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Baby names

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

Original poster

Mara

51 replies

Babayaggatheboneylegged · 13/04/2015 17:41

What does everyone think of this name? We already have a Rosa.

DH really likes Mary, but I worry that having a Rosa and a Mary would just look like we've split up the name Rosemary. So now I've come up with Mara.

I want something that's not too frilly, trendy, weird, try-hard or popular, and something that works well internationally. We have a 'foreign' surname - nothing ridiculously long, but it is difficult for people to spell/pronounce, so when we chose first time round, it was important to get something easy to spell. Other names we have considered, but I'm not totally sold on are Helen and Katia.

What does everyone think? I think I'm starting to love it, but is it even really a name? Is it actually trying a bit too hard to be 'different'?

All other suggestions welcome...

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SophyStantonLacy · 13/04/2015 22:20

I know one. It's nice.

Yay4may · 13/04/2015 22:37

Love it! Considered for DD1 but husband vetoed

AuntieStella · 13/04/2015 22:43

Looking at it, I can come up with (at least) 3 ways to pronounce it. What did you have in mind, and would it annoy you if you had to correct people?

And I did wonder if 'Rosa, Mara' would sound like Rosemary anyhow (but in a cod Italian accent, sorry).

Have you considered Maura?

LeoandBoosmum · 14/04/2015 02:39

Sounds too close to Myra (Hindley) so I am put off immediately.

Nina or Anya go well with Rosa.

LeoandBoosmum · 14/04/2015 02:40

Or Isla, or Sienna

sleeponeday · 14/04/2015 02:45

I really, really like it. It's pretty, unusual but not weird, and just sounds nice to the ear IMO.

KoalaDownUnder · 14/04/2015 03:19

My friend has a little Mara, so I feel a bit bad, but...I don't love it.

It manages to sound both hard and whiney at the same time.

squoosh · 14/04/2015 10:39

It means 'sea' in Irish. I really like it.

squoosh · 14/04/2015 10:40

You find a lot of schools/churches in Ireland called Réalt na Mara (Star of the Sea).

YoungBritishPissArtist · 14/04/2015 10:46

Reminds me of Mara Wilson, the child actor, so good associations Grin

How about Mira? I like that too.

Original poster
Babayaggatheboneylegged · 14/04/2015 10:52

Hmm, it may not be a goer. When I suggested to DH he said, 'what? As in Masai Mara?' He's not that keen...

He is Irish though, so may try to persuade him with squoosh's revelation that it means 'sea'. And then we'll just ignore all the other less pleasant things it apparently means. I'm not really that fussed about giving names that 'mean' something. Prefer to go for something I think looks/sounds nice.

Re pronunciation, I am Scottish, so would pronounce it with a hard 'a' sound, but we live in England, so everyone else (including Rosa) would pronounce it 'Mah-ra', which I think I could live with. I have an aunt Marie (pron. 'Marry') and I really like that and Mairi, but think Mara would be less open to mispronunciation.

Leaoandboo my mum is a Myra! So I associate that name more with her than Hindley, and she's really ace.

Like Nina and Tessa too, but friends have recently named DC this, so feel like I can't have either of those.

Gah!

OP posts:
NadiaWadia · 14/04/2015 10:54

How does a name manage to sound hard and whiney??? Maybe your friend has a 'hard and whiney' voice? Smile

Is it pronounced 'Mah-ra' to rhyme with Lara and Zara?

I think it sounds lovely, and a bit unusual. I don't know if I would be bothered about the 'demon' thing or not. After all, it's possible that some common UK names sound like something terrible in Thai or Vietnamese, for all we know.

wigglesrock · 14/04/2015 11:33

I think it's lovely, I went to school with a girl called it but spelt differently, I've always liked it.

SeaGrass · 14/04/2015 12:51

Lovely. Irish for sea as Squoosh said, also the name of the spiky, interesting heroine of Catherine Fox's novel Angels and Men. (Also terrifying troll-women in Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, but that's probably a fairly niche reference...)

In my experience (I knew a Mara at university in Ireland) it was Mara to rhyme with Tara or Zara.

BrightenMyNorthernSky · 14/04/2015 15:19

I really like it. I was also going to suggest Mairi if you have any Scottish connections, but I see you've considered that Smile.

Marnie?

tinymeteor · 14/04/2015 15:24

I love Mara. Good associations because it was the name of the kickass heroine in my fave book when I was 10.

BrightenMyNorthernSky · 14/04/2015 15:34

Oooh, or Morven? (I love this name, although am Scottish too so can't really judge how it might go down elsewhere, but at least it's pronounced phonetically).

blowinahoolie · 14/04/2015 16:22

What about Amara?

stormyboots · 14/04/2015 17:00

How about Tamara with Mara as nn?

OhNoNotMyBaby · 14/04/2015 17:08

SeaGrass yes, Weirdstone of Brisingamen (favourite book ever). Also Dr Who.

How about Marnie?

happypotamus · 14/04/2015 18:04

I like it.
Was the book Exodus by Julia Bertagna?

SeaGrass · 14/04/2015 18:06

OhNo, I love Weirdstone, but rereading the Fundindelve escape along the narrow, half-silted or underwater tunnels as an adult is horrifying - much more frightening than the Morrigan in a bad mood...

I like Morvern, too, but with no knowledge of names in Scotland, it reminds me only of Morvern Callar. Who admittedly is called Morvy by her dimwit friend, which unfortunately reminds me of the French for snot.

Semiskimmedgreymatter · 14/04/2015 19:08

Love it! It used to be on my list. I've got a couple of Romanian friends, each has a Mara.

musicinspring1 · 14/04/2015 21:24

I really like it.

Rhubarbgarden · 15/04/2015 07:12

Love it. I used to have a colleague with this name.