I recently have really started loving the name [name_f]Mariah[/name_f]. It sounds beautiful to me and has a pronunciation people are familiar with yet it is not a common name. However, it seems that people automatically think of [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u] as that is the only real “famous” everybody-has-heard-of association. Obviously this is not a great thing and I would rather not have people think of [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u] as soon as I introduce her name, or worse, think I named my daughter after her.
So… is this a legitimate concern or am I just being silly? I don’t personally associate the two but it seems almost everyone else does.
Thoughts (on my concern and the name in general)? Thanks in advance!
It’s a legitimate concern, but I don’t think [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] is a one-person name like [name_f]Madonna[/name_f] or Beyoncé is. I know a handful of Mariahs and [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u] didn’t even cross my mind at first. I like the name but prefer [name_f]Maria[/name_f].
I know two ladies with the name [name_f]Mariah[/name_f], both in their early 20’s and born during [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u]'s peak but as far as I know none of them have had any issues. My name is [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] and nobody ever brings up [name_f]Britney[/name_f] Spears to me I really like [name_f]Mariah[/name_f].
I love the name [name_f]Mariah[/name_f]! It makes me think of [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] Lucase in Pride and Prejudice (a very minor character, but a likeable one).
[name_f]Mariah[/name_f] brings to mind Miss [name_u]Carey[/name_u], but not overwhelmingly so. I’ve known several Mariahs and they all wear their name quite well.
Most celebrities from the past two decades have fairly popular/trendy names - i.e. [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], [name_f]Christina[/name_f], [name_f]Jessica[/name_f], [name_f]Britney[/name_f], [name_f]Amy[/name_f], [name_f]Katy[/name_f], [name_u]Taylor[/name_u], [name_f]Ariana[/name_f]. [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] falls into the category of “uber famous with a less popular name” like [name_f]Selena[/name_f], [name_f]Demi[/name_f], [name_f]Miley[/name_f], [name_f]Adele[/name_f], [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] - where people will certainly at some point say, “Oh, like [name_f]Selena[/name_f] Gomez?” or “You have the same name as [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u]!” but it’s not always people’s initial thought. There’s also the category of “nearly unusable due name obscurity and celebrity connection” - [name_f]Beyonce[/name_f], [name_f]Madonna[/name_f], [name_f]Cher[/name_f], [name_f]Shakira[/name_f]. [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] is in a sweet spot.
I do think of [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u] but that is a fairly neutral association for me so I am not bothered by it. Nowadays with the popularity of [name_m]Hamilton[/name_m] people may also occasionally think of his mistress, [name_f]Maria[/name_f] [name_m]Reynolds[/name_m], pronounced [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] in the musical at least.
I quite like the name. Its unusual and funky and sweet and soft, and works for any age.
[name_f]Mariah[/name_f] does make me think of [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] [name_u]Carey[/name_u] immediately, but I’ve never met a [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] and don’t have any other associations with it. Going off the examples a PP gave, [name_f]Demi[/name_f] or [name_f]Miley[/name_f] would make me immediately think of the celebrities but not [name_f]Adele[/name_f] or [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], since one of my favourite books has a character named [name_f]Adele[/name_f] and I know a [name_f]Gwen[/name_f]. If you had a daughter named [name_f]Mariah[/name_f], people would think of her when they hear it.
Also, in Pride and Prejudice it was spelled [name_f]Maria[/name_f], which was often pronounced like [name_f]Mariah[/name_f] in the 19th century. [name_m]Just[/name_m] clarifying
I really like [name_f]Mariah[/name_f].