| Miriam | Talia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of debated origin | dew of God |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MEER-ee-um | TAH-lee-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1960 |
| Peak year | 1924 (1,834) | 2023 (1,183) |
| In 2025 | 1,262 | 1,180 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Miriam | Talia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,334 | 6,556 |
| 2010s | 10,927 | 9,409 |
| 2000s | 11,356 | 8,517 |
| 1990s | 10,071 | 5,533 |
| 1980s | 7,729 | 3,146 |
| 1970s | 6,433 | 940 |
| 1960s | 8,084 | 53 |
| 1950s | 9,544 | 0 |
| 1940s | 7,107 | 0 |
| 1930s | 8,348 | 0 |
| 1920s | 15,504 | 0 |
| 1910s | 11,048 | 0 |
| 1900s | 2,566 | 0 |
| 1890s | 1,397 | 0 |
| 1880s | 462 | 0 |
An ancient Hebrew name of debated meaning, variously read “beloved,” “bitter,” or “of the sea.” Miriam is the sister of Moses.
Hebrew tal 'dew' + Yah (God), traditionally 'dew of God / dew from God' — an interpretive reading rather than a biblical name. Note two separate threads that are not part of the Hebrew sense: the Aramaic word talya ('young lamb, youth'), and the Greek Thalia ('blooming, flourishing'), with which the spelling overlaps.
Miriam is more popular than Talia today: about 1,262 US babies were given the name Miriam in 2025, compared with 1,180 named Talia.
Miriam means Of debated origin (Hebrew origin), while Talia means dew of God (hebrew origin).
In US records, Miriam first appears in 1880 and Talia in 1960, so Miriam has the longer recorded history.