How old is someone named Mary?
The average Mary is 66 years old.
Half of all living Marys are between 59 and 78.
When was Mary popular?
Mary was at its most popular in the early 1920s. Parents have been moving away from it for decades, and 2,230 babies were named Mary in 2025.
Popular names of 1921 · The most popular names of the 1920s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 162,187 | 0 |
| 1910s | 480,009 | under 100 |
| 1920s | 704,186 | 12,000 |
| 1930s | 576,028 | 120,000 |
| 1940s | 642,384 | 360,000 |
| 1950s | 627,144 | 490,000 |
| 1960s | 356,586 | 310,000 |
| 1970s | 126,934 | 120,000 |
| 1980s | 96,472 | 93,000 |
| 1990s | 75,920 | 74,000 |
| 2000s | 46,443 | 46,000 |
| 2010s | 25,709 | 26,000 |
| 2020s | 12,990 | 13,000 |
How many Marys are still alive?
About 1.7 million Marys are alive in the US today. That's 40% of the roughly 4.2 million babies named Mary since 1880.
Most Marys ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1921, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Mary?
About half of living Marys are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Mary an old name?
Yes. Mary is older than 96 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Mary will be 65 in 2056, about the same as today.
Is Mary a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely girls: 99.7% of living Marys are women.
Names the same age as Mary
NAME TWIN
Mary's name twin is Sally. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Sally's age curve is the closest match to Mary's: 96% alike.
Compare: Mary vs. Maria · Marie vs. Mary
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Questions about the name Mary
How old is the average Mary?
The average Mary in the US is 66 years old. The median is 70, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Mary?
About 1.7 million Marys are alive in the US today, out of roughly 4.2 million babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Mary most popular?
In 1921, when about 74,000 baby girls were named Mary.
Is Mary a Boomer name?
Yes. About 52% of living Marys are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this