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Mara as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mara

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The baby name Mara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmɑːrə/ (MAH-rah). Variants heard: /ˈmeɪrə/ (MAY-rah) or /ˈmærə/ (MAIR-ə) depending on dialect..

Mara is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /ˈmɑːrə/ (MAH-rah). Variants heard: /ˈmeɪrə/ (MAY-rah) or /ˈmærə/ (MAIR-ə) depending on dialect.

What is the meaning of the name Mara ?

The baby name Mara is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmɑːrə/ (MAH-rah). Variants heard: /ˈmeɪrə/ (MAY-rah) or /ˈmærə/ (MAIR-ə) depending on dialect..

Mara is Hebrew in Origin.

Mara is a multilingual feminine name with a core Hebrew layer: from Marah (“bitter”), the name Naomi adopts in the Book of Ruth (Ruth 1:20) to voice grief; the related place-name Marah in Exodus also means “bitter waters.” In English it entered through biblical usage and later revivals, prized for its spare, strong sound.

Across Europe it serves as a short form of Maria/Marija/Marina and sometimes Tamara, adding associations from the Mary tradition such as “wished‑for child,” “beloved,” or “sea of bitterness.” In Latvia, Māra is a major traditional female name linked to a mother‑goddess figure, giving the form deep cultural resonance. Variants and related forms include Marah, Māra (Latvian), Mára (orthographic variant), Maria, Mary, Mari, Marija, Marina, and Tamara. Today Mara sees steady use in Romance languages and the Balkans, while in English it feels crisp and contemporary yet ancient at heart.

