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Original poster

Marian?

100 replies

BessSedgwick · 24/08/2021 19:54

Thoughts? It's the least popular of the names we're considering, but it's got stuck in my head ... I associate it with the wonderful Marian Halcombe, but DH rightly pointed out that Maid Marian is probably a more common association!

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upaladderagain · 02/09/2021 19:58

Marian/Marion is lovely, I agree Marianne is too frilly and makes me think of Faithful and Mars Bars, but then I'm very old.

Yeaemmm · 02/09/2021 16:37

Love it

Balonzette · 01/09/2021 04:51

I'd laugh more at a boy called Marion, if I were that way inclined, than a girl, when it's clearly a very feminine name that sounds like it comes from Mary

Plumtree391 · 31/08/2021 22:28

It's a very pretty name.

Firebird83 · 31/08/2021 22:01

It’s nice. I also like Mariana.

SwedishEdith · 31/08/2021 17:56

Like Jean-Marie Le Pen Same in Spain e.g. José María Olazábal.

Bobmonkfish · 31/08/2021 17:43

In France some boys have Marie as their middle name. As Poland is pretty Catholic (not sure about elsewhere) maybe Marian is of a similar origin.

Pemba · 31/08/2021 14:34

I wonder why Marian is considered a male name in Eastern Europe? Is it unconnected to Mary/Maria, what is the origin?

I once got a book on my Kindle from a male Eastern European author whose name was something like 'Catalin' which I also thought pretty weird, because you would assume it was a variation of Catherine/Katherine.

CorvusPurpureus · 31/08/2021 01:12

It's a lovely strong name (& also a cracking goth song if you're old enough).

Marianne is definitely far too frilly.

I do also love Maryam/Mariam to be fair, but I'm in the middle of supervising a student who is a) called Maryam & b) writing a long essay about a protagonist called Mariam.

We've gone down a rabbit hole of name symbolism - there are some very diverse meanings/backgrounds to every conceivable 'Mary' name, across multiple cultures.

I think that's rather cool, but it's possibly worth being aware that it's a name that comes with decided associations built in, wherever you go.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 31/08/2021 01:04

I had a great aunt Mari short for Marion. Mari was on my shortlist.

EyesAsGreenAsAFreshPickledToad · 31/08/2021 01:02

😂 that huff post link from pp. Apparently “Gary” sounds like the Japanese word for diarrhoea. It’s reminded me of the time Gary linneker shit his pants during a match. Good name choice for him

EyesAsGreenAsAFreshPickledToad · 31/08/2021 00:54

Marion was John Wayne’s birth name

Enko · 31/08/2021 00:51

I like it

squishee · 30/08/2021 22:10

French / German men's names: Jean-Marie and Christoph-Maria (both slebs)

RubyFowler · 25/08/2021 19:32

Sorry quoted wrong post.

RubyFowler · 25/08/2021 19:31

@cheesecrackerz

I love Maryam, Miriam and Mari

Personally not a fan of Marian/Marion but probably because I don't hear it much. I think I prefer Marianne

Why don’t we go to Eastern Europe and tell them not to call boys Marian because it’s a girls name?!

We wouldn’t would we.

It’s a boys name there, girls name in the Western world.

HastaLaVistaBebe · 25/08/2021 19:04

I like Marian. Also Merryn. Marianne is a little frilly..

daisypond · 25/08/2021 18:53

I like Marian a lot. But I also like Marianne. They’re very different names pronounced differently. Marianne is classic in a Jane Austen sense. I don’t think it’s frilly. Marian is classic in a Scottish sense, along with Jean etc. A no-nonsense type of name.

Phyllis321 · 25/08/2021 18:25

Love it.

CaffiSaliMali · 25/08/2021 18:21

I've always quite liked Marian, probably inspired by Robin Hood and Maid Marian stories as a child. (I would pronounce as Marry-un whereas I would pronounce Marianne as Marry-Anne).

If I had a Marian I would shorten it to Mari (marry) which is one of several Welsh versions of Mary which I think is a lovely name.

I like Marianne too, very Jane Austen. I would worry people thought I was inspired by Normal People though, which is a programme I didn't enjoy!

TatianaBis · 25/08/2021 18:20

Much prefer Marianne.

Marian is very dated & dowdy.

peaceinourtime · 25/08/2021 16:13

I'm not a fan of Marian/Marion, to me it sounds the name of a woman who was 70 plus in the late 1990's. Names like Maryanne/Marianne and the other Mar..... names that have been suggested on this thread sound like they have a lot more going for them an a lot less dated.

Classica · 25/08/2021 15:47

Reminds me of the Virgin Mary, and decades of the rosary, and shrines and all sorts of Catholic related Marian stuff.

Marianne seems less laden down with religious connotations.

FoxgloveSummers · 25/08/2021 15:45

I think it's nice. Mariana is on my list.

Agree with PP it's a bit silly not to give a name because of how other countries use it. There are loads of people calling their kids "Pippa" for example despite the awkardness when they go on holiday. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/baby-names-other-languages_n_5a8dd057e4b03414379ceda2

I know a guy called "Andrea Michele" (or similar) who lives in the UK, I don't think people fall about at the sight of him and go "you've got a girls' name! and a beard!"

Bancha · 25/08/2021 15:29

I think it’s beautiful. Just on the right side of unusual and old lady-ish (I mean that in a good way). Much, much prefer Marian/Marion to Marianne, I agree that seems frilly and a bit… unnecessary. Can’t think of a better way to put it. Marnie as a nickname is perfect, too. Congratulations on your baby!

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