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Marian and Maria
Marian and Maria have been on my mind for a week or so and I still can't decide which I like best.The combo Marian Olive had pushed Marian ahead until I realized it sounds a lot like 'marry an olive'.Which do you prefer Marian or Maria? Why?Do you have any combo ideas with them as firsts?Thanks!not expecting, enamored
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/138517
http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9750188
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I like both. But I think I lean more towards Maria. Marian, barring images of 1950s American women, reminds me of Robin Hood's Maid Marian, which is a positive association for me. I think I like Mariana (or Marianna) better than Marian, though. Maria is timeless and beautiful. Works well in paired names, so you could potentially call a daughter by both her first and middle name rather than just Maria, if you want.A few middle names:Maria Antonia
Maria Amabel
Maria Violetta
Maria Cecilia
Maria Josephine
Maria Felicity
Maria Elena
Maria Esperanza
Maria Genevieve
Maria Eliora
Maria Fiona
Maria Hannah
Maria Rosalia (or Rosalie)
Maria Diana
Maria Evangeline
Maria Joanna (or Johanna)
Maria Séraphine
Maria Emmanuelle

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This message was edited 2/1/2014, 12:12 AM

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My association with Marian was Maid Marian. I find it sweet and literary without being frilly. Maria on the other hand is a bit more vanilla. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I think she can handle a bit more fun.I love your combos. A few of them make me wish I had a more varied heritage or lived in a diverse area. These really stood out to me:Maria Violetta
Maria Cecilia
Maria Josephine
Maria Felicity
Maria Genevieve
Maria Fiona - I contemplated this one and said no. You've changed my mind, I think.
Maria Hannah
Maria Séraphine
Maria Emmanuelle
Maria Françoise - I adore Françoise, and the thought of a little Maria-Françoise makes me giddy.
Maria Stella
Maria Jessamine
Maria Raphaëlle
Maria Gerogiana
Maria Mélisande
Maria Pearl - The simplest of your suggested combos, but still very sweet.Thank you so much. I really enjoyed your list and it had quite a few interesting ideas.
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You've shared some great combos. I especially like these:Maria Felicie
Maria Thomasina
Maria Hazel
Maria Clemency - I have Maria Clementine already on my list and Clemency is a name I keep coming back to.
Maria Liesl - Reminds me of The Sound Of Music. Not that I'm complaining.
Maria Silvia
Maria Beatrice
Maria Cathleen
Maria Lisbet
Maria WillowThank you!
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I Like Marian, mostly because tehre are SO many Maria s out there. Its like John. Marian has a bit more individuality. I didn't think of 'marry an olive' until I saw it, but now I can't get it out of my head..
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I have to agree about the increased individuality of Marian compared to Maria. One of the benefits I see with Maria is it's familiarity internationally. I don't see the same being true of Marian.Maybe I was overthinking Marian Olive to unveil the phrase 'marry an olive'.Thank you!
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Marian is pretty, but Maria is beautiful and it gets my vote without hesitation. A plus is that nobody will misspell it or confuse it with any other name. And Maria is about as timeless as it gets while Marian has fallen way off in the last fifty years.Maria Adrienne
Maria Beth
Maria Christina
Maria Dawn
Maria Esther
Maria Florence
Maria Giselle
Maria Hailey
Maria Isabel
Maria Joy
Maria Kathleen
Maria Lynn
Maria Monique
Maria Nicole
Maria Opal
Maria Phoenix
Maria Quinn
Maria Rosa
Maria Suzanne
Maria Tamara
Maria Vanessa
Maria Whitney
Maria Zoe
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That is a very good point. Maria is a name that no one will have any trouble with, internationally or otherwise.I love your suggestions of Maria Florence, Maria Isabel, Maria Joy, Maria Rosa, and Maria Zoe.Thanks!
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