It has been used as a diminutive of Mary since the Middle ages and was first used by the Irish. Nowadays, it is more often used as an independent given name. Mary is an English form of Maria, the name used in the New Testament, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miryam. There are several possible meanings of Miryam, some of them being: "lots of bitterness", "wished for child", "bitter", "rebellious". Mary is the name of different characters in New Testament, the most important ones being the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. The name has been extremely popular for centuries, especially among Christians.