46 (2000)#71
2010s25,693#108 (2010)#121
2020s12,985#123 (2020)#130

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Mary in 1979

girls
#24
10,555 births · 1 in 152 girls
boys
#1,108
65 births · 1 in 26,485 boys

Top girls' names in 1979

  1. #1Jennifer56,712
  2. #2Melissa34,050
  3. #3Amanda31,924
  4. #4Jessica27,780
  5. #5Amy21,609
  6. #6Sarah21,015
  7. #7Heather20,834
  8. #8Angela20,256
  9. #9Nicole19,510
  10. #10Michelle19,266
  11. #24Mary10,555

Top boys' names in 1979

  1. #1Michael67,713
  2. #2Christopher50,659
  3. #3Jason50,369
  4. #4David42,053
  5. #5James39,351
  6. #6Matthew35,621
  7. #7John35,410
  8. #8Robert34,015
  9. #9Joshua31,120
  10. #10Brian28,659
  11. #1,108Mary65
More about 1979

girls

1,605,268 girls got a published name in 1979; 1 in 152 of them was named Mary, which outranked 99.8% of the 11,972 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Mary
  1. #21Erin11,259
  2. #22Amber11,079
  3. #23April10,902
  4. #24Mary10,555
  5. #25Shannon10,370
  6. #26Andrea10,336
  7. #27Rachel10,230
Biggest movers since 1978
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,593Breanne#2,125 → #532
  2. ↑ 1,527Loni#2,516 → #989
  3. ↑ 1,287Renata#2,012 → #725
  4. ↑ 985Ashanti#1,862 → #877
  5. ↑ 896Nicolette#1,581 → #685
Fallers
  1. ↓ 392Christel#762 → #1,154
  2. ↓ 312Kenisha#557 → #869
  3. ↓ 297Ariane#887 → #1,184
  4. ↓ 285Imelda#947 → #1,232
  5. ↓ 252Farrah#539 → #791

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,721,536 boys got a published name in 1979; 1 in 26,485 of them was named Mary, which outranked 84.3% of the 7,071 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Mary
  1. #1,100Milan66
  2. #1,100Otto66
  3. #1,100Tavis66
  4. #1,108Mary65
  5. #1,108Darrius65
  6. #1,108Detrick65
  7. #1,108Luciano65
  8. #1,116Amy64
  9. #1,116Arnoldo64
  10. #1,116Carter64

Tied with 7 names at #1,108; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1978
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,228Tyrel#2,134 → #906
  2. ↑ 471Jace#1,186 → #715
  3. ↑ 387Chaz#1,371 → #984
  4. ↑ 311Tyrell#1,051 → #740
  5. ↑ 308Frederic#1,203 → #895
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,230Dequan#927 → #2,157
  2. ↓ 641Rahsaan#869 → #1,510
  3. ↓ 446Chip#989 → #1,435
  4. ↓ 308Rashaun#996 → #1,304
  5. ↓ 307Kenya#749 → #1,056

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1979 →