Mara for Mark?

[y1ifan]

I need opinions! I am pregnant with baby #2. First baby was a girl.

My husband lost his father right before we met and he has always been adamant that he would name a son after his father, Mark. Here is the dilemma... This baby is also a girl, and this is our last baby. He is thrilled to be a girl dad, but disappointed that he won't be able to honor his dad in that way. So I am looking for options that could honor Mark, in a name for a baby girl.

The option we like so far is Mara. Does Mara make sense as a feminine tribute to Mark? They keep that Mar sound the same, so I see it. But it's also not a name that has a "traditional" female version. Thoughts?

It only needs to make sense to you. It’s a lovely name.

Marcelline

I think that’s a lovely idea.

It would be a lovely name.

Or Marcie?

There's also Marcia and Marcella as the female versions of Mark or Marzia or Marcelle. But, if Mara works for you it's a pretty name.

Martha?

Mara is perfectly fine - a nice name.

As an alternative, Marketa is the Czech version of Margaret, but does look a little like a female version of Mark (per Henrietta etc). But if you have decided for sure, your choice is good.

Margot or Margaux
Marquita
Marcia
Marcella
Marcie
Marcheline
Marina
Martine Martina

Or you could just stick with Mark as a middle name? Might be a bit out there, and might get a bit of reaction when you tell people, but after the initial few weeks very few people will ever hear her middle name, and if she likes when she's older she can proudly tell people and have something unusual about herself. I know not everyone likes something so striking and unusual but I would.

Is Mara a real name? I've never heard of it. If my suggestion is too absurd for you, I think Marcia would be better than Mara.

I would actually just go with Mark as a middle name and choose a first name you like. But Mara is a perfectly nice name which works too

Mara is lovely, I’m sure it’s the name of the actress in Mrs Doubtfire

I love the name Mara, but it has nothing at all to do with Mark — but it only has to make sense as a ‘tribute’ to you and your DH.

It’s lovely he wants to honour his Dad.

I really like the name Mara. I like some of the Marcia, Martina, Marielle etc suggestions above too.

Do you like Maeve? I know the sound is a bit less similar, but I think the meaning is similar.

Slightly left field thought, did his Dad have a favourite flower you could use as a name in tribute?

I would choose Mark as a middle name. I think middle names are a bit pointless unless they mean something. I think it would be really cool, I’d certainly find it fun as a child if my middle name was Mark and she’ll always have something to use as one of those awful ‘two truths and a lie’ work icebreakers.

It would be a dimunitive for Mark (Marek) in Slavic-speaking countries. So fine in my view to extrapolate that the female name Mara can be given for Mark, though in theory it has a different origin.
(I am sure someone will now say this is inappropriate in a non-Slavic country, depiste the relative ubiquity of Tanya/Katya/Sasha/Tatiana/Tamara/Sonia etc)

If you're both happy with the connection of using Mara to honour Mark then definitely go for it. While others may not naturally get the connection without an explanation, once they have the explanation I'm sure they'd understand without any issues.

In terms of the name Mara, I really like it and think it's a good solid name that works at every age. So I would use it if you're both keen.

Yes, it's a real name. The only one I've known is the daughter of a friend whose partner (child's father) Is Romanian, but I am sure it has other origins too

Mark means warlike, from the god, Mars. Marcella, Martina and Martha also mean warlike. I prefer Martha. Mara means bitter in Hebrew, or grieving which may be appropriate. Mara means ocean in Irish. Matilda means mighty battle maid, which is quite cool.i don’t know if that helps.

Does Mark have meanings you could reference, or did FIL have associations with places, plants, birds etc that might provide inspiration?

Mara is lovely though.

Mary
Minerva (goddess of strategic warfare, similar to Mark derivation).

I really like Mara and Marcie

Marka

Mara is a lovely name, na mara means of the sea in Scottish Gaelic.

Don’t give a little girl the middle name Mark. it’s not a nice middle name for a girl.

Mara is lovely and I think as it’s only one letter different is a lovely tribute. Did Mark have a middle name that could be used somehow?

could also use Karmel if you like it as it has all the 4 letter or Mark in it