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ArchivesWhen was Maria first regularly used in Iberia and Italy?
I am writing my next column on the name Maria. I have known for years that in the early Middle Ages in western Europe because of the veneration of the Virgin Mary it was considered sacrilegious to name infants Mary, in the same way outside of Spanish-speaking culture it is usually considered improper to name a boy Jesus.
I am trying to find out when that attitude changed in various parts of Europe. The Swedish and German name dictionaries I own have told me that Maria was not often used in those countries until after the Reformation, with the Protestants the first to use it. My name dictionary from Poland says the same, even saying it was still considered pretentious in many Roman Catholic parts of Poland to name a daughter Maria until the middle of the 19th century.
Unfortunately the dictionary I have from Spain gives no information on historical usage of names there. The dictionary I have from Mexico says that "for many centuries" Maria was considered too sacred to use, but it doesn't say just when that changed in Spanish speaking culture.
My Italian name dictionary actually doesn't mention anything about the use of Maria in medieval times in Italy. My Dutch name dictionary says that Maria wasn't used in Florence until the middle of the 11th century. This would be a lot earlier than in Germany or Poland, but doesn't really tell me if this was true across Italy.
Does anyone who reads the Name Facts board have more information about when Maria was first regularly given to girls in Spain, Portugal, or Italy?
I am trying to find out when that attitude changed in various parts of Europe. The Swedish and German name dictionaries I own have told me that Maria was not often used in those countries until after the Reformation, with the Protestants the first to use it. My name dictionary from Poland says the same, even saying it was still considered pretentious in many Roman Catholic parts of Poland to name a daughter Maria until the middle of the 19th century.
Unfortunately the dictionary I have from Spain gives no information on historical usage of names there. The dictionary I have from Mexico says that "for many centuries" Maria was considered too sacred to use, but it doesn't say just when that changed in Spanish speaking culture.
My Italian name dictionary actually doesn't mention anything about the use of Maria in medieval times in Italy. My Dutch name dictionary says that Maria wasn't used in Florence until the middle of the 11th century. This would be a lot earlier than in Germany or Poland, but doesn't really tell me if this was true across Italy.
Does anyone who reads the Name Facts board have more information about when Maria was first regularly given to girls in Spain, Portugal, or Italy?
This message was edited 11/30/2021, 10:17 AM
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