Mara
Girl name · #587 in 2025 · Distinctive
Mara is currently the #587 girl name in the United States — 499 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #736, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,607 girls born in 2025 was named Mara.
Babies named Mara per year. Source: SSA.
The 133-year story
Mara first appears in the Social Security records in 1892, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 568 girls were named Mara — good for #540 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mara in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mara is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mara is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Mara is most common in MN (1.4 per 1,000), IA (1.1 per 1,000), MI (0.8 per 1,000), OH (0.7 per 1,000), WI (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Mara is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Mara
Statistically, parents drawn to Mara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Chiara, Xiomara, Yara, Mina, and Maia.
ChiaraXiomaraYaraMinaMaiaLinaSamaraAdara
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 499 | #587 |
| 2024 | 515 | #588 |
| 2023 | 516 | #581 |
| 2022 | 478 | #620 |
| 2021 | 568 | #540 |
| 2020 | 463 | #626 |
| 2019 | 439 | #663 |
| 2018 | 432 | #676 |
| 2017 | 440 | #668 |
| 2016 | 427 | #684 |
| 2015 | 383 | #736 |
| 2014 | 409 | #692 |
| 2013 | 366 | #742 |
| 2012 | 336 | #797 |
| 2011 | 312 | #846 |
| 2010 | 308 | #865 |
| 2009 | 377 | #753 |
| 2008 | 355 | #811 |
| 2007 | 389 | #749 |
| 2006 | 415 | #682 |
| 2005 | 415 | #671 |
| 2004 | 427 | #639 |
| 2003 | 417 | #638 |
| 2002 | 420 | #608 |
| 2001 | 405 | #621 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Mara a popular girl name?
Mara ranked #587 among girls in 2025 with 499 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #736.
When was the name Mara most popular?
Mara peaked in 2021, when 568 American girls received the name (ranked #540 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,607 newborn American girls was named Mara. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it 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.