Maria
Meaning: Its source is Miryam, a Hebrew name meaning "Wished-for child."
In Spanish, the name is usually spelled with an accent - María.
Origin: "Miryam."
Languages: This boy's name is used in English and Spanish.
Popularity: The name Maria ranked 940th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Narrative: The Hebrew prototype of this name evolved into a number of mainly female forms. However, the importance to Christians of the Virgin Mother of Jesus, who was known by this name, prompted the creation of masculine forms, both as a sign of pious respect and as a means of asking for special protection.
Scholars disagree about the ultimate source and meaning of the name, which has also been interpreted as ''rebellion'' and ''sea of bitterness.'' St. Jerome associated it with the Latin phrase stella maris (star of the sea), but this was more an ecstatic commentary on the mother of Jesus than it was scholarship explaining the source of the name.
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| Mireya | |
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| Mireio | |
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| Mareah | |
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| Maree | |
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None
Meaning: Its source is Miryam, a Hebrew name meaning "Wished-for child."
In Spanish, this name is spelled with an accent -- María.
Origin: "Miryam."
Languages: This girl's name is used in German, Dutch, English, Greek, Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian, Russian, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Romanian.
Nicknames: Mai, Marietta, Mariska, Mia, Mieke, Ria, Marika, Maj, Marieke, Marouschka, Miep, Mies, Rie, Maritere and Mariquita
Compound Forms: Annamaria, Marianela, Maricruz, Marisa, Marisabel, Marlis, Rosamaria, Marlies, Maranela, Maríadela, Mariaelena, Maristela, Marloes, Marilda, Mariruth, Jomara, Marnita, Marialisa, Floramaria and MaElena
Source Forms: Miryam
Popularity: The name Maria ranked 39th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 7th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 27th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.
This name is highly rated both on the 1990 U.S. Census list and in state data recording the most popular baby names.
Narrative: The original Miryam of the Hebrew scriptures was sister to Moses and Aaron. Some scholars believe her name, and those of her brothers, could have originated in the ancient Egyptian language, and that their meanings are lost. Others offer alternate interpretations, including ''rebellion'' and ''sea of bitterness.''
Various forms derived from Miryam -- Latin Maria developed into French Marie, then English Mary. Among Christians, they are venerated as the name of the mother of Jesus Christ. St. Jerome associated the Virgin's name with the Latin phrase stella maris (''star of the sea''), and this can be regarded as yet another meaning that inspired the widespread use of so many forms of this name.
Arts and Music
- ''Maria''
- Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein; published in 1957 as part of the score of West Side Story (see list of Names in Song titles)
- ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''
- By Rogers and Hammerstein; part of the score to The Sound of Music (see list of Names in Song titles)
- Maria Sibylla Merian (born 1647, died 1717)
Swiss painter.
- Painted Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (see list of Artists of the 17th & 18th Centuries)
- Maria van Oosterwyck (born 1630, died 1693)
Dutch painter.
- Painted Vase of Tulips, Roses and Other Flowers with Insects (see list of Artists of the 17th & 18th Centuries)
- Maria Elena Vieira da Silva (born 1908, died 1992)
Portuguese painter.
- Painted Stones (see list of 20th-century Modern Artists)
Leadership
- Maria Cantwell (born 1959)
American politician.
- Senator, D-Washington, 2000 - (see list of Women in the Senate)
- Representative, D-Washington, 1993-95 (see list of Women in the House of Representatives)
- Maria Montessori (born 1870, died 1952)
Italian educator and physician.
- Founded the Montessori schools for children (see list of Noted Social Reformers and Educators)
- Maria Lea Pedini-Angelini
- Co-Captain-regent of San Marino, 1981- (see list of Miscellaneous Political Leaders)
- Maria de Lurdes Pintassilgo
Prime minister of Portugal, 1975-80.
- The second female prime minister in Europe (see list of Miscellaneous Political Leaders)
Miscellaneous
- Maria Sophia Bach (born 1713, died 1713)
- Twin daughter of Johan Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara (see list of Famous Twins and Triplets)
- Maria Botchkareva
Russian prostitute who became a Bolshevik and a soldier.
- Decorated for her service on the front lines in World War I (see list of Soldiers & Swashbucklers)
- Maria Callas (born 1923, died 1977)
Greek-born American opera singer. Original name: Maria Kalogeropoulos.
- 1953 Mademoiselle Award winner (see list of Mademoiselle Award Winners)
- Maria Caron
- 1978 Rose Queen (see list of Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl Queens)
- Maria Fletcher
- 1962 Miss America, representing North Carolina (see list of Miss America Winners)
- Maria Lindkvist
- Swedish model (see list of Fashion Models)
- Maria
- Hurricane or tropical storm (see list of Hurricane and Tropical Storm Names)
- Maria Mitchell (born 1818, died 1905)
American astronomer.
- Member of National Women''s Hall of Fame (see list of National Women's Hall of Fame Members)
- Maria Tallchief (born 1925)
American ballet dancer.
- 1951 Mademoiselle Award winner (see list of Mademoiselle Award Winners)
Science and Philosophy
- Maria Cunitz (born 1610, died 1664)
- Translated Kepler''s tables of planetary motion from the Latin (see list of Mathematicians, Physicists & Astronomers)
- Maria Goeppert-Mayer (born 1868, died 1922)
German-American physicist known for her work on nuclear structure.
- 1963 Nobel Prize winner in physics, with Eugene Wigner and J. Hans Jensen (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)
- Maria Mitchell (born 1818, died 1905)
American astronomer.
- Discovered a comet; first woman admitted to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (see list of Mathematicians, Physicists & Astronomers)
Sports
- Maria Braun
Dutch athlete.
- 1928 Olympic swimming gold medal winner for 100m backstroke (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Swimming Events)
- Maria Bueno
Tennis player.
- 1959, 1963-64, 1966 U.S. Open tennis champion (see list of U.S. Open Tennis Champions)
- 1959-60, 1964 Wimbledon tennis champion (see list of Wimbledon Tennis Champions)
- 1959 Associated Press Athlete of the Year (see list of Associated Press Athletes of the Year)
- Maria Colon
Cuban athlete.
- 1980 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Javelin (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Field Events)
- Maria Gusakova
Soviet athlete.
- 1960 Olympic Nordic skiing gold medal winner for 10km Cross-country (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Cross-country Skiing)
Stage and Screen
- Maria Bello
Actress.
- Portrays Dr. Anna Del Amico (see list of Actors on ''ER'')
- Maria Callas (born 1923, died 1977)
Greek-born American opera singer. Original name: Maria Kalogeropoulos.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Maria Cardinal
Fictional character.
- Played by Assumpta Serna (see list of Character from Almodovar's Matador)
- Maria Santos Grey
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera ''''All My Children'''' (see list of Characters on ''All My Children'')
- Maria
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera ''''The Bold and the Beautiful'''' (see list of Characters on ''The Bold and The Beautiful'')
- Maria Tallchief (born 1925)
American ballet dancer.
- 1996 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
The Literary World
- Maria Henson
- 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Writing (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing)
- Maria
- Dallies with the likes of Toby Belch and Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night; traditionally her name is given the ''''muh-RI-uh'''' pronunciation (see list of Shakespearean Characters)
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| Mariya | |
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| Mary | |
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| Maira | |
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| Mariha | |
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| Mario | |
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| Mayuri | |
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| Mireya | |
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| Moriah | |
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| Mario | |
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| Mauro | |
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| Mireio | |
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| Mareah | |
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| Margaret | |
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| Maire | |
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| Maree | |
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| Marie | |
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| Marya | |
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| Meri | |
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| Miri | |
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Teasing Nicknames:
- Marred
- Marina
- Marine
- Ave Maria
- Maria diarrhea
- Maria Tortilla
Associations:
''Black Maria'' is a slang term for a prison van or police car.
