Miriam

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Miriam

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Miriam is the English form of a Hebrew (or Egyptian) name, Myriam, or Mariamne (also the source for Mary). The meaning is disputed. Some suggestions include: “Lady,” "Wished for Child" (from “ma rama”), or “Full” or "Bitterness" (from “mara”) or "Drop of the Sea," or "Rebelliousness" (from meri).

History:
Miriam had long been a favorite Jewish name, because it was the name of the sister of Moses.

Most ordinary Christians of the Middle Ages were much more familiar with the stories of saints and martyrs and the New Testament, than the Hebrew prophets. Names like Aaron, Moses, and Miriam were rarely used.

Miriam became more more in the Christian world (at least, the Protestant Christian world) after the Reformation leant its support to vernacular Bibles, making new generations aware of people like Moses and Miriam.

However, the name still did not become all that common until the early 20th century.

Pronunciation: meer-ee-am.

Alternates: Myriam, Mariam, Mariamne.
Finnish: Mijam, Marjaana, Mirja, Mirjami.

Famous Bearers:
Political Figures:
Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson (1875-1961)
A governor of Texas.

Religious Figures:
Miriam (Biblical)
Sister to Moses.

Singers and Entertainers:
Miriam Karlin (1925-)
British actress.
Miriam Makeba (1932-)
South-African singer.
Miriam Margoyles (1941-)
British actress.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.066 % named Miriam
0.004 % named Myriam

Popularity of Miriam:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 531st most popular.
1875: 534th most popular.
1880: 295th most popular.
1881: 301st most popular.
1882: 278th most popular.
1883: 300th most popular.
1884: 285th most popular.
1885: 314th most popular.
1886: 277th most popular.
1887: 314th most popular.
1888: 295th most popular.
1889: 262nd most popular.
1890: 273rd most popular.
1891: 271st most popular.
1892: 285th most popular.
1893: 254th most popular.
1894: 214th most popular.
1895: 206th most popular.
1896: 211th most popular.
1897: 201st most popular.
1898: 218th most popular.
1899: 205th most popular.
1900: 214th most popular.
1901: 189th most popular.
1902: 209th most popular.
1903: 192nd most popular.
1904: 199th most popular.
1905: 200th most popular.
1906: 182nd most popular.
1907: 183rd most popular.
1908: 174th most popular.
1909: 176th most popular.
1910: 186th most popular.
1911: 163rd most popular.
1912: 159th most popular.
1913: 147th most popular.
1914: 149th most popular.
1915: 138th most popular.
1916: 141st most popular.
1917: 134th most popular. - Peak!
1918: 138th most popular.
1919: 145th most popular.
1920: 140th most popular.
1921: 147th most popular.
1922: 151st most popular.
1923: 145th most popular.
1924: 143rd most popular.
1925: 153rd most popular.
1926: 155th most popular.
1927: 162nd most popular.
1928: 167th most popular.
1929: 184th most popular.
1930: 183rd most popular.
1931: 208th most popular.
1932: 201st most popular.
1933: 186th most popular.
1934: 218th most popular.
1935: 216th most popular.
1936: 213th most popular.
1937: 221st most popular.
1938: 220th most popular.
1939: 232nd most popular.
1940: 230th most popular.
1941: 244th most popular.
1942: 259th most popular.
1943: 263rd most popular.
1944: 257th most popular.
1945: 261st most popular.
1946: 274th most popular.
1947: 281st most popular.
1948: 289th most popular.
1949: 290th most popular.
1950: 264th most popular.
1951: 266th most popular.
1952: 264th most popular.
1953: 275th most popular.
1954: 255th most popular.
1955: 265th most popular.
1956: 264th most popular.
1957: 297th most popular.
1958: 282nd most popular.
1959: 249th most popular.
1960: 280th most popular.
1961: 299th most popular.
1962: 293rd most popular.
1963: 309th most popular.
1964: 321st most popular.
1965: 327th most popular.
1966: 348th most popular.
1967: 350th most popular.
1968: 345th most popular.
1969: 376th most popular.
1970: 370th most popular.
1971: 355th most popular.
1972: 375th most popular.
1973: 361st most popular.
1974: 361st most popular.
1975: 333rd most popular.
1976: 348th most popular.
1977: 343rd most popular.
1978: 352nd most popular.
1979: 313th most popular.
1980: 311th most popular.
1981: 303rd most popular.
1982: 303rd most popular.
1983: 314th most popular.
1984: 305th most popular.
1985: 321st most popular.
1986: 320th most popular.
1987: 327th most popular.
1988: 342nd most popular.
1989: 318th most popular.
1990: 236th most popular.
1991: 237th most popular.
1992: 228th most popular.
1993: 240th most popular.
1994: 252nd most popular.
1995: 268th most popular.
1996: 272nd most popular.
1997: 293rd most popular.
1998: 312th most popular.
1999: 308th most popular.
2000: 289th most popular.
2001: 299th most popular.
2002: 289th most popular.
2003: 290th most popular.
2004: 279th most popular.

Popularity of Myriam:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900-1930: N/A
1937: 190th most popular.
1940: 172nd most popular.
1950: 106th most popular.
1960: 51st most popular.
1970: 29th most popular.
1980: 53rd most popular.
1990: 72nd most popular.
2000: 95th most popular.

Selected Sources:
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 3rd ed., 1977

The Internet Movie Database - For information on the movie Splash
The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880