Mara has the following similar or variant Names

Mara – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
KH 0 #3 1 102
KH Girls 0 #6 1 148
SV 0 #10 2 283
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
Switzerland Girls 2024 #46 114 1,786
PR 0 #50 6 1,497
LU 0 #54 13 2,830
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
CY 0 #59 2 1,632
AO 0 #72 6 2,729
HR Girls 0 #74 695 3,687
AF 0 #75 2 1,883
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
PH 0 #78 19 5,607
RS Girls 0 #79 62 1,651
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
MD Boys 0 #81 1 756
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
RS 0 #82 3 923
BR Girls 0 #86 5,975 12,708
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
IT Girls 0 #89 34,544 9,415
MD Girls 0 #92 1 865
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
KZ 0 #93 2 1,452
PT Girls 0 #93 1,455 7,952
PR Girls 0 #97 67 3,171
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
SD 0 #101 2 2,130
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
MU 0 #106 31 3,613
GE Girls 0 #107 2 1,564
GR 0 #107 28 3,911
CY Girls 0 #108 14 3,755
LU Girls 0 #109 82 4,850
AO Girls 0 #112 106 4,575
HU 0 #113 3 1,675
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
GR Girls 0 #123 128 6,293
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
PA 0 #132 7 3,797
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
MU Girls 0 #135 255 8,539
IT 0 #138 2,222 4,183
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
PT 0 #140 136 4,161
Belgium Girls 2024 #147 39 424
SI Girls 0 #148 27 2,769
BR 0 #149 235 5,969
HR 0 #149 31 2,081
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
RS Boys 0 #152 3 2,277
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
CR 0 #158 8 5,526
CZ Boys 0 #158 188 6,530
AR 0 #159 28 2,915
UY 0 #164 14 2,477
CZ 0 #174 12 3,154
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
NA Girls 0 #182 43 7,146
AR Girls 0 #185 963 8,289
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
AL Girls 0 #194 29 4,141
Austria 0 #195 19 850
HU Girls 0 #196 28 3,308
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
BG Girls 0 #201 23 3,559
KZ Boys 0 #203 89 6,578
UY Girls 0 #203 511 6,731
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
Austria Girls 0 #206 279 1,885
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
JP Girls 0 #216 30 6,592
IR 0 #217 13 4,221
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
EC Girls 0 #223 17 3,650
Canada Girls 2024 #224 62 2,795
AO Boys 0 #224 19 5,568
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
MO Girls 0 #237 15 7,056
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
JM Girls 0 #240 20 7,507
HR Boys 0 #242 17 3,997
Spain Girls 0 #246 2,087 5,561
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
NA Boys 0 #248 6 6,830
PH Girls 0 #254 138 13,098
GR Boys 0 #269 5 6,912
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
QA Girls 0 #273 44 15,378
MX 0 #274 145 8,339
KZ Girls 0 #275 46 5,862
PA Girls 0 #276 226 9,861
SG 0 #279 4 11,010
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
TW Girls 0 #283 7 8,139
PE 0 #286 25 6,350
GT 0 #297 18 5,948
Germany Girls 0 #299 961 4,949
JP Boys 0 #301 3 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
SA 0 #307 6 10,560
JO Girls 0 #314 12 7,570
Spain 0 #316 141 2,326
DK Girls 0 #321 9 7,429
CZ Girls 0 #328 14 5,378
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
GH Girls 0 #331 7 6,973
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
NL 0 #333 59 2,481
PL Girls 0 #333 22 5,096
SD Girls 0 #333 13 7,678
PL Boys 0 #335 6 6,459
Germany 0 #340 100 2,542
OM Girls 0 #341 56 15,987
CN Girls 0 #351 9 8,829
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
MX Girls 0 #353 2,215 17,781
HK 0 #354 4 8,483
PT Boys 0 #357 11 7,951
France Girls 2021 #359 47 3,185
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
BO 0 #363 19 6,868
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
RU Girls 0 #372 130 11,913
Finland Girls 0 #381 11 1,368
France Boys 2021 #384 4 2,865
JO Boys 0 #384 6 7,057
CO Girls 0 #389 1,379 16,140
CL 0 #392 20 6,867
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
CO 0 #397 84 7,768
Finland Boys 0 #398 30 2,041
IR Boys 0 #398 162 10,162
BD Girls 0 #403 4 8,413
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
UY Boys 0 #408 6 5,922
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
ZA 0 #418 30 14,421
CR Girls 0 #427 106 11,342
Austria Boys 0 #431 12 2,180
GT Girls 0 #431 75 7,500
KW Girls 0 #435 81 19,177
NL Girls 0 #436 689 5,933
AR Boys 0 #448 20 7,628
PS Girls 0 #456 68 10,981
SD Boys 0 #460 7 10,523
United States Girls 2024 #467 514 8,487
IQ Girls 0 #474 31 11,303
AE Girls 0 #475 79 20,968
RU Boys 0 #482 24 12,621
GT Boys 0 #495 5 7,625
PA Boys 0 #500 6 9,305
CM Girls 0 #503 38 11,671
CR Boys 0 #503 8 10,188
LY 0 #512 24 12,703
IR Girls 0 #517 14 8,334
PE Girls 0 #530 530 14,861
BH 0 #532 22 17,937
CM Boys 0 #534 17 12,054
BO Girls 0 #541 71 9,488
IL Girls 0 #541 77 11,648
SG Girls 0 #544 43 18,916
PS Boys 0 #553 9 10,655
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
CL Girls 0 #573 297 14,098
HK Girls 0 #592 24 16,104
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
IQ Boys 0 #615 53 13,071
BO Boys 0 #616 7 9,244
IL Boys 0 #619 7 10,983
LB 0 #642 17 13,263
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
CL Boys 0 #655 11 13,390
BR Boys 0 #657 95 12,213
Finland Boys 2026 #673 10 3,552
NG Girls 0 #675 113 15,093
SY 0 #705 24 11,684
Finland Girls 2026 #713 26 3,895
SA Girls 0 #723 213 25,931
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #738 6 18,093
ZA Girls 0 #744 442 25,928
KW Boys 0 #746 24 18,755
TN 0 #765 65 13,765
EG Boys 0 #832 55 15,035
MX Boys 0 #845 138 16,355
Spain Boys 0 #848 83 5,610
EG Girls 0 #850 110 14,742
PE Boys 0 #853 26 14,506
CO Boys 0 #855 66 15,656
OM Boys 0 #867 15 17,948
MA 0 #896 234 20,986
NL Boys 0 #927 25 5,873
Germany Boys 0 #928 25 5,697
NG Boys 0 #938 14 16,906
MY Girls 0 #951 44 24,821
IN Boys 0 #984 18 16,750
ZA Boys 0 #987 192 25,619
DZ 0 #1,031 146 20,130
MY Boys 0 #1,052 60 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,065 28 22,615
IT Boys 0 #1,106 371 10,046
TR 0 #1,162 50 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,523 92 28,008

Mara is popular in 93 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
Belgium
Wallonia, Belgium
Flanders, Belgium

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People also ask about Mara

Mara is predominantly a girl's name.
Mara is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈmɑːrə/ (MAH-rah). Variants heard: /ˈmeɪrə/ (MAY-rah) or /ˈmærə/ (MAIR-ə) depending on dialect..
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Marah, Māra, Maara, Marra and Maira.
Yes, very popular — Mara ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Mara ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Mara's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #399 in 2011 to #359 in 2021 in France.