Holding steady.
Popularity of Meriem since 1917
Babies named Meriem per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2012, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Meriem's real moment was 1930.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 |
| 1920s | 7 |
| 1930s | 8 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 33 |
| 2010s | 72 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Meriem is a French-influenced spelling of Maryam, an Arabic and Hebrew name borne by the mother of Jesus. In the U.S., the name first appeared on birth certificates in 1917, but it has never entered the top 1000. Its peak year was 1930, and since then it has maintained a stable, low usage. Despite its rarity, Meriem carries cultural weight across Muslim and Christian communities, blending a biblical heritage with a distinctly North African French spelling.
Meriem is a variant spelling of Maryam, the Arabic form of Mary. The name Maryam appears in the Quran as the mother of Isa (Jesus). Its Hebrew counterpart, Miriam, may derive from an Egyptian element meaning 'beloved' or from the Hebrew root meaning 'bitter'. The form Meriem, with an 'e' instead of 'a', is common in North African and some Francophone contexts.
“Meriem” around the world
Where Meriem lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
100
babies in 2024
Quebec
7
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Merry, Mimi, Riem
Sibling names for Meriem
Names that share Meriem's style, for a brother or sister.
