First names in Hebrew

First name Miriam: meaning, origin and its Hebrew spelling

מרים

Gematria value: 290

Its spelling

In Hebrew, Miriam is written מרים

Meaning and origin

What does Miriam mean?

Meaning: of debated origin ("bitterness", "the beloved", or an Egyptian word)
Origin: Hebrew

Miriam is the original Hebrew form of Mary and Maria. Its meaning is debated: it has been linked to mar, “bitter”, to a word meaning “the beloved”, or to Egyptian. Jewish tradition keeps bitterness: Miriam is said to have been born when slavery in Egypt was at its harshest. She is the sister of Moses and Aaron, one of the great women of the Bible.

Gematria

Miriam = 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 Miriam, 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

Miriam, in nine pages

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

Frequently asked

Miriam in three answers

How do you write Miriam in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, Miriam is written מרים.

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

What does Miriam mean?
Of debated origin ("bitterness", "the beloved", or an Egyptian word) (origin: Hebrew). Miriam is the original Hebrew form of Mary and Maria. Its meaning is debated: it has been linked to mar, “bitter”, to a word meaning “the beloved”, or to Egyptian. Jewish tradition keeps bitterness: Miriam is said to have been born when slavery in Egypt was at its harshest. She is the sister of Moses and Aaron, one of the great women of the Bible.