The term mariachi was adopted in the mid-twentieth century from Mexican Spanish, although its exact origin remains uncertain. Initially, it was believed to have come from the French word for “marriage,” mariage, due to its association with wedding celebrations. However, this theory has been questioned by scholars, as there are references to the term predating the French influence in Mexico. Other theories suggest that it could be derived from an Uto-Aztecan word for the wood used in traditional dance platforms, or possibly from a variation of the name Maria H, or even from a tree name in an extinct indigenous language. According to Google NGrams, the literary usage of the term mariachi reached its peak in 2003 and has been on the decline since then.
