Meaning Hebrew of contested etymology, traditionally interpreted as "bitter," "beloved," or "rebellion."
Figure The Theotokos; Mother of Jesus; Mother of God (Luke 1-2; Matthew 1-2; Acts 1; John 19).
Feast day January 1 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Catholic); March 25 (Annunciation); August 15 (Assumption / Dormition); September 8 (Nativity of the Theotokos)
Traditions CATHOLICORTHODOXANGLICANPROTESTANT
In the Christian tradition
Mary is the mother of Jesus, the Theotokos (God-bearer) of Catholic and Orthodox tradition. Her "let it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38) and her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) are foundational texts of Christian discipleship. The name in its many forms (Mary, Maria, Marie, Maryam, Miriam) is among the most-used Christian women's names worldwide.
Mary is the most-honored woman in Christian tradition. The Theotokos ("God-bearer," declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431) of Catholic and Orthodox tradition; the Blessed Virgin Mary; the Mother of God; the figure honored under many titles across all Christian traditions even where their veneration patterns differ. The Marian feasts in the Catholic calendar include the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (January 1), the Annunciation (March 25), the Visitation (May 31), the Assumption (August 15), the Nativity of Mary (September 8), the Presentation of Mary (November 21), and the Immaculate Conception (December 8). The Orthodox calendar parallels most of these (the Dormition replacing the Assumption in name and theology). Catholic tradition includes a wide range of devotional practices around Mary: the rosary; the various Marian apparitions (Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe) with their associated devotions; the Litany of Loreto. Protestant traditions vary widely in their relation to Mary, but virtually all hold the biblical Mary in high regard as the mother of Jesus and the model of faithful response. The name in its many forms is among the most-used Christian women's names worldwide and continues in heavy modern use.