Combination of Mary ('bitter/beloved') and Ann ('grace').
Maryann is a compound name joining two of the most historically significant names in Western culture. Mary derives from the Hebrew Miriam (מִרְיָם), a name borne by Moses's sister in the Book of Exodus and, most famously, by the mother of Jesus in Christian tradition. Its meaning is debated — proposals include "beloved," "sea of bitterness," and "rebelliousness" — but its spiritual weight is unmatched.
Ann comes from the Hebrew Hannah (חַנָּה), meaning "grace" or "favor," the name of the mother of the prophet Samuel and, in Christian tradition, the customary name of the Virgin Mary's own mother. Joined together, Maryann compounds two generations of grace. As a hyphenated or fused double name, Maryann (and its variants Mary Ann, Mary-Ann, and Marianne) flourished particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, when compound Marian names were fashionable expressions of religious devotion.
The French cognate Marianne holds particular political significance, serving as the allegorical figure of the French Republic — a symbol of liberty and reason depicted in countless statues and paintings since the Revolution. In American culture, Maryann became firmly established as a midcentury classic, evoking warmth, reliability, and a certain unassuming dignity. Though less common today, it carries the comfortable authority of a name that has meant something across generations.