Maria
Encyclopedia
Maria is a female given name
in many diverse cultures, including Mexican
, African, Arab
, Armenian
, Bulgarian
, Catalan
, Croatian
, English
, Finnish
, German
, Greek
, Italian
, Maltese
, Norwegian
, Polish
, Portuguese
, Russian
, Romanian
, Pakistani, Afghan, Serbian
, Swedish
, Spanish
.
In Roman Empire the name was used as a feminine form of the Roman name Marius
(see Maria (gens)
). It became popular with the spread of Christianity as a Latinized form of the Hebrew name of Jesus' mother Mary
(Miriam in Hebrew). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may originally be an Egyptian name, probably derived from mry "beloved" or mr "love" ("eminent lady" or "beloved lady"), although it was used in Europe even before the establishment of Christianity as a female form of the Roman name Marius.
The name Maria in Islam is taken from one of the wives of Mohammed and is mainly used in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and more.
Historically, the name was also sometimes used as a male (middle) name. This was the case in many Central European countries, where it signified patronage of the Virgin Mary. In the 20th and 21st century, María is a common male middle name in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in José María
, Juan María and Julio María combinations.
As a first name, Maria ranked seventh out of 4,275 for females of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census. Because of its enduring popularity, the name is used extensively in society and media throughout the world.
In pre-20th century Britain, the name Maria was usually pronounced "Muh-RYE-uh". However, during the 20th century the popularity of this pronunciation was eclipsed by the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese pronunciation, "Muh-REE-uh".
In Spanish-speaking countries the name María is usually rendered as "Mª", especially in two-part names (i.e. María Antonieta becomes Mª Antonieta.)
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
in many diverse cultures, including Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, African, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Maltese
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
, Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, Pakistani, Afghan, Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
In Roman Empire the name was used as a feminine form of the Roman name Marius
Marius
Marius may refer to:* Marius , a male given name, a Roman family name, and a modern surname** Gaius Marius, Roman general and statesman.* Marius , on the Moon* Marius Hills, on the Moon* Marius , written by Marcel Pagnol...
(see Maria (gens)
Maria (gens)
The gens Maria was a plebeian family at Rome. Its most celebrated member was Gaius Marius, one of the greatest generals of antiquity, and seven times consul.-Origin of the gens:...
). It became popular with the spread of Christianity as a Latinized form of the Hebrew name of Jesus' mother Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
(Miriam in Hebrew). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may originally be an Egyptian name, probably derived from mry "beloved" or mr "love" ("eminent lady" or "beloved lady"), although it was used in Europe even before the establishment of Christianity as a female form of the Roman name Marius.
The name Maria in Islam is taken from one of the wives of Mohammed and is mainly used in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and more.
Historically, the name was also sometimes used as a male (middle) name. This was the case in many Central European countries, where it signified patronage of the Virgin Mary. In the 20th and 21st century, María is a common male middle name in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in José María
José María
José María is a Spanish language male given name, usually considered a single given name rather than two names, and is a combination of the Spanish names of Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus Christ. The separate names "José" for males and "María" for females also exist in the Spanish language...
, Juan María and Julio María combinations.
As a first name, Maria ranked seventh out of 4,275 for females of all ages in the 1990 U.S. Census. Because of its enduring popularity, the name is used extensively in society and media throughout the world.
Religious
- Maria, Mother of JesusMary (mother of Jesus)Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
(see Blessed Virgin Mary or Virgin Mary (disambiguation)Virgin Mary (disambiguation)Virgin Mary was a Jewish woman identified in the New Testament and in the Quran as the mother of Jesus through divine intervention.Virgin Mary may also refer to:* Virgin Mary * The Virgin Mary, a 1950 book by Giovanni Miegge-See also:...
) - Maria MagdalenaMary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, disciple of Jesus - Maria SaloméSalome (disciple)Salome , sometimes venerated as Mary Salome, was a follower of Jesus who appears briefly in the canonical gospels and in more detail in apocryphal writings...
