I really like [name]Muriel[/name]. I think that the sound is off-beat but pretty, and I [name]LOVE[/name] the meaning of “sea-bright.” However, it seems to generally elicit fairly negative reactions, and I suspect it might be a bit too stodgy and polarizing to actually use on a real human being.
I like [name]Mariel[/name] as well. I’m not sure which I prefer as far as sound goes, but I appreciate that the [name]Mar[/name]- of [name]Mariel[/name] could honor multiple relatives, and I definitely think that [name]Mariel[/name] is more accessible and easier to wear. I’m a bit concerned that [name]Mariel[/name] may take the name a bit too far away from its meaning, which is kind of one of the real selling points of the name for me (meanings aren’t usually that big of a deal for me so long as they aren’t negative, so I don’t know what it is about this one). [name]Mariel[/name]'s apparently “a diminuitive of [name]Mary[/name] informed my [name]Muriel[/name]” or something of the like. [name]Muriel[/name] itself was derived from something complicated and Gaelic, though, so does changing the one letter really sort of remove it from its meaning, or am I being ridiculous?
I vastly prefer [name]Mariel[/name]. [name]Muriel[/name] is still on the negative side of Old Ladydom for me. I think [name]Mariel[/name] captures most of the good things of [name]Muriel[/name], and while it might technically be a variant of [name]Mary[/name], it feels like its own name to me. Some other name sites seem to give it more of its own meaning, too.
What I came up with was that [name]Mariel[/name] (and [name]Marielle[/name]) are diminutives of [name]Marie[/name]/[name]Mary[/name] and [name]Muriel[/name] was from a Gaelic name, as you said. The names do have separate origins, so make of that what you will.
I think name meanings are quite ambiguous, so it gets to a point where what a name means to you is more important. The [name]Charlotte[/name] named after the city where her parents met and [name]Charlotte[/name] named after grandpa [name]Charles[/name] have names with different meanings, in my opinion. [name]Mar[/name]- honors your relatives. For your child, that would be a meaning behind her name. But you also like [name]Mariel[/name] because of its similarities to [name]Muriel[/name]; that could be a meaning too. It wouldn’t have the same meaning for every [name]Mariel[/name], but for your daughter it would.
If you want my opinion on the names themselves, I prefer [name]Mariel[/name]. I prefer it based on sound and I agree that it’s much more wearable. I don’t like the Mur- sound of [name]Muriel[/name], and it still reads old to me. I also love [name]Marielle[/name], but I think that may be a bit frilly for your taste.
I agree with what [name]Daisy[/name] said about names having their own meanings for you. It sounds like [name]Mariel[/name] is the better match for you. For what it’s worth I’ll add I’ve actually also never gotten the old lady vibe about [name]Muriel[/name], so you’re not alone. But I do know it’s pretty widespread. I do get that vibe (and it must be pretty universal) from [name]Myrtle[/name], and some people (not me, and I think fewer) get it from [name]Miriam[/name], so maybe it’s the proximity to those sounds. All best!
[name]Muriel[/name], [name]Mariel[/name] (I like [name]Marielle[/name] best) are both great! You might also like [name]Mirielle[/name] (not to be confused with [name]Mireille[/name] which is said mee-ray) this sounds like it looks “miri elle” and I love it!
I love the name [name]Marielle[/name] I think [name]Muriel[/name] is still old sounding. If you like the sea meaning… you could try [name]Cordelia[/name] (daughter of the sea), [name]Marina[/name] (from the sea), or [name]Maren[/name] (sea).
I think [name]Muriel[/name] is still old sounding. If you like the sea meaning… you could try [name]Cordelia[/name] (daughter of the sea), [name]Marina[/name] (from the sea), or [name]Maren[/name] (sea).