Marian

American  

[mair-ee-uhn, mar-] / ˈmɛər i ən, ˈmær- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Virgin Mary.

2. of or relating to some other Mary, as Mary Tudor of England or Mary, Queen of Scots.

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noun

1. a person who has a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary.

2. an adherent or defender of Mary, Queen of Scots.

3. a female given name, form of Mary.

Marian British  

/ ˈmɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus

2. of or relating to some other Mary, such as Mary, Queen of Scots or Mary I of England

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noun

1. a person who has a special devotion to the Virgin Mary

2. a supporter of some other Mary

Etymology

Origin of Marian

First recorded in 1600–10; Mary + -an

Example Sentences

Janet Leng, 75, and Marian Hodgson, 39, volunteer with I Am Reusable food bank in York and redistribute food which would otherwise go to waste.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

The research was funded by internal grants from Marian University and Sigma Zeta.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

“She is Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he tells me, a Marian apparition venerated as a national icon in Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement that it was “the largest collection of products and experiences in ‘Stranger Things’ history and one of our biggest campaigns yet.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

Later that afternoon, at a crowded press conference, Ickes announced that the Lincoln Memorial would be the site of a concert by Marian Anderson on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman