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Because it has such feminine associations, & is so primarily a girls name, people generally don't use it as a fist name on men. :/

It's a Catholic tradition.In Catholic countries women often received Maria/Marie as a first name in honour of the Virgin Mary, or otherwise Maria/Marie would be added to every child's name regardless of gender.

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I've found a few examples of man named "Maria Something", but by convention the first name tends to define the sex of the person in a clear way. For this reason women sometimes receive a male name as well as their second name. To use a contemporary example, "Maria José" is a woman, but "José Maria" is male.

I'd be surprised to find it given to a non-Catholic boy. And using it as a mn makes a clear reference to the Virgin without giving the boy the life-long task of explaining that he really was a boy. I've seen several cases of French boys given a string of very Christian names, with hyphens: Jean-Paul-Marie for instance. No doubt this would be shortened for everyday use.

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There was a case in 18th century England of a boy whose godmother was Queen Anne and who was given Anne as his first name. He was a member of the nobility and was, I think, Lord Anne Surname. But in those social circles, everyone would understand and respect his parents' choice - or his monarch's.