Marina Overview
- Meaning: Marina is a feminine name derived from the masculine Latin Marinus, which means “of the sea” or “from the sea.”
- Gender: Marina has primarily been considered a feminine name throughout history. The masculine version of Marina is Marinus.
- Origin: The feminine name Marina comes from the masculine name Marinus. Both names are Latin in origin.
- Pronunciation: “muh-REE-nuh”
- Popularity: Marina is a pretty popular name, sitting at the rank of #718 for the most popular girl’s name in the United States for 2021.
- Nicknames: Ina, Mari, Marnie, Mars, Mary, Mina, Nina, Ri, Rina.
- Variations: Ina, Maren, Mariana, Marijn, Marika, Marin, Marína, Marine, Marinella, Marinka, Marinos, Marinus, Marnie, Maryna.
- Namesakes: Marina Abramovic,Marina Diamandis, Marina Tsvetaeva.
What Does Marina Mean?
Marina is a feminine name derived from the masculine Latin name Marinus, which means “of the sea” or “from the sea.” The Latine word “mare” means sea.
The word marina, rather than the name Marina, refers to a specialized dock for yachts and small boats. The name closely connects with water and the sea, no matter the context.
The name Marina’s connection to the sea and water was cemented by the character Marina in William Shakespeare’s play “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.” In the play, Marina is the daughter of Pericles and Thaisa and was born on a ship in the middle of a storm. The character later explains that her name came from being born “of the sea” (1).
What Is the Origin of the Name Marina?
The feminine name Marina comes from the masculine name Marinus. Both names are Latin in origin. For those deeply connected to water, such as fishermen or sailors, the name Marina or Marinus would be given to the healthy babies born in fishing towns or seaside villages.
The name’s popularity throughout history stems from the various venerated saints that shared the title. Notably, Saint Margaret of Antioch was better known as Saint Marina in the Eastern world, such as in Greece and Rome (2).
How Popular Is the Name Marina?
Marina is a historical name that began to climb in popularity as a girl’s name in the United States in the late 1910s. In 1919, the name first rose to the top 1000 at #902.
In 1934, Marina gained a foothold at #848 and began to rise in popularity. In 1984, it cracked the top 500 for the first time at #484.
The most popular years for the name Marine were 1992 through 1936. In 1994, it reached its highest rank ever at #218. Since then, the name has been slowly dropping in popularity.
Marina is a pretty popular name, sitting at #718 for the most popular girl’s names in the United States for 2021 (3).
How Do I Pronounce Marina?
The name Marina is pronounced “muh-REE-nuh.” The name rhymes with the words “arena” and “ballerina.”
Is Marina a Boy or Girl Name?
Marina has primarily been considered a feminine name throughout history. The masculine version of Marina is Marinus.
Variations of Marina
Due to the name Marina’s long history, there have been many variations.
- Ina (German)
- Maren (Danish)
- Mariana (Portuguese)
- Marijn (Dutch)
- Marika (Georgian)
- Marin (French)
- Marína (Slovak)
- Marine (Armenian, Georgian)
- Marinella (Italian)
- Marinka (Croatian, Slovene)
- Marinos (Greek)
- Marinus (Ancient Roman)
- Marnie (English)
- Maryna (Belarusian, Polish)
Nicknames for Marina
If you need a catchy nickname for Marina, look no further, as we’ve found the best for you.
- Ina
- Mari
- Marnie
- Mars
- Mary
- Mina
- Nina
- Ri
- Rina
Similar Names to Marina
If the name Marina interests you, these classic Greek and Latin names should also inspire you.
- Aurelia
- Avalon
- Cecilia
- Chloe
- Diana
- Eleni
- Francesca
- Helena
- Livia
- Lucia
- Maria
- Marilla
- Milena
- Sabina
- Sophia
- Vita
Middle Names for Marina
A robust Latin girl name, there aren’t many names that don’t pair well with Marina, but we’ve narrowed it down to our favorites.
- Alexandria
- Calla
- Carmen
- Catherine
- Damaris
- Dawn
- Elaina
- Florence
- Grace
- Louisa
- Lynn
- Lyra
- Pearl
- Rebecca
- Thea
- Vivian
Sibling Names for Marina
Many of these sibling names are gender-neutral or unisex, so any sibling of Marina will have a well-matching name.
- Addison
- Alex
- Ali
- Dana
- Ember
- Ianthe
- Julian
- Juno
- Melia
- Nova
- Paris
- Phoenix
- Sage
- Sasha
- Tobin
- Valentine
Famous People Named Marina
Because the name Marina has been popular throughout history, many famous people named Marina.
- Marina Abramovic: Serbian artist well-known for her prevalence in performance art.
- Marina Ruy Barbosa: Brazilian actress well-known for her work in telenovelas.
- Marina Diamandis: Welsh-Greek singer, known by the former stage name “Marina and the Diamonds” and currently “Marina.”
- Marina Semyonova: first Soviet-trained prima ballerina.
- Marina Squerciati: American actress well-known for her role in the TV series “Chicago P.D.”
- Marina Raskova: first woman professional air navigator in the Soviet Union.
- Marina Tsvetaeva: Russian poet who wrote and documented the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Marina in Popular Culture
Here are some of the popular fictional characters that share the name Marina.
- Marina: a character in the Shakespearan play “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.”
- Marina: an octopus-based villager from the video game “Animal Crossing.”
- Marina: the water-element fairy from Disney’s “Tinker Bell in Pixie Hollow” series.
- Marina: one of the Whitecap Bay mermaids from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
Marina FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the name Marina.
What Does the Name Marine Mean in the Bible?
The name Marina does not appear in the Christian or Hebrew bibles, though it is present in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Myrina (a variant of Marina) is the queen of Amazons, the female warrior/hunter race (4).
