Rosemary

Rosemary meaning

Rosemary is a Christian and international girl's name of English origin (from Latin).

Rosemary; Latin ros marinus, 'dew' + 'of the sea'

Also used to mean: dew of the sea, rose of Mary

Rosemary is the name of the fragrant herb. Webster's 1913 dictionary traces it to Latin rosmarinus, from ros, 'dew', and marinus, 'of the sea', and Lewis & Short confirm ros marinus as the Romans' name for the plant, which grows wild on Mediterranean coasts. Webster also notes that English speakers reshaped the word as if it meant 'the rose of Mary', and that double reading made it a natural name for Christian girls honouring the Virgin Mary. Rosemary has long stood for remembrance, as in Ophelia's line in Hamlet. In India it is used in Christian families.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), s.v. rosemary · entry rosemary · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Webster's 1913, Rosemary · Lewis & Short, ros (alatius.com)

Popularity abroad

• #251 United States, girls 2025 (up 50 from 301 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #490 England and Wales, girls 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Rosemary · Rosemarie · Rosmary

Related names

Also meaning nature

Also starting with Ros-

More names of Latin origin

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