I don’t see [name_f]Marianna[/name_f] or [name_f]Maris[/name_f] getting off the ground with either of us, sorry.
I do adore [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosemarie[/name_f]. I might mention them to him again at some point… sometimes he changes his mind.
[name_f]Maris[/name_f], like [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] and [name_f]Doris[/name_f], just has a strange sound to me. I’m not sure why, since I like [name_f]Iris[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f].
I feel like [name_f]Pandora[/name_f]'s box is basically opening before me, but how do you say [name_f]Maren[/name_f]?
Our last name is Irish and starts with M, too. We also considered [name_f]Molly[/name_f], but I just decided it seems a little too cute and nickname-y. [name_f]Mara[/name_f] or [name_f]Maura[/name_f] would age better, I think. [name_f]Mara[/name_f] seems more reminiscent of [name_f]Marie[/name_f] to me, because of the [name_f]Mar[/name_f]- part. But, if your husband is really committed to the Irish name thing like mine is, then [name_f]Maura[/name_f] would be a good choice. It’s a tough call. In our case, we actually ended up choosing between [name_f]Maura[/name_f] and [name_f]Moira[/name_f]. Same meaning, same origins, slightly different look and sound. What ended up being the deciding factor for me was how it went with our first names. My husband has an Irish name, so either would have been fine, but I felt like [name_f]Moira[/name_f] was fancier than my name. If I were [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] or [name_f]Katharine[/name_f], I could have a daughter named [name_f]Moira[/name_f], but I think [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] is about a million times less regal than the other spellings, so down-to-earth [name_f]Maura[/name_f] seemed like a better fit. That might be a weird way to go about it, but it made me feel better and more confident about the decision.
Also, I like the name [name_f]Maren[/name_f], too. I had a student with that name when I taught preschool - she was adorable! Her name was pronounced [name_f]Mare[/name_f]-in, so it rhymed with [name_f]Karen[/name_f].
I pronounce them differently. [name_f]Mara[/name_f] is [name_f]MARE[/name_f]-uh to me. [name_f]Maura[/name_f] is MORE-uh. I’m not sure if that’s the “correct” pronunciations; that’s just how I say them in my head. I prefer [name_f]Mara[/name_f]. [name_f]Maura[/name_f] and [name_f]Moira[/name_f] always seem to get jumbled in my mouth and I just don’t like them very much.
My best friend growing up was [name_f]Maire[/name_f] and my cousins name is [name_f]Moira[/name_f] and they’re both pronounced more-uh. To me, [name_f]Maura[/name_f] would be pronounced similar to those, but I like the other spellings better… I knew 3 [name_f]Mara[/name_f]'s growing up and to me that seems a little more outdated than [name_f]Maura[/name_f].
Some people do pronounce [name_f]Moira[/name_f] and [name_f]Maura[/name_f] the same, like More-a. When I tell people my daughter’s name, they usually assume we spell it [name_f]Moira[/name_f], or say “oh, is it M-O-I-R-A like Moy-ra?” My sister friend said that to me, like she was trying to teach us now to pronounce our own kid’s name. Ha! We pronounce them differently and my husband’s family pronounces them differently, but I think both pronunciations are acceptable.
I would say [name_f]Mara[/name_f] as MAH-ruh (like [name_f]Zara[/name_f]) and [name_f]Maura[/name_f] as MOR-uh (like [name_f]Laura[/name_f]). I def prefer [name_f]Mara[/name_f]; [name_f]Maura[/name_f] feels dated to me (like [name_f]Laura[/name_f]). I do like [name_f]Moira[/name_f] though.
We met a baby named [name_f]Mara[/name_f] at the library today! Her mom told me she’s named in honor of her grandma [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f], but they pronounce it [name_f]Mar[/name_f]-uh, not [name_f]Mare[/name_f]-uh, even though the beginning of [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] sounds like mare.