, disciple of Jesus - Maria Betânia, sister of Lazarus
- Maria al-QibtiyyaMaria al-QibtiyyaMaria al-Qibtiyya , or Maria the Copt, was an Egyptian Coptic Christian slave who was sent as a gift from Muqawqis, a Byzantine official, to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 628. Some sources say she became his wife, taking the title "Mother of the Believers"...
, concubine of the prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
Royalty
- Infanta Maria Francisca Isabel of PortugalInfanta Maria Francisca Isabel of PortugalThe Infanta Maria Francisca born 3 March 1997, is a Portuguese infanta and the only daughter of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza and his wife Isabel de Herédia...
(born 1997), daughter of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza - Maria I of PortugalMaria I of PortugalMaria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
(1734–1816), Queen of Portugal - Maria II of Portugal (1819–1853), Queen of Portugal
- Maria of VaspurakanMariam of VaspurakanMariam was the daughter of John-Senekerim II Artsruni, an Armenian king of Vaspurakan, and the first consort of the king George I of Georgia. As a Dowager Queen of Georgia, she was a regent for her underage son, Bagrat IV, from 1027 to 1037, and was involved in diplomacy with the Byzantine...
, Armenian princess and Georgian Queen Consort - Maria of Alania, Georgian princess and Byzantine Queen Consort
- Maria Amalia of AustriaMaria Amalia of AustriaMaria Amalia of Austria was the younger daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I and Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Duchess of Parma - Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark) (1847–1928), Empress consort of Russia
- Maria of Georgia, Queen Consort of Georgia
- Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (1899–1918)
- Maria Leopoldina of AustriaMaria Leopoldina of AustriaMaria Leopoldina of Austria was an archduchess of Austria, Empress consort of Brazil and queen consort of Portugal....
(1797–1826), Empress consort of Brazil - Maria of Romania (disambiguation), multiple people
- Maria (d. 407), first wife of the western Roman emperor HonoriusHonorius (emperor)Honorius , was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the eastern emperor Arcadius....
, see Maria (empress) - Maria Antonia, Queen Consort of France (see Marie AntoinetteMarie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
) - Maria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire, Queen regnant of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduchess regnant of Austria. - Maria Carolina of AustriaMaria Carolina of AustriaMaria Carolina of Austria was Queen of Naples and Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand IV & III. As de facto ruler of her husband's kingdoms, Maria Carolina oversaw the promulgation of many reforms, including the revocation of the ban on Freemasonry, the enlargement of the navy under her...
, Queen consort of Naples and Sicily - Maria Komnena, Empress consort of Byzantine Empire
Scientists
- Maria Gaetana AgnesiMaria Gaetana AgnesiMaria Gaetana Agnesi was an Italian linguist, mathematician, and philosopher. Agnesi is credited with writing the first book discussing both differential and integral calculus. She was an honorary member of the faculty at the University of Bologna...
, Italian mathematician - Maria MontessoriMaria MontessoriMaria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
, Italian physician and educationist - Marie CurieMarie CurieMarie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
, Polish-French physicist and chemist, first person honored with two Nobel Prizes
Actresses
- María Conchita AlonsoMaria Conchita AlonsoMaría Conchita Alonso , better known as María Conchita, is a Venezuelan Grammy Award-nominated singer and actress.- Early life :...
, Cuban-born Venezuelan actress - Maria BelloMaria BelloMaria Elena Bello is an American actress and singer known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club, Permanent Midnight, Thank You for Smoking, A History of Violence, Payback, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. For television she is known for her role as Dr...
, American actress - Maria NafpliotouMaria NafpliotouMaria Nafpliotou is a Greek actress.She was born and raised in Athens, where she still resides. She took up dancing while at school. She initially started her dancing lessons at the Rodopi Kouvari Dancing School but continued her studies at the Rallou Manou Professional Dancing School, whence she...
, Greek actress - Maria OzawaMaria Ozawa, who used the name early in her career, is a former Japanese adult video actress known in Japan as an AV idol.-Early life:Ozawa was born in Hokkaidō, Japan. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Canadian. Since she always attended an international school, she claims that her English reading...
, Japanese AV actress - Maria SolomouMaria SolomouMaria Solomou is a Greek actress who stars in the Greek hit show S1ngles on Mega Channel. She has also acted in a number of Greek films.She is also active in the theatre scene.-Filmography:* Piso Porta * I Fouska...
