Maria is a feminine given name. It is given in many languages influenced by

Latin Christianity , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Jo ...

. It has its origin as the feminine form of the Roman name ''

Marius Marius may refer to: People * Gaius Marius (157 BC-86 BC), Roman statesman, seven times consul. Arts and entertainment * ''Marius'' (play), a 1929 play by Marcel Pagnol * "Marius" (short story), a 1957 story by Poul Anderson * ''Marius'' (19 ...

'' (see

Maria gens The gens Maria was a plebeian family of Rome. Its most celebrated member was Gaius Marius, one of the greatest generals of antiquity, and seven times consul.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 949 ("Maria Gens"). ...

), and, after Christianity has spread across the Roman empire, it became the Latinised form of the name of Miriam: Mary, mother of Jesus. ''Maria'' (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Μαρία) is a form of the name used in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, standing alongside ''Mariam'' (Μαριάμ). It reflects the

Syro-Aramaic The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic language, Aramaic dialect that emerged during ...

name ''Maryam'', which is in turn derived from the Biblical Hebrew name ''

Miriam Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The To ...

''. As a result of their similarity and

syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...

, the Latin original name ''Maria'' and the Hebrew-derived ''Maria'' combined to form a single name. The name is also sometimes used as a male (middle) name. This was historically the case in many

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

countries and still is the case in countries with strong Catholic traditions, where it signified patronage of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

(French-speakers often did the same with '' Marie'').

Variants and usage

''Maria'' was a frequently given name in southern Europe even in the medieval period. In addition to the simple name, there arose a tradition of naming girls after specific

titles of Mary Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles (Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady, Holy Virgin), epithets (Star of the Sea, Queen of Heaven, Cause of Our Joy), invocations ('' Panagia'', Mother o ...

, feast days associated with Mary and specific

Marian apparition A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time. In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian a ...

s (such as '' Maria de los Dolores'', '' Maria del Pilar'', ''

Maria del Carmen Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, d ...

'' etc., whence the derived given names of ''Dolores (given name), Dolores'', ''Pilar (given name), Pilar'', ''Carmen (given name), Carmen'' etc.). By contrast, in northern Europe the name only rose to popularity after the Reformation. Because the name is so frequent in Christian tradition, a tradition of giving compound names has developed, with a number of such compounds themselves becoming very popular. Examples, among numerous others, include: *Anna (given name), Anna + Maria (Anne-Marie, Marianne (name), Marianne) *Maria + Luisa (disambiguation), Luisa (Marie Louise (disambiguation), Marie-Louise) *Margarita (given name), Margarita + Maria (English Margaret Mary, French Marguerite Marie) *Maria + Antonia (name), Antonia (Maria Antonia, French Marie-Antoinette) *Maria + Helena (given name), Helena (Italian Maria Elena, Spanish María Elena) *Maria + Teresa (Maria Theresa (disambiguation), Maria Theresa, French Marie Thérèse (disambiguation), Marie Thérèse) As a feminine given name, ''Maria'' ranked 109th in the United States as of 2015, down from rank 31 held during 1973–1975.behindthename.com
the English form ''Mary'' was at rank 214 as of 2015, after a much steeper decline down from being raked first consistently during 1880–1968

/ref> Spelling variants of ''Maria'' include: ''Mária'' (Hungarian, Slovakian), ''María'' (Greek, Icelandic, Spanish), ''Máire'' and ''Muire'' (Irish), ''Marya'' and ''Marija'' (transliterated from Cyrillic script, Cyrillic), ''Maria'' (Polish). Due to a very strong devotion of Irish and Polish Catholics to the Mary, mother of Jesus, Blessed Virgin Mary, a special exception is made for two other forms of her name – ''Muire'' and ''Maryja'': no one else may take that name, similar to the way the name ''Jesus'' is not used in most languages. The English form ''Mary (name), Mary'' is derived via French '' Marie''. A great number of hypocoristic forms are in use in numerous languages. Cyrillic ''Maryam (name), Maryam'' and ''

'' have numerous variants, such as *Mariami (Georgian) *Mariamma, biblical Mariamme, Mariamne (name), Mariamne *Məryəm (Azerbaijani) *Meryem (Kurdish, Turkish) *Myriam (French) The spelling in Semitic abjads is ''mrym'': Aramaic ܡܪܝܡ, Hebrew מרים, Arabic مريم. Cyrillic has Марыя (''Marýja'') (Belarusian), Марија (''Marija'') (Serbian, Macedonian), and Мария (''Maríja'') (Russian, Bulgarian). Georgian uses მარიამ (''Mariam'') and მარია (''Maria''); Armenian has Մարիամ (''Mariam''). Chinese has adopted the spelling 瑪麗 (simplified 玛丽, pinyin ''Mǎlì''). The variant ''Mariah (given name), Mariah'' (usually pronounced ) was rarely given in the United States prior to the 1990s, when it bounced in popularity, from rank 562 in 1989 to rank 62 in 1998, in imitation of the name of singer Mariah Carey (whose ''Vision of Love'' topped the charts in 1990).

Masculine name

''Maria'' is used as a part of masculine given names in Hispanic and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic tradition.

People

Female

* Maaria Eira, Finnish opera singer and actress * Maria of Russia (disambiguation), Maria of Russia (several people) * Maria al-Qibtiyya * Maria I of Portugal (1734-1816), Queen of Portugal * María Conchita Alonso (born 1957), American singer/songwriter and actress * Maria Ahtisa Manalo, Miss International Philippines 2018 * Maria Ângela Carrascalão, East Timorese politician * Maria II of Portugal (1818-1853), Queen of Portugal * María Azambuya (1944–2011), Uruguayan actress and theatre director * Maria Bamford (born 1970), American stand-up comedian, actress, and voice actress * María Bazo (born 1998), Peruvian windsurfer * Maria Beasley, American inventor * Maria Beig (1920–2018), German author * Maria Bello (born 1967), American actress and writer * María Belón (born 1966), Spanish physician and motivational speaker * Maria Brink (born 1977), American singer and songwriter * María Bolívar (born 1975), Venezuelan politician * Maria Callas (1923–1977), Greek-American soprano * Maria Callani (1778–1803), Italian 18th century portrait painter active in Parma * Maria Cantwell (born 1958), U.S. Senatoor * Maria Cole (1922–2012), American jazz singer * Killing of Maria Colwell, Maria Colwell (1965–1973), British female murder victim * Maria Christina (disambiguation), Maria Christina (several people) * Maria Dallas, New Zealand singer * Maria Damanaki (born 1952) Greek politician * Maria d'Apparecida (1926–2017), Brazilian opera singer * Maria Darling, British voice actress * Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz, East Timorese religious sister * Maria de Vasconcelos (born 1970), Portuguese psychiatrist, singer and songwriter * Maria do Céu Sarmento, East Timorese politician * Maria Domingas Alves, East Timorese politician * Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849), Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature * María Escudero-Escribano (born 1983), Spanish chemist *María-Esther Vidal, Venezuelan scientist * Maria Louise Eve (1842–1900), American poet * Maria Ewing (1950–2022), American opera singer * Maria Farantouri (born 1947), Greek singer * María Fernanda Di Giacobbe (born 1964), Venezuelan chocolatier * Maria Fyfe (1938–2020), Scottish politician * María Esther García López (born, 1948), poet, writer; president, Asturias Writers Association * María la Grande (), prominent Tehuelche leader of the early 19th century * Maria Guyomar de Pinha (1664–1728), Siamese cook * Maria Harfanti (born 1992), Miss World Indonesia 2015 * Maria Höfl-Riesch (born 1984), German alpine skier * María Holly (born 1932), widow of rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly * Maria Iliou (born 1960) Greek film director, scriptwriter and producer * Maria James (poet), Maria James (1793–1868), Welsh-born American poet * Maria Jane Jewsbury (1800–1833), English writer, poet, literary reviewer * María José (several people) * Maria Kanellis (born 1982), American professional wrestler * Maria Kekkonen, Finnish erotic actress * Maria Brace Kimball (1852–1933), American educator, elocutionist, writer * Maria Kochetkova (born 1984), Russian ballet dancer * Maria Kovrigina (1910–1995), Russian physician and Soviet minister of health * Maria Kowroski (born 1976), American ballet dancer * Maria Lampadaridou Pothou (born 1933), Greek novelist, poet and playwright * Maria Elise Turner Lauder (1833–1922), Canadian writer * Murder of Maria Lauterbach, Maria Lauterbach (1987–2007), American murder victim * Maria Lioudaki (1894–1947), Greek educator, folklorist, and resistance fighter * Maria White Lowell (1821–1853), American poet, abolitionist * Maria Lugones (1944–2020), American philosopher * Maria Poonlertlarp, Maria Lynn Ehren (born 1992), Thai singer and model * Maria Laura Mainetti (1939–2000), Italian Catholic sister and murder victim * María Emma Mannarelli (born 1954), Peruvian feminist writer, historian, professor * Maria Mandl (1912–1948), Austrian Nazi SS commandant of the female camp at Auschwitz concentration camp executed for war crimes * Maria Rika Maniates (1937–2011), Canadian musicologist * María Marcano de León, Puerto Rican government official * Maria Mazina (born 1964), Russian Olympic champion épée fencer * Maria Alberta Menéres (1930–2019), Portuguese writer * Maria Montessori, Italian educator * , Japanese voice actress * , Japanese actress * Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (born 1934) * Maria Palmer (1917–1981), Austrian-born American actress * Maria Petri (1939–2022), English association football supporter * Maria Posobchuk (1890–1992), Ukrainian weaver * Maria Rahajeng (born 1991), Miss World Indonesia 2014 * Maria Goretti, a victim of crime and saint * Maria Rasputin (1898–1977), memoirist * Maria Ressa (born 1963), Filipina-American author, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate * Maria Reynolds (1768–1828), wife of James Reynolds * Maria Sakkari (born 1995), Greek professional tennis player * María Elena Salinas, American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author * Maria Selena (born 1990), Indonesian beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2011 * Maria Sharapova (born 1987), Russian professional tennis player * Maria Shriver (born 1955), American journalist and activist * Maria Antónia Siza (1940–1973), Portuguese artist * Maria Strömkvist (born 1964), Swedish politician * Maria Tenazi (1903–1930), Soviet Armenian silent film actress * Maria Theresa (disambiguation), Maria Theresa (several people) * Maria von Trapp (1905–1987), Austrian-born American singer * María Valverde (born 1987), Spanish actress * Maria Eulália Vares, Brazilian mathematical statistician and probability theorist * Maria Vasilkova (born 1978), Russian politician * Chanty (singer), Maria Chantal Videla (born 2002), Filipino-Argentine actress, model and singer of K-pop girl group Lapillus (group), Lapillus * Maria Walliser (born 1963), Swiss alpine skier * Maria Torrence Wishart (1893 – 1982), Canadian medical illustrator and the founder of the University of Toronto's Art as Applied to Medicine program * Maria Zandbang (1886–1972), Polish equestrian

Fictional characters

* List of Corner Shop Show characters#Guest characters, Maria, a fictional character played by Laura Nicole in the British web series ''Corner Shop Show'' * Maria, a villain character in the tokusatsu ''Chōjin Sentai Jetman'' * Maria, the youngest princess of Macedon in the ''Fire Emblem'' video game series. * Grace Maria Fleed, a character from the anime ''UFO Robot Grendizer, Grendizer''. * West Side Story, Maria (''West Side Story''), the main female protagonist from the musical ''West Side Story'' * Maria Jackson, a character from ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' * Maria Renard, a character in the ''Castlevania'' video game series * List of Sonic the Hedgehog characters#Maria Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, a character in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series * The Sound of Music (film), Maria von Trapp, the main female protagonist from the musical ''The Sound of Music'' * Bloodborne, Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, a boss character from ''The Old Hunters'' downloadable content, DLC for the video game ''Bloodborne'' * Maria Calavera, a supporting character in the animated web series ''RWBY'' * Maria Fritz, the daughter of Ymir Fritz, namesake of Wall Maria and a minor character in the anime and manga ''Attack on Titan'' * Maria Wong, a character from the Canadian animated television series ''Braceface''

