Explore the Family Name Mary
The meaning of Mary
1. English: from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Marie, Latin Maria. Compare Marrison, Marion, Marriott, Markin. — Note: It is likely that in the population figure published by the US Census Bureau (which dropped from 2215 in the year 2000 to 1547 in the year 2010) the female personal name Mary of some American bearers is also counted as a surname. Some of these bearers may be from countries, such as Indonesia, where (hereditary) surnames are not in general use; their personal name was thus registered as a surname only after their immigration to the US. 2. French: habitational name from any of the places in Saône-et-Loire, Seine-et-Marne, and Nièvre named Mary, from Gallo-Roman Mariacum ‘estate of Marius’. 3. French: from a vernacular form of the personal name Marius. 4. French: from a variant of the female personal name Marie. Some characteristic forenames: French Michel, Myrtha, Pierre.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mary in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mary saw a decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Mary was ranked 12,780 in terms of popularity and counted for 2,215 instances amongst US residents. By 2010, however, its rank dropped to 18,036, with only 1,547 instances recorded. This represented a decrease of 41.13% in ranking and a 30.16% drop in count over the decade. Similarly, the proportion of the name per 100,000 people also fell by 36.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,780 | #18,036 | -41.13% |
| Count | 2,215 | 1,547 | -30.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.82 | 0.52 | -36.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mary
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Mary also underwent changes between 2000 and 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of holders of the Mary surname identified as White (79.91%), followed by Black (10.97%), Hispanic (3.84%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.57%), those identifying with two or more races (2.21%), and finally American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.50%). However, by 2010, there was a significant increase among Hispanics carrying the Mary surname, up by 73.44%. The percentage of Blacks and Asian/Pacific Islanders also increased, by 14.31% and 8.17% respectively. Conversely, the percentage of Whites and those identifying with two or more races decreased by 4.63% and 44.34% respectively. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives showed a modest increase of 16.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.91% | 76.21% | -4.63% |
| Black | 10.97% | 12.54% | 14.31% |
| Hispanic | 3.84% | 6.66% | 73.44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.57% | 2.78% | 8.17% |
| Two or More Races | 2.21% | 1.23% | -44.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.58% | 16% |