Maria (given name)

Maria (given name)
Maria is a feminine given name. It is given in many languages influenced by Christianity.
It has its origin as the feminine form of the Roman name Marius (see Maria gens), and, after Christianity has spread across the Roman empire, it became the Latinised form of the name of Miriam: Mary, mother of Jesus.
Maria (Greek: Μαρία) is a form of the name used in the New Testament, standing alongside Mariam (Μαριάμ). It reflects the Syro-Aramaic name Maryam, which is in turn derived from the Biblical Hebrew name Miriam. As a result of their similarity and syncretism, the Latin original name Maria and the Hebrew-derived Maria combined to form a single name.
The name is also sometimes used as a male (middle) name. This was historically the case in many Central Europe countries and still is the case in countries with strong Catholic traditions, where it signified patronage of the Virgin Mary (French-speakers often did the same with Marie).
Variants and usage
Maria was a frequently given name in southern Europe even in the medieval period. In addition to the simple name, there arose a tradition of naming girls after specific titles of Mary, feast days associated with Mary and specific Marian apparitions (such as María de los Dolores, María del Pilar, María del Carmen etc., whence the derived given names of Dolores, Pilar, Carmen etc.). By contrast, in northern Europe the name only rose to popularity after the Reformation.
Because the name is so frequent in Christian tradition, a tradition of giving compound names has developed, with a number of such compounds themselves becoming very popular. Examples, among numerous others, include:
Anna + Maria (Anne-Marie, Marianne)
Maria + Luisa (Marie-Louise)
Margarita + Maria (English Margaret Mary, French Marguerite Marie)
Maria + Antonia (Maria Antonia, French Marie-Antoinette)
Maria + Helena (Italian Maria Elena, Spanish María Elena)
Maria + Teresa (Maria Theresa, French Marie Thérèse)
As a feminine given name, Maria ranked 109th in the United States as of 2015, down from rank 31 held during 1973–1975.
Spelling variants of Maria include: Mária (Hungarian, Slovakian), María (Greek, Icelandic, Spanish), Máire and Muire (Irish), Marya and Marija (transliterated from Cyrillic), Maria (Polish). Due to a very strong devotion of Irish and Polish Catholics to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a special exception is made for two other forms of her name – Muire and Maryja: no one else may take that name, similar to the way the name Jesus is not used in most languages. The English form Mary is derived via French Marie.
A great number of hypocoristic forms are in use in numerous languages. Cyrillic Maryam and Miriam have numerous variants, such as
Mariami (Georgian)
Mariamma, biblical Mariamme, Mariamne
Məryəm (Azerbaijani)
Meryem (Kurdish, Turkish)
Myriam (French)
The spelling in Semitic abjads is mrym: Aramaic ܡܪܝܡ, Hebrew מרים, Arabic مريم.
Cyrillic spellings are Мария (Maríja) (Russian, Bulgarian), Марыя (Marýja) (Belarusian), Марія (Maríja) (Ukrainian) and Марија (Marija) (Serbian, Macedonian).
Georgian uses მარიამ (Mariam) and მარია (Maria); Armenian has Մարիամ (Mariam).
Chinese has adopted the spelling 瑪麗 (simplified 玛丽, pinyin Mǎlì).
The variant Mariah (usually pronounced ) was rarely given in the United States prior to the 1990s, when it bounced in popularity, from rank 562 in 1989 to rank 62 in 1998, in imitation of the name of singer Mariah Carey (whose Vision of Love topped the charts in 1990).
Masculine name
Maria is used as a part of masculine given names in Hispanic and Roman Catholic tradition.