Male (as part of a compound name or as a middle name)

* Carlo Maria Abate, Italian racecar driver * Alberto María de Agostini, Italian explorer * Carlos María de Alvear, Argentine general * José María Aznar, Spanish politician, former Spanish prime minister * Angelo Maria Bandini, Italian author and librarian * Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguayan cardinal * Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria * Giovanni Maria Benzoni, Italian sculptor * Matteo Maria Boiardo, Italian poet * Giovanni Maria Bottala, Italian painter * Klaus Maria Brandauer, Austrian actor * Giuseppe Maria Buonaparte, Corsican politician * Carlo Maria Cipolla, Italian economic historian * Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari, Italian composer * Carlo Maria Curci, Italian theologian * Corrado Maria Daclon, Italian journalist * Felix Maria Diogg, Swiss painter * Frank Elstner, Timm Maria Franz Elstner, German TV host * Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, better known as Pope Pius IX * Johann Maria Farina, Italian-German perfumer * Carlo Innocenzio Maria Frugoni, Italian poet * Alessandro Maria Gaetano Galilei, Italian architect and mathematician * Giuseppe Maria Giulietti, Italian soldier * Carlo Maria Giulini, Italian conductor * Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician * Christoph Maria Herbst, German actor * Franco Maria Malfatti, Italian politician * Thomas Maria Mamachi, Italo-Greek Dominican theologian and historian * Antonio Maria Maraggiano, Italian sculptor * Carlo Maria Martini, Italian cardinal * Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer * Tommaso Napoli, Tommaso Maria Napoli, Italian architect * José María Olazábal, Spanish golfer * Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist * Carlo Maria Pintacuda, Italian racecar driver * Francesco Maria Pritilli, Italian scholar and antiquarian * Erich Maria Remarque, German author * Franco Maria Ricci, Italian art publisher * Rainer Maria Rilke, German poet * Jan Maria Rokita, Polish politician * Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita, Czech astronomer * Juan Carlos I of Spain, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, king of Spain * Charles Edward Stuart, Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Silvester Maria Stuart, leader of the Jacobite rebellion * Jose Maria Sison, José María Canlás Sison, Filipino activist and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines * Vico Sotto, Victor Maria Regis Sotto (born 1989), Filipino politician * Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, Italian cardinal and saint * Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Italian composer * Antonio Maria Vassallo, Italian painter * Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer and violinist * Gianni Versace born Giovanni Maria Versace, Italian fashion designer * Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan * Gian Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan * Gian Maria Volonté, Italian actor * Carl Maria von Weber, German composer * Edward Maria Wingfield, English explorer * Tommaso Maria Zigliara, Italian cardinal * Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Polish Conventual Franciscan * Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg * Juan María Bordaberry, Uruguayan dictator * Franz von Papen, Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, Erbsälzer zu Werl und Neuwerk, German politician, diplomat, Prussian nobleman and General Staff officer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria (Given Name) Italian feminine given names Romanian feminine given names Russian feminine given names Slovak feminine given names Spanish feminine given names Portuguese feminine given names Swiss feminine given names Pakistani feminine given names Slavic feminine given names Scandinavian feminine given names Ukrainian feminine given names German feminine given names Dutch feminine given names Georgian feminine given names Greek feminine given names Armenian feminine given names Bulgarian feminine given names Danish feminine given names Norwegian feminine given names Icelandic feminine given names Swedish feminine given names Finnish feminine given names Filipino feminine given names Belarusian feminine given names Circassian feminine given names Polish feminine given names Serbian feminine given names Slovene feminine given names Croatian feminine given names English feminine given names