Declining since 1996, #1,092 for girls today.
Popularity of Moriah since 1968
Babies named Moriah per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 8 |
| 1970s | 471 |
| 1980s | 1,147 |
| 1990s | 4,615 |
| 2000s | 3,190 |
| 2010s | 2,750 |
| 2020s | 1,218 |
Meaning & origin
Moriah is a biblical place name that has seen modest but steady use in the United States since the late 1960s. It first appeared in Social Security records in 1968, and by 1995 it had climbed to its peak rank of 1,092, a rank it still held as of 2025. That year, approximately 1 in 7,273 newborn girls received the name. Its trajectory has been falling since 1996, after a brief surge in the 1990s. The name is most popular in states like Alabama, Kansas, and Kentucky. Moriah is often seen as a variant of Mariah, but retains its own distinct biblical resonance, drawing from the story of Abraham and Isaac.
Moriah is a place name from the Hebrew Bible, specifically the mountain where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22). The name may derive from the Hebrew root רָאָה (ra'ah, "to see") or יָרֵא (yare', "to fear"), combined with Yah (a shortened form of Yahweh). It has been used as a given name in English-speaking countries since the late 20th century, often as a variant of the more common Mariah.
Where Moriah is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Moriah” around the world
Where Moriah lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Moe, Riah
Variants: Mariah
Sibling names for Moriah
Names that share Moriah's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Naomi, Hannah, Abigail, Leah, Bethany, Ariel, Mariah, Neriah, Shekinah, Adaiah, Azaryah, Havilah, Seraiah, Shaddai, Soriah, Bethsaida, Efrata, Shemaiah, Tyrianna, Adoniah, Kamoria, Keimora, Ketzia
Brothers: Noah, Ethan, Caleb, Josiah, Elijah, Jireh, Zion, Asael, Micaiah, Urijah, Jeriel, Melchizedek, Mosiah, Yosiah, Ithiel, Jaaziah, Jahzeel, Jedaiah, Jossiah, Uziah, Elohim, Nehemyah
Names like Moriah
Names whose popularity has moved with Moriah's over the last 50 years.
