Mara

Did you know?

A few things about Mara you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Mara

Mara Wilson

American actress

Choose Mara and your child shares a first name with Mara Wilson, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Mara, like who?” Mara Wilson's Wikipedia article is available in 32 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Mara Wilson on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 3,221 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Mara, 499 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Mara would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMara first shows up in US birth records in 1892, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 133 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1990, when it reached #538.
• 🚀TrendMara has climbed 39 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #587. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedMara is most popular in South Dakota, where it ranks #139, followed by Hawaii (#168) and Minnesota (#180). It's in the top 1,000 in 25 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Mara means “bitter”. Our records link it to American, Gaelic and Greek roots.

About the name Mara

Mara is a girl name of American, Gaelic and Greek origin meaning “bitter”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-ara”. US birth records list Mara for girls from 1892 to 2025, in 115 of those 134 years. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked #538 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #587, with 499 babies.

Origin:American namesGaelic namesGreek namesHebrew namesIrish surname namesSlavic names