Fun Facts About the Name Mar
- More than 1 thousand babies named Mar: U.S. records list 1,186 babies given the name Mar from 1880 through 2025. Even 253 boys received the name Mar - about 1 boy for every 4 girls.
What Does the Name Mar Mean?
Mar is a feminine given name in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Galician. It comes from the Romance word mar, meaning "sea," which descends from Latin mare. In Spanish and Portuguese it is also used as a short form of María / Maria, especially in Marian compounds such as María del Mar and Maria do Mar ("Mary of the Sea"). The Hebrew word mar (מַר), meaning "bitter," and the Aramaic/Syriac title Mār (ܡܪ), meaning "lord," are separate linguistic items and are not the source of the Romance name.
Mar Name History & Origins
The Romance name Mar developed from the everyday word for "sea" in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Galician. Latin mare was a neuter noun; in the Romance languages it became mar, which is masculine in Portuguese and usually masculine in Spanish, though it can be feminine in poetic and nautical usage. As a given name, Mar is feminine. Its use is linked to the sea and to Marian devotion: the Virgin of the Sea (Virgen del Mar) is a Marian title, and the compound María del Mar ("Mary of the Sea") is a common Spanish name; Mar can stand alone as a shortening of that compound. The name is also used independently in Catalonia and Galicia, where mar is the ordinary word for the sea.
In Hebrew, the word mar (מַר) and the related feminine name Mara belong to a different tradition. Mara appears in the Book of Ruth, where Naomi asks to be called Mara because she feels bitterness. In Modern Hebrew, Mar (מר) is also a courtesy title for men, a usage that comes from Aramaic. In Syriac Christian tradition, Mār (ܡܪ) is an honorific meaning "lord" or "my lord," used before the names of saints and bishops, such as Mar Addai and Mar Narsai. These uses are distinct from the Romance given name.
How Popular is the Name Mar?
Mar has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,708 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,708 | 120 | 0.0075% |
| 2024 | #2,994 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2023 | #2,481 | 72 | 0.0045% |
| 2022 | #3,104 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 2021 | #5,037 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2020 | #5,774 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #9,503 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #9,578 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #11,277 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #8,250 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #9,299 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #11,587 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #11,611 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #12,988 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #18,540 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #16,239 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #11,190 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #14,813 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #7,960 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #10,365 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #13,945 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #9,060 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #8,314 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #9,241 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #11,655 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #16,623 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,231 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #11,920 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #15,202 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,155 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #10,156 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #14,623 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #14,504 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #7,321 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #9,164 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #8,166 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #5,253 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #5,590 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #7,171 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #6,291 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #6,940 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #3,200 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #5,841 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,824 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #3,953 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1954 | #6,272 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #4,116 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #4,763 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #5,072 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #4,508 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #3,910 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1945 | #4,343 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #3,278 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1943 | #3,691 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #3,127 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #3,722 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1939 | #3,649 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1938 | #3,348 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1937 | #3,670 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1936 | #4,610 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #3,627 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1934 | #3,675 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1932 | #4,839 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #3,717 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #2,263 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1928 | #2,252 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1927 | #2,987 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1926 | #4,638 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #5,572 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #5,423 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #4,284 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #4,851 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,826 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #3,672 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #2,942 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #5,023 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #3,656 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1913 | #3,506 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,669 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #8,079 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #4,995 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #6,356 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #10,384 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #13,757 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #10,249 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,815 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #8,129 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,501 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,700 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #6,426 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,530 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,855 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #5,973 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,295 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,166 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #6,413 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,577 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #3,894 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #4,165 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #5,585 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,372 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #3,430 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #3,017 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #3,421 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,419 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #3,552 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,392 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #3,182 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #3,184 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #3,442 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,115 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1913 | #3,096 | 5 | 0.0010% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mar Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Mar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.