Marian?

[BessSedgwick]

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!

Old fashioned

@Snugglybuggly

Old fashioned

Old fashioned names are back in. So not old fashioned anymore

@CorianderBee I hadn't actually, no! I know someone from Romania called Marian who is male, I think that's why I thought that.

@BoattoBolivia

People have always struggled to shorten it (which I like), although I have occasionally had 'Maz' which I refuse to answer to. It is unusual- I know of one my age and a few older. On the other hand I ALWAYS have to spell it out (which is tedious).

Yeah, I'm not up for Maz as a shortening! I was wondering about Mari or Marnie for a home pet name. I've only ever met one in real life, but I like that it's a proper name even though it's uncommon.

I love the name Marian. It feels like a strong name, much nicer than Marianne in my view.

I also like Mary.

Lovely but I much prefer the Marianne spelling. I think Marian will get "Marry-on" a lot.

I like it. I also like Marilyn.

I'm not a fan of Marian/Marion personally but no doubt it's due a revival. I keep nearly typing Marina instead of Marian which isn't helpful! How would you be looking to pronounce it? Marry-un? Marry-ann?

Miriam is a lovely name and has a good collection of pet names including Miri, Mimi, Mim, Mitzi. I know a couple of people named Miriam but more named Maryam (the Arabic version).

I don't love it, but it's fine. I do love most of the other suggestions though-Maria, marianne, Miriam, etc

It's a name I'd associate with my mother's generation, I don't think I know a single Marian younger than 60, but it's a very pretty name and would be nice and unusual.

Go for it!

Oh is it for a girl?? Please don’t do it, Marian is a very classic old fashion male name in all Eastern Europe (not a very nice one unfortunately) in today’s world when we travel so much, social media etc most of people will know she has a male European name. Don’t do it

I really like it, we had it on our shortlist. Meredith has a similar vibe I think.

We ended up choosing Beatrix (if that's helpful!)

The lead singer of 80s German band Alphaville was called Marian only found that out today so couldn't resist posting

Marian is lovely. Nicer than Marianne because it's less Frenchified. Don't like Marion as much

Marian/Marion/Miriam makes me think of a prim, uptight shorthand typist from the 70’s

Love Meredith!

Marian is a no from me. Some ideas from various countries I've lived in:
Marianne
Marion
Maren
Miriam / Myriam
Meriem
Manon

I quite like it. Surprised that it is apparently a male name in Eastern Europe, when it quite obviously derives from Mary. Weird!

But we are not in Eastern Europe are we, and in the UK it's a very traditional female name. Maid Marian etc. I think it probably deserves a comeback.

Having said that, I do like Marianne more, I find it cool and Jane Austen-esque.

While we certainly aren’t in Eastern Europe today’s world is small…in the future the baby may get teachers from europe, or friends in class etc. To us calling a girl Marian is just like calling her Paul/Glenn/Conor/Stephen or any other most masculine name you can imagine. There is a chance she will become a subject of laughs and bulking. Please don’t do it OP - go with any other names suggested here but god not Marian 😂😂

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

Well going by that logic Scottish parents shouldn't name their daughters Jean (traditional Scottish female name equivalent to Jane) as it is spelled the same as the French male name Jean (equivalent to John).

I had never heard of the male name Marian and I think most British people wouldn't have. I would find it a bit incongruous that a bloke was named Marian, but I suppose if I ever did meet one I would get used to it.

But just because a name that looks the same has different meanings /is used for the opposite sex in another country, why should it not be used? Like a pp said, you wouldn't tell Italian parents not to name their son Nicola just because it's used for girls in the UK.

I don't really like it because it makes me think of a Marian shrine but I would not have thought it a boys name because the one male one I've heard of is John Wayne.

I know a wonderful Marion but she is mid-50s. Not heard it for a baby recently. She gets called Maz & Mazzer for nn.
Miriam is also lovely - makes me think of Miriam Margolyes who is just fantastic! Plus know a little girl (6) who is called Miriam too. Her parents are Italian so wonder if it has Italian connotations?

Love it! I also like Miriam, nn Miri
Mary or maybe Marnie?
But honestly I really love Marian, don’t like Marianne at all!

There is a chance she will become a subject of laughs and bulking

As others have said, Jean, Nicola and a whole bunch of other names are boys' names in some other cultures.

I doubt the OP's daughter is going to have a class that's three-quarters Eastern European descent (and in any case, kids growing up in the UK will adopt UK ideas about names, even if they also speak another language at home; we are a bilingual family in Japan who speak English at home, and my daughter doesn't go around saying to kids in her class "Why is your name Miki? It sounds like Mickey, which is a BOYS' NAME, hahaha" etc.)

If she did go and live in Eastern Europe and found it awkward it's pretty easy to shorten Marian to "Mari" etc.

Go for it, OP. It's unusual but I like it.