Meaning: Its source is Miryam, a Hebrew name meaning "Wished-for child."

Origin: "Miryam."

Popularity: The name Marion ranked 290th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: The Hebrew prototype of this name evolved into a number of mainly female forms. However, the importance to Christians of the Virgin Mother of Jesus, who was known by this name, prompted the creation of masculine forms, both as a sign of pious respect and as a means of asking for special protection.

Scholars disagree about the ultimate source and meaning of the name, which has also been interpreted as ''rebellion'' and ''sea of bitterness.'' St. Jerome associated it with the Latin phrase stella maris (star of the sea), but this was more an ecstatic commentary on the mother of Jesus than it was scholarship explaining the source of the name.

Meaning: Its source is Miryam, a Hebrew name meaning "Wished-for child."

Origin: "Miryam."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Dutch, English, French and Polish.

Compound Forms: Darion

Alternative Spellings: Marian

Popularity: The name Marion ranked 178th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.

Narrative: The original Miryam of the Hebrew scriptures was sister to Moses and Aaron. Some scholars believe her name, and those of her brothers, could have originated in the ancient Egyptian language, and that their meanings are lost. Others offer alternate interpretations, including ''rebellion'' and ''sea of bitterness.''

Various forms derived from Miryam -- Latin Maria developed into French Marie, then English Mary. Among Christians, they are venerated as the name of the mother of Jesus Christ. St. Jerome associated the Virgin's name with the Latin phrase stella maris (''star of the sea''), and this can be regarded as yet another meaning that inspired the widespread use of so many forms of this name.