Miriam

Miriam is a very beautiful name, I would gladly use it.

When I first heard this name I found it masculine lol.

My name is Miriam. My mother chose it because she had a name book that said that it meant "wished for child" and she also wanted a name that is used all over the world. A lot of name books wrongly state that the word Miriam is associated with bitterness. This is a misreading of Hebrew. "Mar" is "bitter" in Hebrew. "Mir" is not. "Yam" is ocean/sea. In the Old Testament/Bible Miriam is the sister of Moses who rescues him. She is associated with music and dance. My father is Jewish and my mother Christian but neither of them was religious. We lived all over the world as a result of my father's career. In the UK no one mispronounced my name. It sounds pretty with a British accent. In the Netherlands no one mispronounced my name and it sounds soft and pleasant in Dutch. In Israel (which was an enchanting place to be a child as children are given lots of freedom and get to call teachers by their first names) they had no problem pronouncing my name. In Hebrew Miriam sounds elegant as the "r" is similar to the French "r" When I was a child in Israel it was considered an old fashioned grandmother name so people shortened it to "Miri" as a nickname. Today it is still very much used by both Jewish and Arab Israelis (the latter use the "Maryam" version with a rolling "r"). A cool Tel Aviv artist friend just named his daughter Miriam (his other kid is named Liam.) When I moved to the United States that was the first time people seemed to occasionally have issues pronouncing my name. I got a lot of "Maryann" or "Mareyum." It is not common in the US - only one little girl in one of my kids' schools was named Miriam. I have to spell it out a lot when on the phone. Do I like my name? Yes I do. It has been an advantage to have a name that is recognized around the world.

"The Prince of Egypt" makes me wanna marry a girl named "Miriam" and name our son "Moses"!

SO underused!

Miriam has always been one of my favorite names for a girl. I’m non-religious, but I’d still use this name. Miri is a cute nickname. Another thing is that it ever so slightly reminds me of my full name (William). I like that.

I think this name is somewhat masculine and could work on a boy.

Such a beautiful name. The Bible changed my mind about this name. I used to think this name was strange. This name is youthful but not too youthful.

My first child we named Miriam she is Italian and German we actually call her Mimi, I also thought at first the name sounded a little out dated and was not too happy when the wife insisted on Miriam but my daughter is now 25 and I think no other name would have fit, she is absolutely beautiful and the most caring person you could ever meet definitely wears her heart on her sleeve. It's a proud name and if you're lucky to have it wear it with pride.

Miriam is a wonderful and gorgeous name! Any age fits it and it's just downright BEAUTIFUL!

I love this name! I think the nickname Mimi is adorable with it.

OMG I love this! It's one of my favorite names ever, it's so sweet, happy, fancy, fun, formal, smart, it ages well, and so on. It does not sound like an old lady's name, this can work for a first name or middle name.

AWFUL! I’m sorry, dislike!

All Miriams I know are Christians. My aunt, neighbor and roommate. I've never met a Jewish Miriam, maybe because my country doesn't have a significant number of Jews.

I love this name!

I've loved this name forever, and I haven't stopped loving it yet.
:)

An old lady's name, but not in a bad way.

My name's Miriam and nobody has ever told me it sounds outdated, in fact I quite like my name. Some people call me Ria, which is another name I like, or Mary (I don't know why though!).

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It's sometimes thought to be a kind of strange name but I like how people get used to it and don't think much of my name when they think of me because it's just my name. It suits everyone too, which is nice.

Miriam is a very pretty name. It doesn't sound outdated at all. I can imagine a Miriam of any age.

Maybe I'm a little bit biased for being a Miriam, but I honestly don't understand what people are going on about in the comments, it definitely is not a common name you see every day but I would not say outdated or an old-lady like name.

I'm a Miriam in my 30s. Although I am not religious, I was raised Christian. I'm surprised at the commenters who say it is a name only for Jews. While the name Miriam is considered to be of Hebrew origin, the sister of Moses appears in the holy books of three major religious traditions: the Torah, the Christian Bible, and the Qur'an. Actually, some translations of the Bible name Moses' sister as another Mary, and in the Qur'an she is not named but simply mentioned as "his sister" (the only woman named in the Qur'an is Jesus' mother). But still, Miriam the sister of the Prophets Moses and Aaron is a known figure in religious history for more than just Jews.

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Most of the Miriams I have met in the past 10 years have been Muslim (although sometimes spelled Mariam). In fact, I once had a conversation with a little girl from Somalia whose reaction when she learned my name was, "How can that be? This is a Somali name."

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My friends and family have mostly taken to calling me either Miri or Ria. In high school, I lived in Argentina as an exchange student, and my host mom called me Miricita (in Spanish, the -ita or -cita is partly an endearment and partly means "little", so this was essentially "little Miri" or "dear Miri"). Like others have mentioned, many people throughout my life have misspelled or mispronounced my name, often Marian, Marium, Marion, Maryanne, etc. I have never been teased for my name or had any negative reactions to my name.

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My parents actually had a reason for choosing this name for me beyond simply liking it. My parents were Christian and, at the time of my birth, they were ballroom dance performers and instructors. They named me for the first mention of dance in the bible--Exodus 15:20--when Miriam leads the women of Israel in song and dance to praise God after crossing the Red Sea and escaping Egypt.

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Finally, regarding the mentions of the "bitter" meaning, I had always understood that this association was due to the story of the biblical Miriam in Numbers 12. She speaks against Moses and angers God, so she is struck with leprosy as punishment. But Moses and Aaron ask God to forgive her, so she is cured after seven days. Not her finest hour, but maybe the experience left her a little bitter?

My name is Miriam. I have never loved my name. There is an association of it being an old lady name and often, I've been told, "Oh, that is my mothers name" or "that is my grandmothers name". On the rare occasion that I meet another Miriam my age or younger, it makes me smile because they help break the stereotype. One thing I have appreciated about my name is that it is universal. I am Jewish and American, but I have met people from other cultures and from other parts of the world with my name (or close variations). I have found that when I travel to other countries, people are pretty accepting of me and I wonder if part of that is due to my name.

Whenever I see this name in print or hear someone say it, I keep thinking it must be an old woman.

I adore the name Miriam! My husband and I decided to use the name Miriam Estelle for a daughter (we don't know the sex of our baby yet). I've always thought Miriam in the Bible was a badass. She saved her infant brother, was one of the few female prophets, and led her people through the Red Sea with a song of liberation. I can't stress enough how strong and beautiful Miriam is.

My name is Miriam. I live in a really Jewish community, and I have a connection to my religion through my name. Despite my aforementioned Jewish neighborhood, many people have common American names, and it helps me connect to my Judaism in a way that not everybody can. I enjoy the fact that although my name isn't extremely obscure and unheard, I'm the only Miriam in my public school district, from kindergarten through 12th grade. I love my name, but when giving it to a child, I would beware of some things. First, people will struggle with pronunciations. No one will completely butcher it, and it will be obvious what your name is, but if that's something you are very concerned about, I'd be careful. I can't count the times that I've been called Mare-iam, or Marian, or Muriam. It doesn't bother me that much anymore, but it is slightly annoying, and people probably won't grasp what they're doing wrong. Another big thing, this name connects you to Judaism. When I was a bit younger, and we were all immature kids, a lot of people would always give me weird stares, or glance back at me on Passover every year. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but as a young kid that was something I was always embarrassed about. All in all, I think it's a cute name for a little girl, with lots of historical significance, and also an elegant name for an adult making a name for themselves out in the world.

I have a beautiful cousin and two beautiful friends named Miriam. My associations with this name are 100% positive. I think it's melodic and stands out from the crowd.

I find this name absolutely gorgeous. It sounds like an old name, but in a charming, adorable way like Mabel. It's such a soft, beautiful name and I can't see why anyone would be ashamed to have it. I'd prefer Miriam over my own name.

My name is Miriam and I despised my name as a child. Whenever someone would ask me for my name I would mutter it under my breath. My name was really supposed to be Rachel but my grandma threw a tantrum saying all Rachel's are "fat and ugly". She decided my name HAS to be Miriam. My parents were young and gave in. BTW, my aunt then named her daughter Rachel, and happens to be she did grow up to be very fat and very ugly but her sister Miriam is even fatter, and even uglier. So much for names.
In any case, I wouldn't advise anyone to name their daughter Miriam; there are better names out there.

My sister's name is Miriam. It's a beautiful name and she is beautiful. It does sound like bells. There are many lovely nicknames. She was dismayed being told that her name meant "bitter" but that is not at all the case. Some of the meanings here are correct. I believe the "bitter" was shortened from "bitterly longed for child" which is far more accurate. All other meanings are beautiful and powerful. My sister is both.

I like Miriam with the the nickname Mia. Ria would be cute as well though. Great alternative to Mary, and it's the original form.

What an awful moniker to put on a baby. It sounds like a 75 year old woman sitting at a mah jong table. It is cruel to name a baby this name.

Like all Mary- names it reminds me of horses (Mare-eahm) MARE: Female horse.

Miriam is a quite common name in Israel, and in portions of the U.S. with heavy concentrations of Jewish people. When I lived on the East coast, everyone could spell my name correctly. Now that I live in the West, not so much. One of the reasons I always hated my name as a child is because people called me Mary, Marianne, Marium, Marion, etc. And if you can't pronounce the name, you certainly can't spell it. As an adult, however, I love it.

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My Israeli friends always chuckle at my name, because in Israel it's apparently the same kind of name that Myrtle or Agnes is in the U.S. -- kind of frumpy. (On the other hand, I have 2 friends who've recently named their daughters Agnes, so maybe it's on the upswing.)

I really like this name. It's very elegant, and Mira/Miri are great nicknames. Unfortunately, I'd never use it for a child, as I'm not religious in the slightest and this name is extremely associated with religion.

