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I see the appeal, but the first thing I thought about was it rhyming with gorilla.

It's not bad as merger names go - I've always assumed it was a Mary + Ella merger. But I wouldn't use it. The closest I could comfortably get would be Mariel.

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In the Anne stories, I love how the name is so ultra-feminine and pretty but the character is all grim and corseted!

I love it! I prefer Amaryllis, though.

First opinion: Watch the Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea versions made in the 80's. So much better. The new series seems to add more drama and some really unfortunate issues that weren't in the book.

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Second opinion: Marilla is lovely. I also know that the nickname is Rilla, but should could also go by Mar. Great namesake.

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From the name submission:

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Originally a short form of Amarilla, itself a Latinate variant of Amaryllis, this name is now sometimes considered a diminutive of Mary and Maria, influenced by names such as Mariella.
Either way, this name has been in use since the 1800s, mostly in Canada.
This is the name of a character in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.

This message was edited 5/20/2017, 9:44 PM