Maram
An Arabic feminine name meaning "lofty aim" or "high desire".
Name Census estimates that about 868 living Americans carry the first name Maram. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maram today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maram births was 2012 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maram. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Maram with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
868
~ 1 in 394,878 Americans
Peak year
2012
46 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,524
Tracked since 1982
Census
Maram in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,333 people with the first name Maram, which placed it at #10,122 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#10,122
National first-name rank
People counted
1.3K
1,333 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
85.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maram
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Maram is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Black (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Maram described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Maram at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 1,137
- Two or more races7.6% · 101
- Black or African American4.4% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Popularity
Maram: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maram from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 380 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maram by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Maram during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Michigan, California recorded the most babies named Maram, while California, Michigan, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 101 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maram
The name Maram has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, with roots tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Arabic word "marram," which means "forbidden" or "prohibited." The name is believed to have been used in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions as early as the 7th century CE.
In Islamic tradition, the name Maram is mentioned in various historical texts and religious scriptures. It is believed to have been the name of a female companion of the Prophet Muhammad, although details about her life and significance are scarce. The name's association with the concept of "forbidden" or "prohibited" may have been intended to convey a sense of sacredness or reverence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maram can be found in the works of renowned Arab historians and scholars from the medieval period. Al-Tabari, a renowned historian born in 839 CE, mentioned a woman named Maram in his writings, providing insight into the use of the name during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Maram. One such figure was Maram al-Qabbani (1934-2008), a celebrated Syrian poet and author known for her powerful and evocative works exploring themes of love, resistance, and the human condition. Her poetry collections, including "Qasaid" and "Aghani al-Bahr al-Mutawassit," earned her widespread acclaim and numerous literary awards.
Another prominent individual with the name Maram was Maram Al-Masri (1962-2008), a renowned Syrian journalist and political activist. She was known for her fearless reporting and advocacy for human rights, particularly in the context of the Syrian civil war. Al-Masri's courageous journalism earned her international recognition and numerous awards.
In the realm of science, Maram Al-Qaysi (born 1976) is a notable figure. An Iraqi-Canadian researcher and academic, Al-Qaysi has made significant contributions to the field of nanotechnology and materials science. Her work on developing innovative nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications has garnered international recognition.
Additionally, Maram Beidas (born 1982) is a respected Palestinian-American artist and educator. Her multidisciplinary works, which often explore themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage, have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Beidas has also been recognized for her efforts in promoting arts education and cultural exchange.
While the name Maram has ancient roots and historical significance, its enduring popularity can be attributed to its melodic sound and the diverse cultural backgrounds of those who have carried it throughout the centuries.
People
Maram + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maram as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maram: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maram?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 868 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maram going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 394,878 US residents.
Is Maram a common name?
We classify Maram as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 881 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maram most popular?
The single biggest year for Maram was 2012, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maram is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Maram in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,333 people with the name Maram, or 0.44 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #10,122 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Maram in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Maram?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Maram leans strongly female. 1,315 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 19 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Maram?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Maram is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Black (4.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Maram most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Maram in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (1,137 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Maram in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Maram a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maram in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Maram still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Maram in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Maram can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Maram?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.