Mar
Feminine · “sea”
Mar is given to both — 935 girls and 253 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Mar is the sea in Spanish and Catalan — and it is a Marian title, Nuestra Señora del Mar, Our Lady of the Sea, given as a name in its own right.
How old is the name Mar?
Mar first appears in US birth records in 1913 — 112 years ago. The typical Mar alive today was born around 2011, making them about 14 years old. About 700 people named Mar are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Mar most popular?
Mar peaked in 2025, reaching #1703 nationally. Today it ranks #1703, exactly where it peaked. See the whole 2025 chart.
Mar appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From mare to Mar
The story of Mar
Spanish Catholic naming took Marian titles as girls' names, and Maria del Mar is among the coastal ones — particularly common in Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia. Speech shortened it to Mar, which is now given outright. It appears in American records among Spanish-speaking families and is in current use.
Meaning
sea
From the Spanish and Catalan mar, 'sea', from the Latin mare. It is used as a shortening of the Marian title Maria del Mar. The word is ordinary in both languages and the meaning is entirely transparent to speakers.
How the name formed
- mare
- mar
- Mar
Related forms: Mar · Mar · Marimar
Pronouncing Mar
MAR
One syllable. Spanish rolls the final r lightly; English speakers usually do not.
Nicknames for Mar
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1913
- Most girls named
- 2025120 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1703reached in 2025
- Change vs 2023
- +66.7%120 in 2025, from 72
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Mar in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Mar in Spanish — same name
- Mar in Catalan — same name
- Marimar in Spanish — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Mars among us
people named Mar are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 13,394 born in 2025 was named Mar
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Linh test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Mar's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Linh climbed just as high around 1984, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Linh's path sketches the road Mar is walking now.
Mar is climbing fast right now. Steep climbs tend to come with steep descents — the quicker a name arrives, the more firmly it belongs to its moment.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Mar is headed
Mar is on a steep climb — if the curve holds, 2030 could see around 67% more babies given the name than today. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Mar beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Mar in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The sea meaning is concrete, transparent and undisputed to Spanish speakers.
- It belongs to a coherent and centuries-old family of Marian names.
- Three letters, one syllable, and never misheard.
- It is an ordinary Spanish noun and reads as one.
- It is very short and can be swallowed by a long surname.
- English speakers will hear it as a clipping of Mary or Margaret.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Mar to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Mar? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Mar
Feminine · #1703 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Mars are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Mar are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Mar in 2025?
- Mar ranks #1703 among US girl names in 2025, with 120 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Mar?
- About 1 in every 13,394 US girls born in 2025 was named Mar — 120 in all.
- Will my child share the name Mar with classmates?
- Mar will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Mar
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Leticia#1703 · Beatriz#1703 · Wynn#1703 · Agatha#1703 · Karma#1703 · Delanie#1703 · Evaluna#1710 · Aulani#1710
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Mar? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Mar and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle