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Home › Baby Names Directory › Marianne

Marianne

♀ Girl

Pronounced mehr-ee-AN /mɛɹ.i.ˈæn/Medium

Meaning: Sea of bitternessMedium

In 30 seconds: Marianne is a French name traditionally read as a blend of Marie and Anne, with the 'sea of bitterness' sense carried by Marie.
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Origin MediumFrench, English, German
MeaningSea of bitterness
U.S. rank (2025)#1828 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births110 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1957
Total births (all-time)≈ 65,516

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195718862025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

It pairs the two classic names Marie and Anne, and the meaning 'sea of bitterness' comes through the Marie element, an old reading of the Hebrew Mary. In France the name carries extra weight as the national personification of the Republic. That public symbolism has kept it familiar in French culture well beyond its use as a personal name.

The double 'n' and final 'e' give it a soft, distinctly French ending, while forms like Mariann strip it back. Actresses Marianne Sägebrecht and Oscar-nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste both carry the name.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Marianne is 'sea of bitterness', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Marianne — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MarjanMariann

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Marianne Sägebrecht (1945–present)
    German actress, lead in Bagdad Café (1987) and Sugarbaby; German Film Award winner.
  • ★Marianne Jean-Baptiste (1967–present)
    English actress, Oscar-nominated for Secrets & Lies (1996); starred in Without a Trace.

If you like Marianne…

Marie— One half of the Marie-and-Anne blend behind Marianne
Anne— The second name combined into Marianne
Mariana— A Romance-language relative built on the same Marie root
Marian— A closely related form sharing the Marie origin and sound

Explore names like Marianne

By themeenglishfrench
By meaningSea / Water

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Marianne mean?

Marianne is usually explained as meaning 'sea of bitterness' and is most often linked with French tradition.

How do you pronounce Marianne?

It's commonly said mehr-ee-AN /mɛɹ.i.ˈæn/.

Is Marianne a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Marianne is used as a girl name.

How popular is Marianne?

In 2024, Marianne ranked #2122 in the U.S. for girls, with 90 births recorded.

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