| English. | French. | Italian. | Spanish. |
| Maria | Marie | Maria | Marïa |
| Mary | Marion | Marietta | Marinha |
| Marion | Manon | Mariuccia | Mariquinhas |
| Moll | Maion | Mariquita | |
| Molly | Mariette | Maritornes | |
| Polly | Maillard | ||
| Malkin | (Cambrai) | ||
| Mawkes | |||
| Mawkin | |||
| May[[13]] | |||
| Keltic. | Swedish. | Bavarian. | Swiss. |
| Mair (W.) | Maria | Marie | Marie |
| Moissey (Manx) | Maria | Mariel | Mareili |
| Mari (Ir.) | Mariedel | Maga | |
| Marei | Maieli | ||
| Mareiel | Mija | ||
| Marl | Mieli | ||
| Medal | |||
| Miel | |||
| Dutch. | Russian. | Polish. | Illyrian. |
| Maria | Marija | Mary | Maria |
| Marieke | Maika | Marysia | Marica |
| Mike | Mascha | Marynia | Millica |
| Mashinka | |||
| Lusatian. | Esthonian. | Lapland. | Hungarian. |
| Mara | Marri | Marja | Maria |
| Maruscha | Mai | Mari | |
| Maie | Marka |
Our Latin Maria is a late introduction, brought in by that taste which in the last century made everything feminine end with an a.
It is only during the last three centuries that Maria has reigned supreme in Roman Catholic countries, marking the exaggerated devotion paid to the original. Indeed, the Italian proverb, answering to the needle in a bottle of hay, is “Cercar Maria in Ravenna,” so numerous are the Marias there. Even in Ireland there were few Marys till comparatively recent times; but now the Môr that in some parts of the island was translated by Sarah, is changed into Mary.
Since Marys have been thus multiplied, the attributes of the first Mary have been adopted into the Christian name, and used to distinguish their bearer. The earliest and best of these was the Italian Maria Annunciata, or Annunziata, contracted into Nunziata; and followed up in Spain by Maria Anonciada; and in France, by Marie Annonciade. Soon there followed Maria Assunta, in honour of her supposed assumption bodily into glory, but this never flourished beyond Italy, Spain, and her colonies.
France has Marie des Anges, at least as a conventual appellation; as in Spain the votaress of the merciful interceding patroness is called Maria de Mercedes; and she whose parents were mindful of the Seven Sorrows supposed to have pierced the heart of the Holy Mother, would choose for their child Maria de Dolores. There was a legend that Santiago had seen a vision of the Blessed Virgin standing on a pillar of jasper and bidding him found at Zaragoza the church thence called Nuestra[Nuestra] Señora del Pilar, whence, in Spain at least, Pilar has become a female name, as Guadalupe has likewise in honour of a miraculous image of St. Mary, preserved in the church of the mountain once covered with hermitages. Moreover, a district in Mexico, formerly called Tlaltelolco, contained a temple to a favourite goddess of the Aztec race. After the Spanish conquest, the same site became the scene of a vision of Nuestra[Nuestra] Señora, who appeared to a Christian Indian, and intimated that a church was there to be built in her honour. As a token of the reality of the vision, roses burst forth on the bare rock of the Tepeyac, and it further appeared impressed with a miraculous painting, which has been the great subject of adoration from the Mexicans ever since. Guadalupe, a free translation into Spanish of the native name of Tlaltelolco, has been ever since a favourite name with the damsels of Mexico, and is even adopted by such of the other sex as regard the shrine with special veneration. Maria del Incarnaçion is also Spanish. An English gipsy woman lately said ‘Carnation’ was her daughter’s name, and had been her grandmother’s. Was it from this source?
As queen of heaven, Maria has votaries, called in Italy Regina or Reina. The latter was frequent in early times at Florence. In France we find Reine and Reinette, and Regina is a favourite in some parts of Germany, where it has been confused with the derivatives of the old Teutonic Ragin, Council.
Since the promulgation of the new dogma, young ladies in Spain have been called Maria de la Concepcion; in Italy, Concetta. Surely the superstition of these races is recorded in their names. The custom of adding Maria to a man’s name seems to have begun in Italy about 1360, and now most individuals in Italy, and probably likewise in Spain, as well as in the more devout French families, bear the name of Maria; and the old Latin Marius and Virginius, though entirely unconnected except by the sound, have been pressed into the service, and made to do duty as Mario and Virginio in her honour.
Perhaps the Jews had in some degree adopted the Roman fashion of similar names in a family, since the sister of the Blessed Virgin bears the same as her own, and there is a great similarity between those of the sisters of Bethany, which both probably come from mara (bitter), although some deduce Martha from the Aramean mar (a lord), which we often hear as the title of Syrian bishops, as Mar Elias, &c.
Even the earliest writers on the Gospels were at a loss whether to identify the meek contemplative Mary of Bethany, by the woman that was a sinner, who is recorded as performing the same act of devotion, and with Mary Magdalen, once possessed by seven devils and afterwards first witness of the Resurrection. While inquiry was cautious, legend was bold, and threw the three into one without the slightest doubt, going on undoubtingly to narrate the vain and sinful career of Mary Magdalen, describing her luxury, her robes, and in especial her embroidered gloves and flowing hair, and all the efforts of Martha to convert her, until her final repentance. The story proceeded to relate how the whole family set out on a mission to Provence, where Martha, by holding up the cross, demolished a terrific dragon; and Mary, after having aided in converting the country, retired to a frightful desert with a skull for her only companion.
It is this legendary Magdalen, whom painters loved to portray in all her dishevelled grief.