, Greek actress - Maria TheodorakisMaria TheodorakisMaria Theodorakis is an Australian actress who has many credits in television, movies and theatre. She is best known for her roles in the television series CrashBurn and Marshall Law...
, Greek-Australian actress - Maria Canals BarreraMaria Canals BarreraMaría Canals Barrera is an American actress, voice actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Theresa Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, Connie Torres in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, and as the voice of Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl in Justice League and Justice League...
, American actress,known for playing as Theresa Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place - Maria SchellMaria SchellMaria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian/Swiss actress, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 1956 for Gervaise....
, Austrian actress, known for playing part in Superman I and II
Singers/bands
- Maria (Bulgarian singer)Maria (Bulgarian singer)Maria Panaiotka Kirova , best known as Maria , is a Bulgarian pop-folk singer.-Early life:Maria was born in Stara Zagora. She made her debut on the children show for young talents with the song "Clovers"...
, Bulgarian singer - MariaMaria Haukaas StorengThe following article is a discography of albums and singles released by Norwegian artist Maria Mittet.-Albums:2011: , med Oslo Gospel Choir-Singles:-Featured-on albums:*1991 "Annie" - den norske suksessversjonen...
(Maria Haukaas Storeng), Norwegian artist - Maria (singer)Maria (singer)Maria is a Danish R&B singer and songwriter. Although she was born in Denmark, she grew up in different parts of Europe. Despite her parents' initial hesitation and the fact that she did not come from a musical family, Maria decided to pursue a career as a singer...
, Danish R&B singer - Maria CallasMaria CallasMaria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
(1923–1977), American-born Greek soprano opera soprano - Maria de BarrosMaria de BarrosMaria de Barros is a singer most associated with Cape Verde, the land of her parents. That said she lived in Nouakchott and Rhode Island in her youth.She considers Cesária Évora to be her godmother and an inspiration...
, Cape Verdean singer - Maria DimitriadiMaria DimitriadiMaria Dimitriadi , was a Greek singer. She was considered a "total voice" and one of the most renowned performers of the songs of Mikis Theodorakis and Thanos Mikroutsikos...
, Greek singer - Maria FarantouriMaria FarantouriMaria Farantouri was born in Athens on 28 November 1947. She is a Greek singer and also a political and cultural activist. She has collaborated with prominent Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis, who wrote the score for Pablo Neruda's Canto General, which Farantouri performed...
, Greek singer - Maria KatinariMaria KatinariMaria Katinari was born in Chania on Crete as the oldest daughter of Antonios Katinaris. She is a Greek actress, singer and lyricist.-Early years:...
, Greek singer and musician - Maria MenaMaria MenaMaria Viktoria Mena is a Norwegian pop artist.- Biography :Maria Mena was born into an artistic family, her mother, a playwright and her father, a drummer. Both Maria and her brother, Tony, are named after characters from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story...
, Norwegian pop singer - Maria MuldaurMaria MuldaurMaria Muldaur is a folk-blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s...
, American roots-folkFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer - Maria LawsonMaria Lawson (singer)Maria Lawson is an English singer who finished in eighth place in the second UK series of television talent show The X Factor in 2005.-Early life:...
, contestant on The X Factor UK in 2005 - Maria (Japanese Band)Maria (Japanese band)Maria is an all female J-Pop band signed onto Sony Music Japan. The band consists of six members. They released their first single on March 8, 2006, titled "Chiisa na Uta". This song is used as the 3rd opening song of the anime Yakitate!! Japan...
, Japanese band - Maria Brink, singer of In This Moment
- Maria, Mexican singer
- Maria von TrappMaria von TrappMaria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born singer and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers, and inspiration of the film The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
Sports
- María BengocheaMaría BengocheaMaría Verónica Bengochea is a retired female field hockey player from Argentina. She was a member of the Women's National Team that finished in seventh place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea after having won the gold medal the previous year at the Pan American Games in...
, Argentine field hockey player - Maria BorodakovaMaria BorodakovaMaria Borodakova is a female volleyball player from Russia, playing as a middle-blocker. She was a member of the Women's National Team that won the gold medal at the 2006 FIVB Women's World Championship...
, Russian volleyball player - Maria BruntsevaMaria BruntsevaMaria Bruntseva is a female volleyball player from Russia, who played in several positions. She was a member of the Women's National Team that won the gold medal at the 2006 FIVB Women's World Championship.-References:*...
, Russian volleyball player - Maria Elena CamerinMaria Elena CamerinMaria Elena Camerin is a professional female tennis player from Italy.On 11 October 2004, Camerin reached her career-high singles ranking: World No...
, Italian tennis player - María Emilia SalerniMaría Emilia SalerniMaría Emilia Salerni , known as Pitu Salerni, was an Argentine professional tennis player from the city of Rafaela, province of Santa Fe....
, Argentine former tennis player - María CangáMaría CangáMaría Magda Cangá Valencia is a female judoka from Ecuador. She competed for her native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where she was defeated in the first round, and carried the national flag at the opening ceremony...
, Ecuadorian judoka - María ColínMaría ColínMaría Colín is a retired female race walker from Mexico.-Achievements:-References:...
, Mexican race walker - María ColomboMaría ColomboMaría Cecilia Colombo de Serrano is a retired female field hockey defender from Argentina. She was a member of the Women's National Team that finished in seventh place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea after having won the gold medal the previous year at the Pan American Games in...
, Argentine field hockey player - María Cruz GonzálezMaría Cruz GonzálezMaría Cruz González Álvarez is a former female field hockey player from Spain. She represented her native country at the 1996 Olympic Games. She played club hockey for Real Club de Campo in Madrid.-References:*...
, Spaniard field hockey player - Maria de Lurdes Mutola, Mozambique middle-distance runner
- María del Carmen GarcíaMaría del Carmen GarcíaMaría del Carmen García is a retired high jumper from Cuba, who set her personal best on 17 March 1990, jumping 1.92 metres at a meet in Manaus.-Achievements:-References:*...
, Cuban high jumper - María del Pilar PereyraMaría del Pilar PereyraMaría del Pilar Pereyra is a retired female butterfly and freestyle swimmer from Argentina who represented her native country twice at the Summer Olympics, in 1996 and 2000. She claimed the bronze medal in the Women's 200m Butterfly event at the 1995 Pan American Games.-References:*...
, Argentine butterfly swimmer - Maria Fernanda AlvesMaria Fernanda AlvesMaria Fernanda Barbato Alves , also known as Nanda Alves, is a Brazilian tennis player. She is currently coached by her father Carlos and former World No. 4 male tennis player Thomaz Koch. As of 1 March 2010, Alves is ranked World No. 262, and is the highest ranked Brazilian player...
, Brazilian tennis player - Maria Fernanda Alvarez Teran, Bolivian tennis player
- María Gabriela PazosMaría Gabriela PazosMaría Gabriela Pazos is a retired female field hockey player from Argentina. She was a member of the Women's National Team that finished in seventh place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Three years later she claimed the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba.-...
, Argentine field hockey player - Maria GorokhovskayaMaria GorokhovskayaMaria Kondratyevna Gorokhovskaya was a Ukrainian gymnast. At the 1952 Summer Olympics, she won seven medals, the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics....
, Soviet Olympic 2x champion gymnast - María Guadalupe SánchezMaría Guadalupe SánchezMaría Guadalupe Sánchez Gómez is a female race walker from Mexico.-Achievements:-References:*...
, Mexican race walker - Maria Leontyavna Itkina, Soviet world-record-holding sprinter
- Mária JanákMária JanákMária Janák is a former javelin thrower from Hungary, who set her personal best in 1982, throwing 62.10 metres. She competed for her native country at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR, finishing in 13th place in the overall-rankings.-References:*...
, Hungarian javelin thrower - María José Martínez SánchezMaría José Martínez SánchezMaría José Martínez Sánchez is a Spanish professional tennis player. In singles, she has won five WTA singles titles, the 2009 Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas, the 2009 Swedish Open, the Premier 5 event, 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the 2011 Gastein Ladies and the 2011 Hansol Korea Open. She...
, Spaniard tennis player - María Gabriela PazosMaría Gabriela PazosMaría Gabriela Pazos is a retired female field hockey player from Argentina. She was a member of the Women's National Team that finished in seventh place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Three years later she claimed the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba.-...
, Argentine field hockey player - Maria KanellisMaria KanellisMaria Louise Kanellis, , or simply Maria, is a singer-songwriter, actress, model, and professional wrestler, best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. Kanellis's career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004...
, Greek-American professional wrestler working for World Wrestling Entertainment - Maria KaragiannopoulouMaria KaragiannopoulouMaria Karagiannopoulou is a Greek judoka.She finished in joint fifth place in the extra-lightweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics, having lost the bronze medal match to Julia Matijass of Germany.-External links:*...
, Greek judoka - Maria KarastamatiMaria KarastamatiMaria Karastamati is a Greek sprinter who specializes in 60 metres and 100 metres.In her first appearance in a major competition, at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid she won the bronze medal with 7.25...
, Greek sprinter - Maria KirilenkoMaria KirilenkoMaria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. Kirilenko won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the China Open. Kirilenko reached no. 18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian...
, Russian tennis player - Maria MarquesMaria MarquesMaria Cecília Marques is a female water polo player from Brazil, who won the bronze medal with the Brazil women's national water polo team at the 2003 Pan American Games. She played in a defending role in the national squad....
, Brazilian water polo player - Maria MazinaMaria MazinaMaria Mazina is a Russian women's épée fencer.-Fencing career:Mazina began fencing at the age of 12.Mazina, who is Jewish, is a 5-time world women's épée champion.-Olympics:She won a team bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics...
, Russian Olympic champion épée fencer - Maria PetrovaMaria Petrova (rhythmic gymnast)Maria Petrova is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast. She shares the world record for the most individual world all-around rhythmic gymnastics titles of all time and has never placed lower than seventh in any competition in her entire career.-Career:Petrova began her training at the age of five at...
, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast - Maria RaduMaria RaduMaria Radu is a retired female middle and long-distance runner from Romania, who is best known for winning the women's 3000 metres at the 1983 Summer Universiade.-Achievements:-External links:...
, Romanian distance runner - Maria RieschMaria RieschMaria Höfl-Riesch is a champion alpine ski racer. She won gold medals in slalom and super combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics and won the World Cup overall title in 2011....
, German alpine skier - Maria Sánchez LorenzoMaría Sánchez LorenzoMaría Antonia Sánchez Lorenzo is a retired Spanish professional tennis player.Her highest WTA ranking has been World No...
, José Martínez Sanchez's Spaniard compatriot and former tennis player - Maria SantosMaria Santos (swimmer)Maria Carlos Martins dos Santos is a retired female backstroke and medley swimmer from Portugal, who competed for her native country at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.-References:*...
, Portuguese swimmer - Maria SharapovaMaria SharapovaMaria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
, Kirilenko's Russian compatriot and tennis player - María TrujilloMaría TrujilloMaría Trujillo Tenorio de Rios is a retired female marathon runner from Mexico, who later represented the United States. She won the gold medal in the women's marathon at the 1995 Pan American Games...
, Mexican-American long-distance runner - María Alejandra TucatMaría Alejandra TucatMaría Alejandra Tucat is a retired female field hockey player from Argentina. She was a member of the Women's National Team that finished in seventh place at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea after having won the gold medal the previous year at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis.-...
, Argentine field hockey player - María VillapolMaría VillapolMaría Elena Villapol Blanca is a retired female judoka from Venezuela. She competed for her native South American country at the 1992 Summer Olympics, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Women's Extra-Lightweight division...
, Venezuelan judoka
Music
- Maria Teresa AgnesiMaria Teresa AgnesiMaria Teresa Agnesi was an Italian composer. Though she was most famous for her compositions, she was also an accomplished harpsichordist and singer, and the majority of her surviving compositions were written for keyboard, the voice, or both. She was born in Milan to Pietro Agnesi, an...
