Mariah
Girl name · #447 in 2025 · Uniqueness 64/100
Mariah is currently the #447 girl name in the United States — 693 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #152, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,597 girls born in 2025 was named Mariah.
The 145-year story
Mariah first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 22 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1996, when 5,446 girls were named Mariah — good for #63 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Mariah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mariah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mariah in class?
Mariah scores 64 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mariah is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mariah is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Mariahs were CA (77), TX (59), FL (53), NY (40), GA (35). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Mariah
Statistically, parents drawn to Mariah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Moriah, Micah, Morgan, Marina, and Alyssa.
MoriahMicahMorganMarinaAlyssaTaylorMadeleineAlexis
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mariah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 693 | #447 |
| 2024 | 760 | #413 |
| 2023 | 783 | #393 |
| 2022 | 933 | #345 |
| 2021 | 958 | #340 |
| 2020 | 1,071 | #302 |
| 2019 | 1,197 | #276 |
| 2018 | 1,440 | #216 |
| 2017 | 1,617 | #195 |
| 2016 | 1,930 | #166 |
| 2015 | 2,118 | #152 |
| 2014 | 2,409 | #137 |
| 2013 | 2,773 | #113 |
| 2012 | 2,908 | #107 |
| 2011 | 2,995 | #98 |
| 2010 | 3,113 | #97 |
| 2009 | 3,605 | #88 |
| 2008 | 4,041 | #77 |
| 2007 | 3,707 | #92 |
| 2006 | 4,075 | #82 |
| 2005 | 3,840 | #85 |
| 2004 | 2,982 | #113 |
| 2003 | 3,073 | #113 |
| 2002 | 2,672 | #130 |
| 2001 | 3,585 | #85 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Mariah a popular girl name?
Mariah ranked #447 among girls in 2025 with 693 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #152.
When was the name Mariah most popular?
Mariah peaked in 1996, when 5,446 American girls received the name (ranked #63 that year). Since 1996 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mariah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,597 newborn American girls was named Mariah. It scores 64/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.