People
Female
Maaria Eira, Finnish opera singer and actress
Maria of Russia (several people)
Maria al-Qibtiyya
Maria I of Portugal (1734-1816), Queen of Portugal
María Conchita Alonso (born 1957), American singer/songwriter and actress
Maria Ahtisa Manalo, Miss International Philippines 2018
Maria Ângela Carrascalão, East Timorese politician
Maria II of Portugal (1818-1853), Queen of Portugal
María Alanoca (born 1960), Bolivian politician
María Fernanda Aristizábal (born 1997), Colombian model and beauty pageant titleholder
María Azambuya (1944–2011), Uruguayan actress and theatre director
Maria Bamford (born 1970), American stand-up comedian, actress, and voice actress
María Bazo (born 1998), Peruvian windsurfer
Maria E. Beasley, American inventor
Maria Beig (1920–2018), German author
Maria Bello (born 1967), American actress and writer
María Belón (born 1966), Spanish physician and motivational speaker
Maria Brink (born 1977), American singer and songwriter
María Bolívar (born 1975), Venezuelan politician
Maria Callas (1923–1977), Greek-American soprano
Maria Callani (1778–1803), Italian 18th century portrait painter active in Parma
Maria Cantwell (born 1958), U.S. Senatoor
Maria Cole (1922–2012), American jazz singer
Maria Colwell (1965–1973), British female murder victim
Maria Christina (several people)
Maria Dallas, New Zealand singer
Maria Damanaki (born 1952) Greek politician
Maria d'Apparecida (1926–2017), Brazilian opera singer
Maria Darling, British voice actress
Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz, East Timorese religious sister
Maria de Vasconcelos (born 1970), Portuguese psychiatrist, singer and songwriter
Maria do Céu Sarmento, East Timorese politician
Maria Domingas Alves, East Timorese politician
Maria Durhuus (born 1977), Danish politician
Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849), Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature
Maria Luisa Escolar, Colombian pediatrician
María Escudero-Escribano (born 1983), Spanish chemist
María-Esther Vidal, Venezuelan scientist
Maria Louise Eve (1842–1900), American poet
Maria Ewing (1950–2022), American opera singer
Maria Farantouri (born 1947), Greek singer
María Fernanda Di Giacobbe (born 1964), Venezuelan chocolatier
Maria Fyfe (1938–2020), Scottish politician
María Esther García López (born, 1948), poet, writer; president, Asturias Writers Association
María la Grande, prominent Tehuelche leader of the early 19th century
Maria Guyomar de Pinha (1664–1728), Siamese cook
Maria Harfanti (born 1992), Miss World Indonesia 2015
Maria Höfl-Riesch (born 1984), German alpine skier
María Holly (born 1932), widow of rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly
Maria Iliou (born 1960) Greek film director, scriptwriter and producer
Maria James (1793–1868), Welsh-born American poet
Maria Jane Jewsbury (1800–1833), English writer, poet, literary reviewer
María José (several people)
Maria Kanellis (born 1982), American professional wrestler
Maria Kekkonen, Finnish erotic actress
Maria Brace Kimball (1852–1933), American educator, elocutionist, writer
Maria Kochetkova (born 1984), Russian ballet dancer
Maria Kovrigina (1910–1995), Russian physician and Soviet minister of health
Maria Kowroski (born 1976), American ballet dancer
Maria Lampadaridou Pothou (born 1933), Greek novelist, poet and playwright
Maria Elise Turner Lauder (1833–1922), Canadian writer
Maria Lauterbach (1987–2007), American murder victim
Maria Lioudaki (1894–1947), Greek educator, folklorist, and resistance fighter
Maria Lohela (born 1978), Finnish politician
Maria White Lowell (1821–1853), American poet, abolitionist
Maria Lugones (1944–2020), American philosopher
Maria Lynn Ehren (born 1992), Thai singer and model
Maria Laura Mainetti (1939–2000), Italian Catholic sister and murder victim
María Emma Mannarelli (born 1954), Peruvian feminist writer, historian, professor
Maria Mandl (1912–1948), Austrian Nazi SS commandant of the female camp at Auschwitz concentration camp executed for war crimes
Maria Rika Maniates (1937–2011), Canadian musicologist
María Marcano de León, Puerto Rican government official
Maria Mazina (born 1964), Russian Olympic champion épée fencer
Maria Alberta Menéres (1930–2019), Portuguese writer
Maria Montessori (1870–1952), Italian educator
, Japanese voice actress
Maria Nikiforova (1885–1919), Ukrainian anarchist partisan
María Beatriz Nofal, Argentine economist and civil servant
, Japanese actress
Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (born 1934)
Maria Palmer (1917–1981), Austrian-born American actress
Maria Petri (1939–2022), English association football supporter
Maria Posobchuk (1890–1992), Ukrainian weaver
Maria Rahajeng (born 1991), Miss World Indonesia 2014
Maria Goretti, a victim of crime and saint
Maria Rasputin (1898–1977), memoirist
María Teresa Rejas (born 1946), Spanish politician
Maria Ressa (born 1963), Filipina-American author, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Maria Reynolds (1768–1828), wife of James Reynolds
Maria Sakkari (born 1995), Greek professional tennis player
María Elena Salinas, American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author
Maria Selena (born 1990), Indonesian beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2011
Maria Sharapova (born 1987), Russian professional tennis player
Maria Shriver (born 1955), American journalist and activist
Maria Simonds-Gooding (born 1939), Indian-born Anglo-Irish artist
Maria Antónia Siza (1940–1973), Portuguese artist
Maria Strömkvist (born 1964), Swedish politician
Maria Tenazi (1903–1930), Soviet Armenian silent film actress
Maria Theresa (several people)
Maria von Trapp (1905–1987), Austrian-born American singer
María Valverde (born 1987), Spanish actress
Maria Eulália Vares, Brazilian mathematical statistician and probability theorist
Maria Vasilkova (born 1978), Russian politician
Maria Chantal Videla (born 2002), Filipino-Argentine actress, model and singer of K-pop girl group Lapillus
Maria Walliser (born 1963), Swiss alpine skier
Maria Torrence Wishart (1893 – 1982), Canadian medical illustrator and the founder of the University of Toronto's Art as Applied to Medicine program
Maria Zandbang (1886–1972), Polish equestrian
Fictional characters
Maria, a fictional character played by Laura Nicole in the British web series Corner Shop Show
Maria, a villain character in the tokusatsu Chōjin Sentai Jetman
Maria, the youngest princess of Macedon in the Fire Emblem video game series.