, Italian composer - Maria CoswayMaria CoswayMaria Cosway was an Anglo-Italian artist, who exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She also worked in France, where she cultivated a large circle of friends and clients, and later in Italy. She commissioned the first portrait of Napoleon to be seen in England...
, Anglo- Italian artist, composer, and musician - Maria von TrappMaria von TrappMaria Augusta von Trapp , also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers...
, subject of The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers... - Marija ŠerifovićMarija ŠerifovicMarija Šerifović is a singer from Serbia. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Molitva". Šerifović was born in Kragujevac, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia and is the daughter of Verica Šerifović, also a notable singer...
, Serbian singer - Maria Dolors Pradera, singer
- Maria CallasMaria CallasMaria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, an American-born Greek soprano, one of the most renowned opera singers of the twentieth century
Models
- MariaLaetitia CastaLaetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.-Early life:Laetitia Casta was born in Pont-Audemer, Normandy, France. Her mother, Line Blin, is from Normandy. Her father, Dominique Casta, is from Corsica. She has an older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister, Marie-Ange...
, French supermodel - Maria LekkakosMaria LekkakosMaria Lekkakos, born and raised in Lynn, MA is a beauty pageant contestant who later grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts who has competed in the Miss USA pageant....
, Greek-American beauty pageant contestant - Maria SpiridakiMaria SpiridakiMaria Spiridaki , born and raised on the island of Crete, is a Greek fashion model, actress and television presenter. In 2004 she won the title Miss Hellas at the Miss Star Hellas pageant and went on to represent Greece at the Miss World pageant held in Sanya, China in December 2004...
, Greek fashion model
Politicians and political activists
- Maria DamanakiMaria DamanakiMaria Damanaki is a Greek politician, former president of the Synaspismos party of the radical left and currently a state member of the Hellenic Parliament within the Panhellenic Socialist Movement ....
, Greek politician, former president of the Synaspismos party - Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo (1930–2004), Portuguese politician, chemical-industrial engineer, was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of PortugalPrime Minister of PortugalPrime Minister is the current title of the chief of the Portuguese Government. As chief executive, the Prime Minister coordinates the action of ministers, representing the Government from the other organs of state, accountable to Parliament and keeps the President informed...
- Maria GaidarMaria GaidarMaria Egorovna Gaidar is a Russian political activist and the founder of the Youth movement "DA!" . She is the daughter of former Russian Prime Minister, Yegor Gaidar. On July 23, 2009 she was confirmed as a deputy governor in Kirov Oblast.She was one of the leaders of The Other Russia...
(born 1982), Russian politician - Maria KaczynskaMaria KaczynskaMaria Kaczyńska was the First Lady of Poland from 2005-10 as the wife of Lech Kaczyński, late President of Poland.-Early and personal life:Born as Maria Helena Mackiewicz in Machowo to Lidia and Czesław Mackiewicz. Her father fought in the Vilnius Armia Krajowa , while an uncle fought in the...
(1942–2010), First Lady of Poland (2005–2010) - Maria MatsoukaMaria MatsoukaMaria Matsouka is a Greek politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement; part of the Party of European Socialists.-References:...
, Greek politician and Member of the European Parliament - Maria PantaziMaria PantaziMaria Pantazi was a Greek anarchist and partner of Emanouil Dadaoglou.She met Dadaoglou in the 1860s when the latter was living in Napoli and where she was working as a prostitute. They moved in together. After the death of Dadaoglou, she moved to Paris. There she became a member of an "armed"...
, Greek anarchist - Maria RosettiMaria RosettiMaria Rosetti was an English-born Wallachian and Romanian political activist, journalist, essayist, philanthropist and socialite. The sister of British diplomat Effingham Grant and wife of radical leader C. A. Rosetti, she played an active part in the Wallachian Revolution of 1848...
, Romanian journalist, essayist, philanthropist and socialite - Maria VamvakinouMaria VamvakinouMaria Vamvakinou , is an Australian politician. She has been member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Calwell, Victoria for the Australian Labor Party...
