Modern given names derived from Aramaic Maryam are frequent in Christian culture, as well as, due to the Quranic tradition of Mary, extremely frequently given in Islamic cultures. There are a large number of variants and derivations. The New Testament gives the name as both Mariam (Μαριάμ) and Maria (Μαρία). The Latin Vulgate uses the first declension, Maria. Maryam is the now-usual English-language rendition of the Arabic name. The spelling Mariyam (in German-language contexts also Marijam) is sometimes used as a close transcription from Hebrew, Aramaic or Arabic. The spelling Mariam is current in transliteration from Georgian and Armenian, and in German-language transliteration from Aramaic or Arabic. Mariam was also a current spelling in early modern English, as in the Jacobean era play The Tragedy of Mariam. Derived names Maryam as the name of Mary mother of Jesus is also part of given names consisting of genitive constructions (idafa) in Ethiopian tradition, such as Haile Mariam "power of Mary", Baeda Maryam "Hand of Mary", several people Newaya Maryam "Property of Mary" or Takla Maryam "Plant of Mary", used as masculine given names. In Arabic, Marwan, meaning "one who is fragrant like myrrh", could be the masculine form of Maryam. Ustad Ali Maryam, architect in 19th century Persia, added Maryam to his name after building a house for an important woman with that name. People named Maryam Notable people with the name Maryam Maryam Abacha (born 1945), widow of Sani Abacha, de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998 Maryam Babangida (1948–2009), wife of Nigeria's head of state from 1985 to 1993 Maryam d'Abo (born 1960), English film and television actress Maryam Fatima, Pakistani actress Maryam Khan (born 1989), American politician Maryam Matar (born 1975), Emirati geneticist and medical researcher Maryam Mirzakhani (1977–2017), Iranian mathematician Maryam Monsef (born 1984), Afghan Canadian politician Maryam Nemazee, Iranian British broadcast journalist Maryam Nawaz Sharif (born 1973), Pakistani politician Maryam Omar (born 1993), Kuwaiti-born Palestinian cricketer Maryam Rajavi (born 1953), leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran Maryam Salour (born 1954), Iranian visual artist Maryam Shanechi, Iranian-American neuro engineers Maryam Yakubova (born 1931), Uzbek educator Maryam Zakaria, Swedish-Iranian actress Maryam Tanveer Ali, popularly known as Maya Ali, Pakistani television actress Mariam Mamadashvili Winner of Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Notable people with spelling variations of the name Maryam Mariam A. Aleem (1930–2010), Egyptian artist and academic Mariam Ansari, Pakistani film actress Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistani