Marion/Marian?

[BlueGreyApple]

Can't decide if too old fashioned?

Would be in honour of a family member if used.

It's a v good Sisters of Mercy song (Marian spelling) so gets my approval for that alone.

i think marion is for a boy.
is that why you chose it, suitable for either sex ?
i wouldn't go for it as a first name.
maybe as a second.

How about Maryam / Mariam. They are prettier and less dated, but still a nod do the family connection.

I prefer Marianne
Either are OK for a middle name though.

@alexdgr8

i think marion is for a boy. is that why you chose it, suitable for either sex ? i wouldn't go for it as a first name. maybe as a second.

Would be for a girl. I know it's a boy's name in some cultures but in Scotland traditionally used for girls.

Thank you for the thoughts everyone.

Marianne is also a family name but I think it's too long.

I do like Maryam or Mariam but somehow can't imagine them being names for my baby. (I'm having this problem with nearly all names - my shortlist is very short)

It's ok, it stands out in a good way from many popular girls names at the moment. I prefer the Marian spelling. I was going to mention that it's a boys name in Romania, but fine if you know that. I wouldn't not call a girl Andrea or Nicola because they are male names in Italy.

Not keen on Marian/Marion but love Marianne.

I'm a Marion in real life and I love it. I'm in my 50s admittedly but you don't meet that many. It's very popular in France.

I love Marion. I prefer that spelling. I think of Marion from The Music Man!

I pronounce it slightly differently to Marian.

John Wayne's real name was Marian.

I like it, it's a strong unfussy name. I slightly prefer Marian to Marion. Marianne is even better, it's long but I don't find it frilly.

As PPs said, Marion is popular for girls in Scotland and in France; the '-on' ending is a diminutive: ' little Mary.' The French name 'Manon' has a similar ending (and meaning); 'Nanon' is another French diminutive name, meaning 'little Anne'.

John Wayne was Marion. Said to have been named after an ancestor who fought in the American Civil War. As well as being a female name, Marion is also a surname; originally from France, also found in USA and Canada.

Marian is a male name in several Euorpean countries; it's a version of an ancient Roman name, Marianus (or just Marius).
Mariana is the female form of Marian.

It is old fashioned and dreary, makes me think of small town life in the 5Os, but it’s not awful

Much prefer Marianne or Maryam

I prefer the pronunciation of Marianne with the emphasis on the Anne rather than Marion or Marian with the emphasis on Ma.

Marian - as in maid from Robin Hood
Love it. Strong name, still feels modern, I know one with nn Mari

Not as keen on Marianne at all - prefer the above with emphasis on first syllable rather than last

I really like Marian

I like both (not helpful). Maybe Marion has the edge.

Thanks everyone. I'm still dithering- sometimes I really like it - other times I think no.

I think Marianne might work with a nice short surname like Brown or something but ours is quite long so keen for a fairly short first name.

My DH is from Central/Eastern Europe- I don't think it's a male name in his language but wondering if might cause confusion as it is a male name in neighbouring countries to his.

Maybe it will be better as a middle name.

Luckily got a while before baby arrives as I am really struggling to find anything that I like...my shortlist for girls has two names and for boys my DH made a face at my suggestion (which I think means no)

Strongly Marianne.

@YisforWanky

It's a v good Sisters of Mercy song (Marian spelling) so gets my approval for that alone.

Ha, I remember that... I was an 80's goth! Makes me a fan of Marian, too.

Although I probably prefer Marianne (an even better Leonard Cohen song)

Love love love!!! Personally love the Marianne prononciation, got more peps. It was almost my daughter's name but she didn't look like one.

I love it. Though it was my Granny's name so I am biased ...

@Philandbill

I love it. Though it was my Granny's name so I am biased ...

It's my granny's name too and she gets Myra as a nickname which I love

Very old-fashioned. A lot of old-fashioned names sound good and are popular again, but this isn't one of them. You might as well consider Gladys or Ethel