If we have a girl, her middle name will be Mariel, it’s kind of a mix of both of my great grandmother’s names - Mary and Elsie and also my grandmother who was Merle, but was supposed to be Meryl. Her Dad accidentally wrote her name wrong on the paperwork 
I know there is a widespread discussion over what Mary itself actually means. I know “star of the sea” while a lovely meaning is a misinterpretation. There’s “beloved”, “drop of the sea”, “bitter.” Some people also say that it has been influenced by Muriel.
With that being said, I’m curious to ask what you believe Mariel means? Thanks!
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It gives me a ‘sea’ vibe - like [name_m]Marinus[/name_m], [name_m]Marius[/name_m], [name_f]Muriel[/name_f], [name_f]Marin[/name_f] or [name_f]Marina[/name_f] - so for me, I’d associate it more with the [name_f]Muriel[/name_f] meaning - sea bright. Possibly because I just prefer that - but also because [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] can be ‘Mary inspired and blended with Muriel’ and because Meryl/Merle can also be inspired by [name_f]Muriel[/name_f]?
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Our eldest is [name_f]Mariel[/name_f]! Honestly, with most names I think meaning is what you make of it, considering how much language has changed and shifted over the centuries (especially true of names with ancient roots and transversing many languages and cultures). That said, we tend to go with star of the sea or a general sea-theme, especially because of [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Bay[/name_f], [name_m]Cuba[/name_m]. It’s also very literary to me because of [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] Hemingway’s love of that place and his granddaughter being named after it. No matter what, it’s a gorgeous name and wears very well!
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I think all those names beginning with ‘mar’ give the same marine/sea vibe.
[name_f]My[/name_f] closest connection is probably with the name [name_f]Muriel[/name_f] which in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] means shining sea.
[name_f]Muire[/name_f] is the name in [name_m]Irish[/name_m] given to [name_f]Mary[/name_f] in the bible which really does mean sea as gaeilge (in Irish).
I hope that helps to move away from the meaning ‘bitter’
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I heard this phrase behind the “star of the sea” meaning in relation to the Virgin [name_f]Mary[/name_f], thought it as quite beautiful: “The Virgin [name_f]Mary[/name_f] as seen as a guiding star through the waves of life.”
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Definitely mar/el- of the sea. Of course, I’m curious about her first name because [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] is GoRgEoUs.
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I LOVE [name_f]Mariel[/name_f]. I think “drop of the sea” is the most likely Hebrew meaning of [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but apparently the name of the original biblical [name_f]Mary[/name_f] (Miriam) could also have been Egyptian, with that initial “mir” sound meaning “beloved.” Also, in Hebrew, names that end -el mean “of God”. [name_f]Ariel[/name_f] means “lion of God,” for example. All such great meanings!
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Considering even the most enlightened academics can’t reach one definitive conclusion about the meaning of Mary - there is more than possible linguistic root - I’m not sure a layperson like myself can shed any light. But if the question is which meaning would I lean into, I can definitely comment on that.
The Latin phrase is Stella Maris (prn. Marie) - star of the sea - as a term for the Virgin Mary. So I can see why the name Mary has organically taken on this meaning in full - though the name itself is obviously far more phonetically akin to the Maris part - meaning sea… which also ties into the ‘drop of the sea’ and ‘bitter’ (saltwater) meanings. For me, all of the Mar- names have a marine / mare vibe for obvious reasons, and I also concur with those that have mentioned the similarity to Muriel (a name I adore) with it’s gorgeous meaning of sparkling sea. It also has angelic vibes for me, from the -el ending. Basically, I see all the possible meanings, including bitter, as sea-related, except for beloved. So ‘sea’ is definitely dominant, for me.
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