My name is Miriam and I have a nickname that is not associated with my name which is Midge. I never liked my name but as I get older I appreciate the rare beautiful name I was given. I am the third in my family with this name and if I ever have a daughter I will name her Miriam.

My name is Miriam and I love it. Everyone that I meet remembers my name because I am the only Miriam that they know. For an interesting twist several people recently when I have told them my name aren't sure what it was because they have never heard it before and have asked me "Mirele". That's so funny because the Yiddish diminutive name for Miriam is Mirele. I think from now on when people ask me if Mirele is right, I will say yes.

Miriam's are usually strong, beautiful, funny and intelligent girls with a great personality. I reaĺly love the name it means mirror of God, star of the sea, good rebel and bitterly wished for child. Like Mary the mother of God, they are God fearing and real classy ladies. Although they could be strongheaded and tough at times they are actually softies with a good heart who make great and wonderful homes. Gorgeous name.

Miriam is a very pretty name. It's a shame that a lot of people don't use it, and those who do have it use nicknames like "Miri" and "Mimi". Those are just the nicknames I have heard of. There are probably many more, and it's a shame that the few people who have this name don't use it.

I love this name. I like how it's a bit more complex than Mary.

If I met someone named Miriam, I would assume she was Jewish and be surprised if it turned out she wasn't.

I'm sorry, but this name is super ugly.

I went to school with a German exchange student. She spelled her name Miriam not Mirjam (like the German variant listed). Anyway, she was a wonderful person; very cheerful, friendly, and extremely intelligent.

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Don't get stuck on what a name means or supposedly means. Miriam is actually the original name for Mary, mother of Jesus (according to Bruce Lansky's "The Very Best Baby Name Book In The Whole Wide World).

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Bitterness doesn't necessarily mean the same thing it once did so it's important to keep that in mind.

I love Miriam. It is such a warm and kind name. I especially love the nicknames Miri and Mim for it. So cute!

It stops sounding nice to me after the first syllable. But it's not a bad name, I guess.

Ugh! I hate this name, and I don't often use the word 'hate'. Its pronunciation is clumsy, awkward and downright ugly--the previous comments saying that it's elegant and beautiful baffle me. Also, I can't hear this name without thinking of a cranky old lady in a nursing home who always gets into fights with other residents and threatens them with her knitting needles.

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But go ahead and give your child this name if you please--there isn't anything about this name that kids would find to tease your child about, other than that fact it's a terribly ugly name.

Miriam is my name and I quite like it. It's not overly common, at least not where I live, and I think it will age well: I can still see myself with this name in 30 years. Most of my friends call me Miri, which is a good nickname in my opinion.

When I was a kid my church had a lot of beautiful paintings of scenes from the Bible, and my favorite was Miriam watching Moses in his basket. I've always thought this name had a timeless kind of beauty and strength. One of my friends is named Miriam, and I think it suits her perfectly. Definitely a name I'd give to a daughter.

I think this is a BEAUTIFUL, elegant name. When I hear this name I think of a small dark headed little girl, probably because of my Biblical association. When I grow up, if I have a little girl, I will name her Miriam. At first I wanted to use Marie. Miriam is much more original and unique, and I think it's a wonderful name. Plus, I don't know anyone with this name, so that's what makes it unique.

I'm not a Christian myself, and I haven't been for over five years now; And yet, there is something about this name that appeals to me. I would certainly give this name to a child, provided that the name suited her.

I think Miriam is superlatively beautiful, so much so that I find it irresistible. It has a wonderful rich history behind it, owing to the strong Biblical character. It has the pretty nicknames Mimi and Miri for those who wish to shorten this gorgeous name!

Miriam sounds like a bit of an older name, but I do believe that, when my generation is older, that names such as Jennifer, Ashley, and Brittney will all sound like old ladies to the younger generation.

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Regardless, this is a beautiful name, and should one want a shorter form, Miria sounds equally nice, sort of like Maria but with a bit of a twist.

I like this name, it's sweet and you could call your daughter Miri for short!

This is my sister's name. She doesn't really have a nickname, but sometimes we call her Mimimum for fun. It's a good name, and it has a good Bible story to go with it.

Miriam is my name. It's not that I'm crazy about it after a lifetime of hearing it daily but it's ok. As for the meaning, it has so many that I picked up the one I like best: God's beloved.

Miriam is a pretty name! I think the nickname "Miri" would be cute.

I really like this name! It sounds so strong and gracful and is a great alternative to Mary.

It sounds like a cute name but for some reason it reminds me of an older widow who is very depressed.

I really like this name, but I prefer the spelling "Mirjam" better.

Miriam is a beautiful elegant name, I love it. If you look up the name Mary, another possible meaning for the name could be "wished for child".

My name is Miriam Louise and I love it. It's such a rare and unique name where I live.

My name is Miriam Lisa. Miriam is a sick name, shame the meanings for it aren't very good, for e.g, "bitter". Who likes being called bitter? Everyone called Miriam, you guys rock. What do you use for nicknames? Mine is "Mim".

Miriam is such a sexy name, it love the letter M in a woman's name.