Rosemary
Meaning of Rosemary
Rosemary—pronounced ROHZ-muh-ree or ROHZ-mair-ee—springs from a dual etymology: the Latin ros marinus, “dew of the sea,” that christened the evergreen herb long venerated along the Mediterranean littoral, and the poetic fusion of the fragrant Rose with the timeless Maria. Thus the name carries a bouquet of layered symbolism: in classical lore the plant scented Aphrodite’s emergence from the waves; in Christian tradition it sheltered the Virgin’s cloak and turned its blossoms sky-blue; and in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Ophelia offers it “for remembrance,” weaving an enduring association with fidelity and memory. Across centuries of English-speaking use, Rosemary has traced an undulating arc in American records—cresting with post-war optimism in the 1950s, receding, and now reflowering modestly within the nation’s top 300—yet it persistently evokes the quiet strength of coastal cliffs kissed by sea spray. Graced with botanical delicacy, Marian reverence, and literary resonance, Rosemary bestows on its bearer a name that is at once scholarly and sensuous, rooted in antiquity yet perennially fresh, like the evergreen sprig that perfumes both garden and legend.
Pronunciation
American English
- Pronunced as ROHZ-mair-ee (/ˈroʊzˌmɛri/)
British English
- Pronunced as ROHZ-muh-ree (/ˈrəʊzməri/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Rosemary
| Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1950s with pop and jazz hits, saw a lull in the 1960s, returned to the spotlight in 1977 with Bing Crosby, and recorded until her death in 2002. |
| Rosemary Ann Harris is an acclaimed English actress, winner of Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony awards, an Oscar and BAFTA nominee with multiple Olivier nominations, an American Theater Hall of Fame inductee, and a recipient of the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. |
| Rosemary Helen Lowe-McConnell was an English ichthyologist and ecologist who pioneered tropical fish ecology, studying tilapia and aquaculture in Africa and South America and making early use of scuba for research. |
| Rosemary Anne Leach was a British stage and screen actress who won the 1982 Olivier Award for 84 Charing Cross Road and earned BAFTA nominations for Thatll Be the Day and A Room with a View. |
| Rosemary Seymour - Rosemary Yolande Levinge Seymour was a pioneering New Zealand feminist academic who led New Zealand's first women's studies course at the University of Waikato in 1974 and helped found the Women's Studies Journal and the Women's Studies Association of New Zealand. |
| American writer and editor Rosemary Edghill, also known as eluki bes shahar, writes mostly science fiction and fantasy after starting with Regency romance. |
| Rosemary Brown was a pioneering Canadian politician and the first Black woman elected to the provincial government of British Columbia. |
| Rosemary Teresa Vrablic is an American banker and former Deutsche Bank managing director who handled billions for wealthy clients and served as the longtime private banker to Donald Trump until her 2020 resignation. |
| Rosemary Gilliat was an English photojournalist who traveled across Canada documenting people and events for outlets including Weekend magazine and the National Film Board of Canada. |
| Rosemary Conley is an English businesswoman, author, and exercise and health broadcaster best known for The Hip and Thigh Diet, a low fat bestseller, though its spot reduction claims lack scientific basis. |
| Rosemary Eames - Rosemary Clare Elliott was an Australian Paralympic swimmer who won six medals at the 1984 Games and set multiple world records. |
| Rosemary Murphy was an American stage, film, and television actress who received three Tony nominations and two Emmy nominations, winning for Eleanor and Franklin in 1976. |
| Welsh soprano Rosemary Joshua is best known for her performances in Handel operas. |
| Rosemary T Hinkfuss served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and on the Green Bay Packers Board of Directors. |
| Rosemary Henderson, known as Rose, is an Irish actress best known for playing Sister Assumpta on Father Ted. |
