Miriam (given name)

Miriam () is a feminine given name recorded in Biblical Hebrew in the Book of Exodus as the name of the sister of Moses, the prophetess Miriam.

Spelling variants include French ''Myriam'', German ''Mirjam, Mirijam''; hypocoristic forms include Mira, Miri and Mimi (commonly given in Israel).

The name's etymology is unclear. Since many Levite names are of Egyptian origin, the name could come from the Egyptian ''mr'' "love", as in the Egyptian names ''mry.t-jmn'' (Merit-Amun) "beloved of Amun" and ''mry.t-rꜥ'' (Merytre) "beloved of Ra".

An older Grecian pronunciation of this name, ''Maryām'' (Μαριάμ), is found in the Greek Old Testament (3rd century BCE) and in the New Testament manuscripts as the name of several women, including Mary, mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Variants of this name include Greek and Latin ''Maria'', whence French ''Marie'' and English ''Mary''.

"Miriam" is a common female name in countries that speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Dutch as well as among Ashkenazi Jews. It is also fairly common in Scandinavian countries, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. Provided by Wikipedia