What are your honest thoughts on [name_u]Maria[/name_u]? What would you think of a girl named [name_u]Maria[/name_u]? [name_m]How[/name_m] would she behave in your mind, and how would she look? What do you associate her with?
Yes, yes, yes! I love [name_u]Maria[/name_u] so much! It’s really high on my list! I love it because of The Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f] and [name_u]West[/name_u] Side [name_u]Story[/name_u]! “[name_m]Say[/name_m] it loud, and there’s music playing. [name_m]Say[/name_m] it soft, and it’s almost like praying.” I would use this with [name_f]Mia[/name_f] as a nickname.
3 Likes
I really like [name_u]Maria[/name_u]. To me it sounds so beautiful and sophisticated. I prefer it to [name_f]Mary[/name_f] and [name_u]Marie[/name_u]. I have a dear friend named [name_u]Maria[/name_u], so I think of her first.
1 Like
Really like it. It’s classic but not in the same old-fashioned way as [name_f]Mary[/name_f] (which is also lovely, it just has a different feel). I love how international it is, and how many potential nicknames and derivatives there are.
(I particularly like [name_f]Masha[/name_f], the Russian diminutive).
1 Like
Like @may.rose, [name_u]Maria[/name_u] reminds me of The Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f]. It definitely feels very religious to me, strongly [name_m]Roman[/name_m] Catholic (from an Italian perspective, at least) – but I don’t think that’s a bad thing by any means. It’s so versatile and crosses cultures effortlessly. I’d call it both elegant and evergreen.
2 Likes
I love [name_u]Maria[/name_u]! To me it sounds classic, respectable and sophisticated. I like the nickname [name_f]Mia[/name_f].
1 Like
To me it sounds [name_m]Roman[/name_m] Catholic as well and I’m from the Netherlands. Lots of catholics here had/have [name_u]Maria[/name_u] as a middle name, even males.
1 Like
I love [name_u]Maria[/name_u], it’s so versatile and international.
1 Like
I love [name_u]Maria[/name_u]! It’s actually on my own list as an honour name for [name_f]Mary[/name_f] 
(so is [name_f]Mariah[/name_f]!)
[name_u]Maria[/name_u] feels very versatile to me, I can picture it on a a wide variety of personalities and ages!
1 Like
So underused as a first name but overused in the middle spot. I like it, It’s sweet, cosy, international yet so familiar.
1 Like
[name_u]Maria[/name_u] is objectively a gorgeous name, but I have formed a slight negative bias toward it. [name_f]My[/name_f] middle name is [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and so it is for 1 out of every 3 women I know and to this day still quite popular. It’s not super annoying, but to me it is annoying. I don’t know why, I don’t own the name… anyway, [name_u]Maria[/name_u] to me is pretty much [name_u]Marie[/name_u], and I have gotten tired of [name_u]Marie[/name_u]. Both are super pretty names, regardless of my views though.
1 Like
I think it is beautiful! [name_f]My[/name_f] immediate association is The Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f] (I even find myself singing “[name_m]How[/name_m] do you solve a problem like [name_u]Maria[/name_u]?” 
in my head when I hear it), but that doesn’t stop me at all - maybe bc [name_u]Julie[/name_u] Andrews is just so amazing, haha. I think [name_u]Maria[/name_u] has a simple elegance that few names do, I like it a lot!
1 Like
[name_u]Maria[/name_u] feels versatile- she could be any type of girl! It’s feminine and strong. Sweet but bold
1 Like
Here in Spain is one of the most common women names. Most of them women in my parent’s generation have [name_u]Maria[/name_u] in their names ([name_f]Ana[/name_f] MarĂa, MarĂa del [name_u]Carmen[/name_u], MarĂa [name_f]Cristina[/name_f], MarĂa [name_f]Soledad[/name_f], MarĂa [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], MarĂa José…) and most of them usually goes by nicknames like Anamari, Maricarmen, Marijose…
I also have 4 friends named MarĂa. [name_m]Just[/name_m] MarĂa. And all of them are very different from each other.
So I can’t imagine a “MarĂa”; because I’m unnable to associated this name with just one kind of woman.
I didn’t like this name when I was younger. I thought it was overused and boring, but now it’s growing on me. It has something sweet and warm.
1 Like
I’m honestly not a fan. [name_m]Don[/name_m]’t get me wrong, [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is an amazing name, but I’m extremely tired of it. In my country, [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is by far the most popular name of all time (including both feminine and masculine names). Almost every women born in my parents and grandparents generations have [name_u]Maria[/name_u] in their names ([name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Paula[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Rosa[/name_f], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f], [name_f]Lurdes[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], InĂŞs [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_f]Manuela[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Catarina[/name_f], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] JĂşlia, [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Alice[/name_f], Natália [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] da GlĂłria, [name_f]Celeste[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], LuĂsa [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_u]Maria[/name_u] AntĂłnia,…) For a few years, the name’s popularity dropped a little bit (never abandoned top 10) but nowadays many girls are named [name_u]Maria[/name_u] again (number 1 since 2005, at least twice as popular as the number 2). And some men and boys have [name_u]Maria[/name_u] as a middle name too! I’ve met boys/men named [name_m]Miguel[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], JoĂŁo [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Pedro[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], JosĂ© [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Diogo[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Rui[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Eduardo[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Manuel[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u], [name_m]Francisco[/name_m] [name_u]Maria[/name_u],…
The thing that bothers me the most is that [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is usually “ignored”. In other words, “Marias” usually go exclusively by their middle names (if they have middle names), first+last names or nicknames. Why? To avoid confusions in school, at work and even at home because their friends, colleges and family members (sisters, mother, cousins, grandmothers, aunts, etc) share the same name. People automatically assume that [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] (for example) is known and likes to be called [name_f]Teresa[/name_f]. For that reason, over the last two decades, some parents have actually been “avoiding” middle names to make sure that their children are called [name_u]Maria[/name_u] by everyone.
So, unfortunately, just like @UnderTheRainbow I can’t associate [name_u]Maria[/name_u] with a especific look or personality.
I do believe that [name_u]Maria[/name_u] sounds fresh, sweet, gentle, elegant and even unexpected in an [name_f]English[/name_f]-speaking country. It’s a beautiful “classic with a twist”. A melodic, sophisticated and safe name that appeals to people with very different naming styles. Perfect for a religious and traditional family.
I love the nicknames [name_f]Mar[/name_f] (sea) and [name_f]Mia[/name_f].
2 Likes
I think it’s a beautiful name. It’s one of my favorites of the many variations of [name_f]Mary[/name_f] (and I love a lot of those variations!) It’s got a lovely sound and a rich history with many great cultural references.
1 Like
Thank you for your input!!!
Which variations of [name_f]Mary[/name_f] do you like?? I’ve heard some unique variations like Elmarie.
I would be glad to hear of your opinion!
@ultravioletemeralds I like [name_f]Mary[/name_f] itself, plus [name_u]Maria[/name_u] (and the Russian nickname [name_f]Masha[/name_f]) and [name_f]Maureen[/name_f]. I also like [name_u]Marie[/name_u] as a FN, and [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], as well as some [name_f]Mary[/name_f] combo names like [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f].
1 Like
This is very interesting. I think it depends on where you live. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is a beautiful name. It sounds warm and friendly to me. But it is very popular where I live. I would probably assume [name_u]Maria[/name_u] had Mexican American heritage or was Latina, only because that’s been the case with all of the Marias I have known. Like others have said it sounds Catholic to me but I wouldn’t assume she was Catholic.