As Mary falls further out of favor, her variations become more appealing, whether you're honoring an ancestral Mary or Marie or Miriam or simply love the tradition of the name.

The meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

The Arabic Maryam may often be misunderstood as the more familiar Miriam, which it sounds like, but it's a beautiful variation worth considering despite the possibility of confusion. Maryam is also a flower name in Iran.

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