Rosemary

Rosemary - A very unique female name

Rosemary appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #326. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rosemary and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rosemary? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Rosemary. The baby girl name Rosemary was given to 1,199 baby girls in 2025, ranking #251 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,087 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rosemary peaked in popularity 80 years ago in 1946 on position 74.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rosemary, 1-5?

Rosemary is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rosemary is currently topping the baby name charts in Alaska at position #85 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #563.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Rosemary is where you live.

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Rosemary origin and meaning

English — combination of Rose and Mary, reshaped by the herb

Formed from Rose + Mary, but long associated with the herb rosemary, from Latin ros marinus, 'dew of the sea'

Rosemary began as a double name, Rose Mary, and was absorbed into the herb name, whose Latin source means 'dew of the sea.' A top-100 name in the 1940s (peak 1947), it is now a strong vintage revival, climbing from #447 in 2020 to #251 in 2025. It offers both Rose and Mary as built-in short forms.

Attested etymology

Rosemary is a 8 letter name with 4 syllables.

To see famous people named Rosemary, pop culture references for the name Rosemary and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Rosemary

We've found the following names that sound similar to Rosemary, sorted by popularity.

Rosemarie / Rosamaria / Rosmery / Rosemari / Rosemaria /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Rosemary

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Rosemary a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Rosemary?

4 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ROHZ-mair-ee · /ˈroʊzmɛəri/

Around the world

• Rosmarie (German) — German combined form

Spellings and nicknames

• Rosemarie — The spelling that keeps the Rose-Marie structure visible

Nicknames: RoseRosieMary

Famous bearers

• Rosemary Clooney — American singer and actress, star of White Christmas (1928–2002) Contemporary
• Rosemary Kennedy — Eldest daughter of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy (1918–2005) Contemporary

Style

ClassicNatureVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Rosemary is the herbal, storybook member of the Rose family, coming back strongly as parents mine the 1940s for names.

Worth knowing

• Some will assume it is two names, Rose Mary, and the herb and cooking association is constant.