Mariah is inseparable from Mariah Carey — the five-octave vocalist, holiday music institution, and pop culture presence since 1990. A female pet named Mariah is almost certainly a tribute, an ironic comment about the animal's vocal abilities, or simply a name chosen by someone for whom Mariah Carey represents a formative musical presence.
The Carey Effect
Mariah Carey has maintained cultural relevance across multiple decades in a way that few pop stars achieve. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" resurfaces every November as reliably as the holiday itself, which means Mariah as a name gets a seasonal reminder every year that few celebrity-derived pet names receive. Cats with especially dramatic vocalizations get this name with particular frequency — the whistle-register joke writes itself. Siamese cats, famously vocal, are a natural pairing.
The Name Underneath the Star
Mariah as a name independent of the celebrity carries Hebrew and Latin roots related to Maria — meaning "beloved" or "of the sea." The Mariah spelling was relatively uncommon before the singer's emergence in 1990. Mariah as a human name peaked in the mid-1990s, carried almost entirely by the singer's influence. That peak has passed in human registries, which makes the pet-name use feel more like homage than trend-following.
The Counter-Reading: The Diva Expectation
Naming a pet Mariah implies a certain personality expectation that the animal may or may not fulfill. A timid, quiet cat named Mariah is a sustained comedic irony. A genuinely demanding, vocal, high-maintenance pet named Mariah is simply accurate. Owners should choose accordingly.