Girl · Hebrew · New Testament · Biblically inspired

Maria

muh-REE-uh · means “Beloved, or bitter (debated)”

Maria is the Latin, Spanish, and Italian form of Mary, or Miriam, a name whose Hebrew meaning is still debated, with "beloved" and "bitter" both suggested. It is not itself the exact spelling found in most English translations, but it derives directly from Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God."”

The story behind the name

Maria has been used across nearly every European and Latin American culture for centuries, and it remains one of the most enduring, widely recognized names in the world, carried by countless women in honor of Mary.

Mary was chosen to carry and raise the Son of God, told by the angel Gabriel, "You have found favor with God" (Luke 1:30). She accepted a calling that would bring both wonder and heartache, standing even at the foot of the cross years later (John 19:25).

Her song of praise in Luke 1 remains one of Scripture's most quoted passages, a declaration that God "has been mindful of the humble state of his servant" (Luke 1:48). A daughter named Maria carries a name worn by history's most honored mother, humble and favored both.

Middle names that sing with Maria

Chosen for rhythm and meanings that speak to each other.

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