Middle names for Mariam - long and complex post!

Recently fallen back in love with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], after deciding that [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] perhaps doesn’t quite cut it next to the other girls’ names on my list. I feel [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] has enough spark and sounds exotic enough to stand against [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f], and [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] (current top 3 - thinking they’d all be cute as quadruplets/two twinsets!), and although it’s in the top 200 in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m] (for some reason - does not strike me as popular though, or even trendy) I find that I can contemplate that with equanimity. Which isn’t really typical.

Anyway, I wondered whether you could help me find a combo I like. So far I have [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Iveta [name_f]Swan[/name_f], MAH-ree-am eye-VEE-tah. [name_f]Swan[/name_f]'s a bit of a here-today-gone-tomorrow - I’m liking [name_f]Snow[/name_f], [name_f]Swan[/name_f], and Song atm as middle names, and [name_f]Snow[/name_f]'s currently in my [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalen[/name_f] [name_f]Snow[/name_f] combo, while Song doesn’t seem complex/multi-layered enough to go with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]. Though, as always, the right combo . . .

Other names I like with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] include:

[name_f]Olivine[/name_f] - style-wise, but for some reason struggling to make it work sound-wise. [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]'s lovely too but I don’t like the popularity [#1 in E&W].
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] - I think it balances it beautifully, however [name_f]Violet[/name_f] seems to match most names beautifully so thinking something a little more distinctive.
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] - [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] sort of works, and then it seems a bit weird, partly because I’d got [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] down as a potential middle for my as-yet-unknown [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] combo.
[name_f]Odette[/name_f] - love the sound of [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] ___ [name_f]Odette[/name_f] or [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Odette[/name_f] ____! However, it’s currently the front-runner for a nickname for [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] . . .

Also wondering about [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]/[name_f]Iseult[/name_f]. I’ve wanted to find a combo (= home!) for this name for forever but it’s never really worked. Could it fit in with a [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] combo? [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] is another consideration that could go well.

So, what do you think? What combos would you suggest to go with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], in the light of my above comments? Could you work Song/[name_f]Isolde[/name_f]/[name_f]Iseult[/name_f]/[name_f]Olivine[/name_f] into a combo, perhaps? Any other suggestions for middle names that really set [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] off?

Thank you!

NOTES:

  1. I’m not pregnant or anything, I just take names quite seriously and love thinking about them! I’m sure you understand :slight_smile:

  2. I’d like it if you could try match the feel of the names I’ve listed above, just because [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] has a particular feel that I’d like to try encapsulate/bring out with contrast in the combo - exotic, delicate, feminine, strong, Eastern, golden sands and camels and a sun-soaked white city with turban-clad, dark-skinned Arabs, graceful maidens, and deep, deep blue waves, blue folds of cloth. Very blue. Or something like that!

[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] charts relatively highly on the popularity charts in the U.K. because it is an extremely popular name in the Muslim community. I don’t think that’s an issue at all by the way, just FYI.

Anway… I love [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] and I think [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Iseult[/name_f] is especially gorgeous! I’m guessing you want double middle suggestions to go along with your other names though, which isn’t my strong point but I’ll try:

[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Olivine[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]/[name_f]Celia[/name_f] [name_f]Noor[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Flora[/name_f] [name_f]Celeste[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Ayelet[/name_f] [name_f]Soleil[/name_f]

[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Eira[/name_f] [name_f]Olivette[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Odelet[/name_f] [name_f]Soleil[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Odelet[/name_f] [name_f]Vienne[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Olivine[/name_f] [name_f]Faye[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Oleana[/name_f] [name_f]Swan[/name_f]

My first thoughts were [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] and [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Layla[/name_f], since they’re both Arabic in origin, but are mainstream enough that they don’t seem appropriative.

[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f] [name_u]Vesper[/name_u]

So I think these are not quite the style you’re looking for, but maybe they’ll spark some ideas for you:

[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_u]Peri[/name_u] [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Leila[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] (I like the repeating but changing i letters)
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Aster[/name_f] [name_f]Mazarine[/name_f] (this one is very Arabian Nights to me with the image of a deep blue sky with twinkling stars)
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Orla[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_u]Saheer[/name_u] Nectaria
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Oasis [name_f]Edena[/name_f] ([name_f]Edena[/name_f] can either mean restoration/rejuvenation or place of delight, either conjures the image of welcome respite from the hot desert sun)
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Zahra[/name_f] [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Ophira[/name_f] Lazuli (Lazuli conjures both the image of [name_f]Lapis[/name_f] and of the sky/heavens for me)
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Ophira[/name_f] [name_f]Cyane[/name_f] ([name_f]Cyane[/name_f] was a nymph who lived in a blue pool)

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]! And I love the imagery you’ve attatched to it. [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Iveta [name_f]Swan[/name_f] is very lovely. I also like a pps suggestion of [name_f]Noor[/name_f] as a middle name. It fits quite well I think.
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Olivet[/name_f] [name_f]Swan[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] [name_f]Swan[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] [name_f]Noor[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Lumen [name_f]Iseult[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Aphra[/name_f] [name_f]Altalune[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Lumi[/name_f] [name_f]Olivine[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] [name_u]Ember[/name_u]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Cassiane[/name_f] Song
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f] Song
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Kasimira Song
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Cyrenna [name_f]Azul[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Azula Noir
[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] [name_f]Azul[/name_f]

@katinka - good point, I didn’t think of that! I hope the name doesn’t carry that association with it though (since I’m not Muslim). I’m getting more reconciled to [name_f]Iseult[/name_f]/[name_f]Isolde[/name_f] as a MN for [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]; the feel certainly complements it! [name_f]Noor[/name_f] is actually a name I like and have considered before, but for some reason I don’t feel it does as much for [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] as you’d expect. But exactly the right kind of name, I agree! I like your suggestion of [name_f]Ayelet[/name_f] - not my type of name, usually, but [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Ayelet[/name_f] really works.

@yuma - I love the sound of [name_f]Eira[/name_f] with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], and I like that it means “snow”, but forsome reason it’s not quite working for me. Annoying because it’s a really good suggestion . . . maybe it’ll grow on me though. I do like [name_f]Olivette[/name_f]/[name_f]Olivet[/name_f] a LOT, though, and [name_f]Fay[/name_f] would work but there seems to be a lot of As flying around to my picky gaze! :0

@sansavesper - I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_u]Vesper[/name_u] with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]!!! Thank you! I also like [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] and [name_f]Esther[/name_f], which I hadn’t thought of to go with it. [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] . . . yes, I like that a lot. And I also like [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] - but maybe a name like that with more edge??

@medfordkung - [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_f]Aster[/name_f] [name_f]Mazarine[/name_f] is amazing! It did remind me of margarine at first, but I shook that association off very quickly. You’re right, I would usually play a little more conservative than many of your suggestions ([name_u]Saheer[/name_u] :)), but for [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] I feel something a little more unique is required :wink: I also like your suggestions of [name_f]Leila[/name_f] and [name_f]Ophira[/name_f]. I hadn’t thought of putting [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], either.

@columbiacharm - [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] Azula Noir is very blue and Eastern! [name_f]Cassiane[/name_f] is lovely. [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] was one of the names I liked with [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] but forgot to mention. I’ve never heard of [name_f]Cassiane[/name_f] and it’s going straight onto my middle name list. I like [name_f]Olivet[/name_f] a lot too. And [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f] Song . . . swoon Though I don’t think it’s quite right for [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]. But it’s gorgeous. We’ll see whether that changes!

Thank you, everyone! Any more opinions would be welcome :slight_smile: