Marina
Marina Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity
mer-EE-nuh
Meaning of Marina: Marina derives from Latin "marinus" (of the sea, belonging to the sea), the feminine form of "marinus" from "mare" (sea). According to Online Etymology Dictionary, "mare" shares its Proto-Indo-European root "mori-" (sea, lake) with Old Irish "muir," Gothic "marei," and Old English "mere" - all ultimately referring to standing or flowing water. The name's meaning - "she of the sea" - gave it poetic resonance in seafaring Mediterranean cultures from antiquity onward.
Saint Marina of Antioch (also known as Saint Margaret in the Western Church) was a 3rd or 4th-century virgin martyr whose cult spread widely across the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic churches. She is one of the saints said to have spoken to Joan of Arc in 1425, cementing her presence in medieval French devotional culture. Her feast day is July 17 in the Roman calendar.
Marina has been in continuous use across Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and Russian naming traditions for over a millennium. Russian uses it as a formal name (Марина), Italian as both given name and surname, and Greek as a saint's name celebrated at numerous churches named for Saint Marina across Cyprus and Greece.
What Does Marina Mean? Origin & Etymology
According to SSA records, Marina ranked #640 for girls in the most recent annual count, with 465 births. The name has been in continuous US SSA records since the late 19th century, driven by Italian-American, Greek-American, and later Hispanic communities, and has held steady without major trend spikes.
Marina's cross-cultural utility - equally at home in Italian, Spanish, Russian, and English contexts - makes it one of the most genuinely international names in common American use. Its sea imagery adds a natural, elemental quality that fits current naming preferences for names with real-world meaning beyond personal history.
How Popular Is Marina?
Numerology & Symbolism of Marina
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Marina – Similar Names & Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions about Marina
What does the name Marina mean?
The name Marina carries roots in Italian and reflects the naming values of that cultural tradition. The precise meaning connects to concepts meaningful in its source language and culture.
How popular is the name Marina in the United States?
According to SSA records, Marina ranked #640 for girl names in the United States, with 461 births recorded in the most recent annual count. The name hit its highest SSA rank in 2024. It has held a consistent place in US naming statistics across multiple decades.
Where does the name Marina come from?
The name Marina comes from Italian. It entered English use through the linguistic and cultural channels typical of Italian-origin names—whether through religious texts, migration, or the prestige associated with classical learning. Today it is recognized as a girl’s name across the English-speaking world.