Marian is a name of Latin origin and means "of Mars". Mars was the Roman god of war, known for his courage and valor in battle. The name Marian has been used as both a male and female name throughout history. It was popular among early Christians as they associated it with Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. However, despite its religious connotations, Marian is not exclusively a Christian name. It can also be found in other cultures and religions, often used as a unisex given name or surname.
The use of the name Marian can be traced back to ancient Rome where it was used as an agnomen, which was a type of surname derived from personal characteristics or attributes. In this case, Marian likely referred to someone who was courageous or strong like the god Mars.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures with the name Marian. One example is St. Marianne Cope, a Catholic sister known for her service to the sick and afflicted in Hawaii during the late 19th century. Another is Marian Anderson, an African-American contralto vocalist who became an important figure in the struggle for civil rights in the United States.
Today, Marian remains a popular given name for both boys and girls in many parts of the world. It is often seen as a strong, independent name with a rich historical background. While its meaning is rooted in Roman mythology, Marian's true power lies in its versatility and timelessness as a unisex given name.
The statistics you provided show the number of births for the name Marian in the United States each year from 1880 to 2023.
Looking at the data, we can see that the popularity of the name Marian has fluctuated over time. The highest number of births recorded was in 1954 with a total of 4013 newborns named Marian. This is significantly higher than any other year on record and could be indicative of a trend or event specific to that period.
However, since then, the popularity of the name Marian has decreased steadily. From the 1960s onwards, the number of births for this name has consistently been below 500 per year, with some years recording fewer than 200. The lowest point in recent history was in 2020, with only 164 newborns named Marian.
Overall, while Marian was a popular name in the past, it appears to have fallen out of favor in recent decades. However, it is always possible that trends could change and Marian becomes popular again in the future.