Mary

[Spookypig]

I love Mary. Which is weird because as a child I remember reading the Secret Garden and literally shuddering over the name, thinking how awful it was! But it has grown on me over the years and now I love it. I’m also fond of Maria. What do you think - are they lovely and timeless and sounding fresh again after being less popular for years? Or… not?

Yes, we probably do have different ideas.

I don't think people consciously make judgements on people because of their names - though it does happen, but without realising it they do, like I think most people are surprised if someone with a very generic name whom they've met proves to be an individual, or a very far out name proves to be very commonplace is tastes, ways and lifestyle. Which is not even fair because I think a lot of really eccentric people are desperate to fit in with the majority, while you get Mary's like me who you can rely on to be unusual in every which way, but there you go. Have to admit I've been guilty of assuming people with unusual names are unusual myself.

I do think if people are conformists, Mary is fine. Likewise if you're religious. I've had massive amounts of attention from Catholic men who have put great significance on my name, who have seemed attracted to me because of it, but I'm not a Catholic so that's not been helpful.

Giving your child a made up name won’t make them any more of an ‘individual’ than calling them Olivia will. And naming a child Mary nowadays isn’t any more conformist than choosing any other name. You sound like one of those people who calls their child Electric Sky and wears irregular choice shoes because you’re ‘just a bit different, not a conformist’ but actually you’re just different but the same.

I think if you somehow extrapolas how interesting somebody will be based on their name then you’re probably not that interesting yourself. But then I think talk of vibrations/energy etc are a bit daft either way!

Absolutely love it! I went to school with a Mary, she was very cool and suited the name well, and it always seemed a very unique name despite being more common amongst older people. I know people of all ages named Mary to be honest so I think it's quite timeless.

I think that I've always felt boring and uninteresting and unworthy of any of attention - and being named Mary certainly didn't help with that. Totally true that an unusual name won't make someone unusual but I would argue that it does attract attention to people, less so now when unusual is the new usual but still.
I totally disagree that Mary doesn't sound conformist or ordinary, it really does to me.

I think that I've always felt boring and uninteresting and unworthy of any of attention - and being named Mary certainly didn't help with that.

I don't think any name would help with that - I think your feeling of low self worth would have tainted whatever name you had. It really isn't about the name itself.

@TheYearOfSmallThings , I don't agree with you. It might be true to some extent, but if your name is dated and your classmates have trendy names, you will stand out. I say that from experience.

I’m sorry you feel like that. But I mean I’m sure you get where I’m coming from that nowadays Mary isn’t conformist/ordinary for a baby? I’ve worked with babies for 10 years and met a hundred baby Amelias, baby Henrys, baby Olivias, baby Jacksons. I’ve met one baby John and no baby Marys. It isn’t a common or popular name nowadays - a preschooler Mary would really stand out!

But either way some people will stand out. Anne Hathaway is really beautiful and famous despite having quite a plain name. I’m quite boring and unremarkable even though I have a really unusual name.

I knew a Mary at university, when it was very unfashionable. She was slightly older than me, probably 57 or 58 now. Anyway she was very attractive and likeable and I never got the impression her unusual name caused her any problems. I also know one someone now who has a little girl called Mary and again, it doesn't seem to have held her back.

Personally I really like it. It was my mum's middle name, and I've always liked it better than Marie or Maria. It has a nice simplicity and quite strength, a bit like something like Sarah or Elizabeth. The only possible disadvantage I can think of would be if people assumed you, as the parent, were a Catholic (if indeed you're not) and had certain preconceptions about you being shocked by things that actually didn't bother you. But Mary wasn't confined to Catholics in my mum's generation and there's no reason why it should be except past associations.

I think little house on the prairie when I hear Mary.

Beautiful name. I don't know of any Marys other than my DGM.

Can I ask what part of the country that is? We're considering calling our next daughter Mary...

Someone said it’s slang for vagina where they live in the south of England, but I grew up in the south of England and literally never heard this before! So maybe it’s dated or only in some areas.

I'm in Lancashire/ Greater Manchester

I like Mary too, and never used to either.

I like it, I noticed a few baby Marys in the 90s/OOs but it didn’t take off.

Maria is quite nice too, and that is definitely coming back.

I prefer Mary and I’d go for that.

It’s some old phrase like your Aunty Mary for your lady area. It never gets used anymore that I know of, other than maybe to quote your granny, so don’t worry about it. No one lets willy put them off William.

@FriedasCarLoad 👆

Mary is a lovely name.

Adorable. Refreshing. Dont understand the overused comment when most girls these days are called Eve/Olivia/Lily etc.

I've never heard of the "Mary" as slang for vagina. I think it's dated slang or very regional.

I know one teenage Mary and one little girl; it really suits them.

I love Mary, it is beautiful name