First names in Hebrew

First name Mary: meaning, origin and its Hebrew spelling

מרים

Gematria value: 290

Its spelling

In Hebrew, Mary is written מרים

Mary is the English form of Miriam, מרים in Hebrew.

Meaning and origin

What does Mary mean?

Meaning: of debated origin (linked to "bitter", or to the Egyptian for "beloved")
Origin: Hebrew

Mary is the English form of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. The meaning of Miriam is debated: it has been linked to mar, “bitter”, but many see in it an Egyptian word meaning “beloved”. Mary is one of the most widely carried names in the English-speaking world.

Gematria

Mary = 290

In Hebrew, every letter is also a number. Added together, the letters of the name give its value: this is gematria. מרים has 4 letters:

• מthe letter Mem40
• רthe letter Resh200
• יthe letter Yod10
• םthe letter final Mem40
• Total290

The verse of the name

From the letter Mem to the letter final Mem

An ancient custom gives each person a verse: the one that begins with the first letter of their name and ends with the last. For Mary, from מ to ם:

מִכׇּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּי־מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּים׃

“Above all that you guard, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

The book of your first name

Mary, in nine pages

• Mary, in Hebrew
• Letter by letter
• The number of your name
• The verse of your name
• The portrait of Mary
• Mary, day to day
• What tradition says about names
• The sources

Frequently asked

Mary in three answers

How do you write Mary in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, Mary is written מרים. Mary is the English form of Miriam, מרים in Hebrew.

What is the gematria value of Mary?
Written מרים, Mary is worth 290: the letter Mem (40) + the letter Resh (200) + the letter Yod (10) + the letter final Mem (40).

What does Mary mean?
Of debated origin (linked to "bitter", or to the Egyptian for "beloved") (origin: Hebrew). Mary is the English form of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. The meaning of Miriam is debated: it has been linked to mar, “bitter”, but many see in it an Egyptian word meaning “beloved”. Mary is one of the most widely carried names in the English-speaking world.