Meaning & Origin
A female given name.
Mariel is a girl's and boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of Maria, from the Hebrew Miryam meaning "beloved" or "wished-for child." It has been used particularly in Dutch and Latin American naming traditions as an affectionate form.
Actress Mariel Hemingway — granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and an Academy Award nominee for Manhattan — gave the name significant visibility in the late 1970s and 1980s. With over 7,000 U.S. births on record, Mariel has been a quiet but consistent name that bridges formal Maria and the more casual Marie.