Which spelling do you prefer? [name_u]Marion[/name_u] or [name_u]Marian[/name_u]?
I prefer [name_u]Marian[/name_u].
I also prefer [name_u]Marian[/name_u]. The A makes it significantly more feminine.
I like [name_u]Marian[/name_u] best, too.
I prefer [name_u]Marian[/name_u], I agree that the A makes it somehow seem more feminine. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandmother is a [name_u]Marion[/name_u], though, so I still have a soft spot for that too.
I also think [name_u]Marian[/name_u] has a more feminine ring to it. They sound the same, yes, but if you drop the “n” you’re looking at the difference between [name_f]Maria[/name_f] and [name_m]Mario[/name_m]. At least that is how I look at it.
[name_u]Marian[/name_u] is definitely my preferred spelling. It is much more feminine and is more streamlined to the [name_f]MAR[/name_f]-ee-an pronunciation. Also, [name_m]Mario[/name_m] vs. [name_f]Maria[/name_f] is a good point.
[name_u]Marian[/name_u] looks much nicer to me, softer somehow. I much prefer this spelling to [name_u]Marion[/name_u].
I like it spelled with an “A” - definitely more feminine.
Unless that’s not what you’re going for…?..
I also prefer [name_u]Marian[/name_u].
[name_u]Marian[/name_u]. I adore [name_u]Marian[/name_u].
I prefer [name_u]Marian[/name_u]. I think [name_u]Marion[/name_u] was the male spelling before it went to the girls. [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Wayne[/name_m] was [name_u]Marion[/name_u] [name_m]Morrison[/name_m] before he changed his name.
[name_u]Marian[/name_u] feels more feminine.
Like @ssterikoff said, I think [name_u]Marion[/name_u] was the male spelling.
I like both spellings about equally. [name_u]Marion[/name_u] is a [name_m]French[/name_m] diminutive of [name_f]Marie[/name_f], so 100% feminine in that culture. It also has a long history of use for girls in the UK. However, [name_u]Marion[/name_u] has indeed been used for boys in English-speaking countries, and it is a masculine name in other countries. In the US and UK it has never been anywhere near as popular for boys as it is for girls, and I doubt most English speakers would assume a [name_u]Marion[/name_u] is male.
[name_m]Both[/name_m] names are unisex. [name_u]Marion[/name_u] was [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Wayne[/name_m]'s real name (can you imagine this rugged, iconic cowboy with this name?) and I knew a man named [name_u]Marian[/name_u] from Poland where it’s quite common for boys. [name_u]Marian[/name_u] is the original spelling and it looks softer and prettier with the “a”. I also like the Maid [name_u]Marian[/name_u] connection.