Maria, a character from the American television series Sesame Street
Maria (West Side Story), the main female protagonist from the musical West Side Story
Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, a boss character from The Old Hunters DLC for the video game Bloodborne
Maria Calavera, a supporting character in the animated web series RWBY
María Clara, a character from the novel Noli Me Tángere (novel) by Filipino writer and activist José Rizal
Grace Maria Fleed, a character from the anime Grendizer.
Maria Fritz, the daughter of Ymir Fritz, namesake of Wall Maria and a minor character in the anime and manga Attack on Titan
Maria Hojo, a supporting character from Suite PreCure
Maria Jackson, a character from The Sarah Jane Adventures
Maria Kasugano, a minor character from Yes! PreCure 5
Maria Renard, a character in the Castlevania video game series
Maria Robotnik, a character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series
Maria Saotome, a minor character from Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
Maria von Trapp, the main female protagonist of the musical The Sound of Music
Maria Wong, a character from the Canadian animated television series Braceface
Male (as part of a compound name or as a middle name)
Carlo Maria Abate, Italian racecar driver
Alberto María de Agostini, Italian explorer
Carlos María de Alvear, Argentine general
José María Aznar, Spanish politician, former Spanish prime minister
Angelo Maria Bandini, Italian author and librarian
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguayan cardinal
Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria
Giovanni Maria Benzoni, Italian sculptor
Matteo Maria Boiardo, Italian poet
Giovanni Maria Bottala, Italian painter
Klaus Maria Brandauer, Austrian actor
Giuseppe Maria Buonaparte, Corsican politician
Carlo Maria Cipolla, Italian economic historian
Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari, Italian composer
Carlo Maria Curci, Italian theologian
Corrado Maria Daclon, Italian journalist
Felix Maria Diogg, Swiss painter
Timm Maria Franz Elstner, German TV host
Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, better known as Pope Pius IX
Johann Maria Farina, Italian-German perfumer
Carlo Innocenzio Maria Frugoni, Italian poet
Alessandro Maria Gaetano Galilei, Italian architect and mathematician
Giuseppe Maria Giulietti, Italian soldier
Carlo Maria Giulini, Italian conductor
Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician
Christoph Maria Herbst, German actor
Franco Maria Malfatti, Italian politician
Thomas Maria Mamachi, Italo-Greek Dominican theologian and historian
Antonio Maria Maraggiano, Italian sculptor
Carlo Maria Martini, Italian cardinal
Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer
Tommaso Maria Napoli, Italian architect
José María Olazábal, Spanish golfer
Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist
Carlo Maria Pintacuda, Italian racecar driver
Francesco Maria Pritilli, Italian scholar and antiquarian
Erich Maria Remarque, German author
Franco Maria Ricci, Italian art publisher
Rainer Maria Rilke, German poet
Jan Maria Rokita, Polish politician
Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita, Czech astronomer
Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, king of Spain
Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Silvester Maria Stuart, leader of the Jacobite rebellion
José María Canlás Sison, Filipino activist and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines
Victor Maria Regis Sotto (born 1989), Filipino politician
Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, Italian cardinal and saint
Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Italian composer
Antonio Maria Vassallo, Italian painter
Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer and violinist
Gianni Versace born Giovanni Maria Versace, Italian fashion designer
Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan
Gian Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan
Gian Maria Volonté, Italian actor
Carl Maria von Weber, German composer
Edward Maria Wingfield, English explorer
Tommaso Maria Zigliara, Italian cardinal
Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Polish Conventual Franciscan
Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg
Juan María Bordaberry, Uruguayan dictator
Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, Erbsälzer zu Werl und Neuwerk, German politician, diplomat, Prussian nobleman and General Staff officer
Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi, Italian general and patriot
See also
Maria (disambiguation)
References
Italian feminine given names
Romanian feminine given names
Russian feminine given names
Slovak feminine given names
Spanish feminine given names
Portuguese feminine given names
Swiss feminine given names
Pakistani feminine given names
Slavic feminine given names
Scandinavian feminine given names
Ukrainian feminine given names
German feminine given names
Dutch feminine given names
Georgian feminine given names
Greek feminine given names
Armenian feminine given names
Feminine given names
Bulgarian feminine given names
Danish feminine given names
Norwegian feminine given names
Icelandic feminine given names
Swedish feminine given names
Finnish feminine given names
Filipino feminine given names
Belarusian feminine given names
Circassian feminine given names
Polish feminine given names
Serbian feminine given names
Slovene feminine given names
Croatian feminine given names
English feminine given names