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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Miriam?

87 replies

ZuzannaZinnia · 16/10/2023 13:16

Thoughts on the name Maria? Ty

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KirstenBlest · 20/10/2023 11:26

@LylaLee, I know a muslim Maria, but it's not a muslim name.
I probably know an atheist John but it doesn't make John an atheist name.

sandstormboots · 20/10/2023 11:23

Go for it!

Whataretheodds · 20/10/2023 10:57

Crikey.

It's a lovely name. It's not odd if you aren't Christian or Jewish or Muslim.

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 10:52

KirstenBlest · 20/10/2023 08:58

@LylaLee , but it isn't a muslim name, Maryam is. Stop derailing the thread.

There are people in this thread who have literally said they know Muslim Miriams.

CaptainBarnaclesandthevegemals · 20/10/2023 09:09

@sunshinesupermum
Both Hebrew and Arabic were traditionally written without vowels. The reader would recognize the words from just the consonants and fill in the vowel sounds themselves. This is part of why there are so many different variations of the name in various languages. It also happens because different languages have different sound systems and different ways of spelling the sounds they use. So you get -Miriam/Mariam/Maryam/Mary/Marie/Maria/Mari/Meri\Mhairi
Same thing happens with other widely used names from the Abrahamic religions - like English ´John’ - Yan Ian Jan Jon Jean Yannis Yanis Evan Euan Giovanni Hovhannes Sean Shane Joan

KirstenBlest · 20/10/2023 08:58

@LylaLee , but it isn't a muslim name, Maryam is. Stop derailing the thread.

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 08:57

KirstenBlest · 20/10/2023 08:54

@LylaLee , Miriam is a muslim name as much as Maria is.

Yes, that was my point. PP said it's not a Muslim name. I said there are a range of spellings of the name.

StoatofDisarray · 20/10/2023 08:55

Lovely!

KirstenBlest · 20/10/2023 08:54

@LylaLee , Miriam is a muslim name as much as Maria is.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 20/10/2023 08:54

Love it. Dc3 would have been Miriam if he hadn't been a boy.

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 08:44

sunshinesupermum · 20/10/2023 00:01

LylaLee You are the one who knows nothing. Miriam is of Hebrew origin and predates Mary. The Old and New Testament both predate the Koran by hundreds of years. HTH.

You said Miriam isn't a Muslim name.

Yes, everyone knows the Koran came after the Bible. Mary (Jesus' mother) is mentioned in the Koran, as I said.

Miriam=Mary=Maryam. The way you spell it depends on the language you speak. HTH.

AhNowTed · 20/10/2023 00:06

Love Miriam.

I know 2, different generations and it suits them both.

It's a lovely name.

And much under-used.

Go for it!

sunshinesupermum · 20/10/2023 00:01

LylaLee You are the one who knows nothing. Miriam is of Hebrew origin and predates Mary. The Old and New Testament both predate the Koran by hundreds of years. HTH.

steppemum · 19/10/2023 23:51

I love it, by dd is a Miriam.

I have taught a few but they tend to be Mariam or Maryam (and pronounced either with an a or the same as Miriam)

In Christian circles you come across it regularly but it isn't overused.

LylaLee · 19/10/2023 23:50

sunshinesupermum · 16/10/2023 15:56

Miriam is a Hebrew not Muslim name garlictwist

Why make assertions about things you clearly know nothing about?

Mary is the only woman named in the Koran. Many Muslim women are named after her. The Koran is in Arabic. Arabic is notoriously difficult to transcribe to western script (Remember Khadaffi/Ghadaffi/Gaddafi/Qaddafi. Other variations on the former leader of Libya include "Gathafi," "Kadafi," and "Gadafy)

So depending on which country you are from Miriam become Mariam/Maryam

squishee · 19/10/2023 23:49

I love all variations of it - Miriam, Myriam, Mariam, Meriem, Meryem...

SkaneTos · 19/10/2023 23:42

Miriam is a lovely name! I know two women named Miriam, and they are both wonderful people.

Izzy24 · 19/10/2023 23:40

Like Miriam, like Mariam more.

SoundTheSirens · 19/10/2023 23:40

It’s grown on me. It’s pretty, it’s recognisable as a name without being ubiquitous and it has some nice shortenings.

Findyourneutralspace · 19/10/2023 23:40

I knew a Miriam at university. She went by Mimi or Mim.

LilyLemonade · 19/10/2023 23:37

Love it.

MatildaonMain · 19/10/2023 22:22

I love Miriam. It has such a pretty sound and isn’t heard too often.

Lookingatthesunset · 19/10/2023 20:09

I love it. I love Biblical names anyway.

I've only ever met two Miriams. One was white English and the other white Irish.

My sprogs have Rachel, Ruth and David as 2nd names.

CurlewKate · 19/10/2023 20:07

I have a family member called Miriam shortened to Miro. I think it's lovely..

Wishingwell57 · 19/10/2023 20:06

I like Miriam (I know one with the spelling 'Myriam' and also a fan of Marianne and Marian.