Does the girls name Maria honor the name Moira?

Girl Names
1

First of all i havent beem on nameberry in ages due to a huge preterm labour scare and hospital admission but baby is behaving now and staying put and we’re now in the final stretch (third tri)!! phew!
My question
I am so in love with the name [name]Maria[/name]. It is quite uncommon ( i dont know any [name]Maria[/name]'s where i live i’m in [name]New[/name] Zealand) but not completely foreign its my favourite childhood book main character ([name]Maria[/name] Merryweather from The [name]Little[/name] White Horse) and it just feels more ‘right’ that the others in my top 3.
I really wanted to use my grandma’s name as the middle name, her name is [name]Moira[/name]. [name]Maria[/name] [name]Moira[/name] i just couldnt do! And i prefer [name]Maria[/name] way more than [name]Moira[/name] personally so i couldnt just use [name]Moira[/name] as the first name. it has to be [name]Maria[/name].

I have this notion that [name]Maria[/name] really does honour my grandma’s name, in that they are both a variant of [name]Mary[/name] and have the same meaning. but is this just too much of a stretch? i love the combo [name]Maria[/name] [name]Elise[/name] but i chose [name]Elise[/name] not because it is extremely significant to me but because i love how beautiful (to me) the name is and how it seems so pretty and delicate combined with [name]Maria[/name].

What would you guys say? I dont think my grandma would be overly upset if i didnt use her name anywhere in the baby’s name but i did really want to use it as a middle. [name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] are also in my top 3 but i do feel a special connection to the name [name]Maria[/name] and sometimes call her that in my mind!

2

Well it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. :slight_smile: I think [name]Maria[/name] [name]Elise[/name] is beautiful, and although it is somewhat a stretch to honor a [name]Moira[/name], it does come from the same root and both you and your grandmother would know that it is a nod to her even if others don’t pick up on it. And if you want more people to pick up on it, just tell them that the name is a nod to your grandmother. I assume none of your friends and relatives will argue the point. :slight_smile: If you love the name and feel that your grandma would be honored by it, I think it’s perfect.

3

I think it definitely honors [name]Moira[/name], they are similar in sound and, as you said, meaning. I think that if it honors your grandmother in your mind then it honors your grandmother! It is up to you! I also feel like it is your clear favorite. [name]Maria[/name] [name]Elise[/name] is lovely!!

4

I think [name]Maria[/name] is beautiful, and it’s not too far a stretch to consider it a way of honoring your grandmother.
Congrats!

5

Thank you guys, i feel that way too. i agree with the whole ‘what it means to you’ sentiment too. haha i think my mind is already made up it just ‘fits’ so much right now!

6

[name]Maria[/name] [name]Elise[/name] is so beautiful! I agree that it would honor your grandmother–I have [name]Hannah[/name] on my list to honor my grandmother, and the only tie there is the meaning ([name]Hannah[/name] means “grace; favor”).

I met the sweetest, most adorable baby girl this year named [name]Maria[/name], I remember thinking how refreshing it was. [name]Maria[/name] was on my list years ago, I took it off because I felt it was too close to my own MN ([name]Marie[/name]), but I love seeing it on someone else’s list! [name]Maria[/name] [name]Elise[/name] would be just charming.