Mary
Name Origin & Meaning
The Greek form of Miriam (see above). In the New Testament, Mary became the most common woman's name in Judea — scholars estimate one in five Jewish women was called Mary or Miriam. The name's resonance with the first great prophetess of Israel and its root meanings of bitter longing and divine beloved made it a fitting name for the mother of the Messiah.
First Biblical Appearance
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”
Gabriel's greeting to Mary — the divine declaration of favor that inaugurated the Incarnation.
Biblical Significance
Mary the mother of Jesus is the most honored woman in all of Christian history. She received the Annunciation from Gabriel, became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, sang the Magnificat, fled to Egypt, watched her son grow in wisdom and stature, witnessed his first miracle at Cana, stood at the cross, and was present at Pentecost. Jesus entrusted her to John from the cross. The New Testament contains six or more women named Mary, each remarkable in her own right.
Notable Bearers
- Mary mother of Jesus
- Mary Magdalene
- Mary of Bethany
- Mary wife of Clopas
- Mary mother of John Mark
Personality & Character
Creative completeness and the Trinity — the number of divine fullness in threefold expression
Spiritual symbolism drawn from Scripture and tradition
Modern Variants
A Blessing for This Name
May you, like Mary, find favor with God in your ordinariness and receive the word He speaks over your life with the simple response: 'Let it be to me according to your word.' May you carry within you what the world most needs and bring it forth in its appointed season.