← G3136 G3138 →

Μαρία

María

G3137 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper noun: personal name Maria. Used in the New Testament and other early Christian texts as the Greek rendering of a Hebrew personal name belonging both to figures prominent in Israelite tradition and to female contemporaries of the first century CE. The core referent is individual women with this name, with usage reflecting adaptation into Greek-speaking environments. The name often designates women of significance, including those associated with Jesus of Nazareth and members of his wider circle. The semantic range includes designation of identity and sometimes, by extension, familial or social associations.

Semantic Range

the personal name of various women; reference to notable individuals in Israelite and early Christian tradition; used for the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and others in the New Testament

Root / Etymology

Greek Μαρία is a Hellenized form of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם (Miryam), likely entering Greek usage via Aramaic מַרְיָם (Maryam).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Μαρία (Maria) serves as the common Greek form for the Hebrew name מִרְיָם (Miryam). In the New Testament, Maria and Μαριάμ (Mariam) are both used to reference multiple women—including the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Lazarus, and others. The use of Μαρία occurs especially in later Gospel and Acts traditions, while Μαριάμ is more frequent in older sources and when drawing on direct Semitic tradition. The distinction is largely stylistic and reflects accommodation to Greek linguistic conventions. In classical Greek, this name does not appear before the Hellenistic period and is not attested outside Jewish and early Christian circles. Later Christian and English tradition universally render both Μαρία and Μαριάμ as 'Mary,' but this does not capture potential distinctions of background, dialect, or register. The name does not itself denote religious identity or status; meaning is entirely referential to the person bearing the name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (מִרְיָם); Maria or Mariam (i.e. Mirjam), the name of six Christian females:-- Mary.

Root Family

Μαρία (Maria) — proper personal name, female individual designation

Root Μαρ- a proper name, to designate a specific female individual

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3137-01 Μαρία maria N NOM F SG Mary Maria Maria 23
G3137-02 Μαριὰμ mariam N NOM F SG Mary Mariam Maria 22
G3137-04 Μαρίας marias N GEN F SG Mary of Maria Maria 7
G3137-03 Μαρίαν marian N ACC F SG Mary Maria Maria 2

Occurrences in Scripture

54 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3137-04 Matthew 1:16 Μαρίας marias N GEN F SG of Mary of Maria Maria
G3137-04 Matthew 1:18 Μαρίας marias N GEN F SG Mary of Maria Maria
G3137-03 Matthew 1:20 Μαρίαν marian N ACC F SG Mary Maria Maria
G3137-04 Matthew 2:11 Μαρίας marias N GEN F SG Mary of Maria Maria
G3137-02 Matthew 13:55 Μαριὰμ mariam N NOM F SG Mary Mariam Maria
G3137-01 Matthew 27:56 Μαρία maria N NOM F SG Mary Maria Maria
G3137-01 Matthew 27:56 Μαρία maria-2 N NOM F SG Mary Maria Maria
G3137-02 Matthew 27:61 Μαριὰμ mariam N NOM F SG Mary Mariam Maria
G3137-01 Matthew 27:61 Μαρία maria N NOM F SG Mary Maria Maria
G3137-01 Matthew 28:1 Μαρία maria N NOM F SG Mary Maria Maria
← G3136 Greek Lexicon G3138 →