Ultimately of foreign origin, i.e. either Greek or Latin. The meaning is thought to revolve around nursing a baby at the breast, which thus brings to mind the Latin verb
mammo meaning "to give suck, to suckle (a baby)". The verb is ultimately derived from Latin
mamma meaning "breast" as well as "teat, udder". In turn, the word might have been borrowed from ancient Greek μάμμη
(mamme) meaning "mother" as well as "midwife". Also compare its variants μάμμα
(mamma) and μαμμία
(mammia) as well as the noun μαμμᾶν
(mamman) meaning "a cry for food" (as in, an infant's cry for the breast).
All of these words and the resulting name are extremely similar to the Georgian word მამა
(mama) meaning "father". Because of this, the original form of the name (now lost) was modified to
Mamia in Georgian, so as to better distinguish it from the Georgian word. Despite this, the name still became closely associated with the Georgian word for "father" over time.
Lastly, this name has been in use since the Middle Ages; early bearers include several dukes from the House of Dadiani and five princes of Guria in western Georgia (one of whom ultimately became king of Kakheti). A notable bearer from the modern period is the Bolshevik and Soviet politician Mamia Orakhelashvili (1881-1937).
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