, Greek-born Australian politician
Television hosts
- Maria BakodimouMaria BakodimouMaria Bakodimou is a Greek celebrity, actress, television personality and talk show presenter. She co-hosted the National Final to select the Greek representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.She is now presenting a talk show with Fotis Sergoulopoulos in tv, which is called "Fotis & Maria...
, Greek TV presenter - Maria BartiromoMaria BartiromoMaria Bartiromo is an American television journalist, magazine columnist and author of three books. Bartiromo is a native of New York and attended New York University. She worked at CNN for five years before joining CNBC television...
, Closing BellClosing BellClosing Bell can refer to two CNBC programs, the original Closing Bell on CNBC , and European Closing Bell on CNBC Europe.-About the show:...
presenter on CNBCCNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers... - Maria HoukliMaria HoukliMaria Houkli is a Greek journalist and presenter. Houkli is the anchorwoman and the editor in chief of the central news program on the New Hellenic Television of the Greek public television.-Biography:...
, Greek journalist and TV presenter - María Jimena PiccoloMaría Jimena PiccoloMaría Jimena Piccolo is a well known telenovela and television show actress. She is perhaps better known for her characterization of "Jimena" on Telefe's "Chiquititas", a children and teenager oriented soap opera....
, (born 1985) Argentine TV actress - Maria MenounosMaria MenounosMaria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a...
, Greek-American actress and Access HollywoodAccess HollywoodAccess Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
presenter - Maria ShriverMaria ShriverMaria Owings Shriver is an American journalist and author of six best-selling books. She has received a Peabody Award, and was co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. As executive producer of The Alzheimer's Project, Shriver earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of...
, American journalist and author, First Lady of California (2003–2011) and member of the Kennedy family - María Celeste ArrarásMaría Celeste ArrarásMaria Celeste Arrarás is a Puerto Rican journalist and actress and the host and producer of Spanish language news program Al Rojo Vivo Con Maria Celeste.- Biography :...
, Al Rojo VivoAl Rojo VivoAl Rojo Vivo is a Spanish language news program on the American television network Telemundo. It is shown daily from 5 to 6 P.M. EST. Anchors are Maria Celeste Arraras and Candela Ferro.- External links :* Telemundo Website* Official "Al Rojo Vivo" Website...
presenter on Telemundo
As male middle name
- Carlo Maria Abate, Italian racecar driver
- Alberto María de AgostiniAlberto María de AgostiniFather Alberto Maria De Agostini born in Pollone, Piedmont was an Italian missionary of the Salesians of Don Bosco order as well as a passionate mountaineer, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, photographer and cinematographer.-Life:De Agostini lived as a missionary in Tierra del Fuego and...
, Italian explorer - Carlos María de AlvearCarlos María de AlvearCarlos María de Alvear was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815....
, Argentine general - José María AznarJosé María AznarJosé María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
, Spanish politician, former Spanish prime minister - Angelo Maria BandiniAngelo Maria BandiniAngelo Maria Bandini was an Italian author and librarian born in Florence.Having been left an orphan in his infancy, he was supported by his uncle, Giuseppe Bandini, a lawyer of some note. He received his education among the Jesuits, and showed a special inclination for the study of antiquities...
, Italian author and librarian - Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguayan cardinal
- Ferdinand Maria, Elector of BavariaFerdinand Maria, Elector of BavariaFerdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1651 to 1679.-Biography:He was born in Munich...
- Giovanni Maria BenzoniGiovanni Maria BenzoniGiovanni Maria Benzoni was an Italian neoclassical sculptor. He was trained in Rome, where he later set up his own workshop....
, Italian sculptor - Matteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria Boiardo was an Italian Renaissance poet.Boiardo was born at, or near, Scandiano ; the son of Giovanni di Feltrino and Lucia Strozzi, he was of noble lineage, ranking as Count of Scandiano, with seignorial power over Arceto, Casalgrande, Gesso, and Torricella...
, Italian poet - Giovanni Maria BottalaGiovanni Maria BottalaGiovanni Maria Bottala was an Italian painter active in the Baroque period.He was born in Savona. He traveled to Rome as a young boy, and later became pupil of Pietro da Cortona in Rome. He painted in Rome, Naples, and Genoa. He was taken into the patronage of Cardinal Giulio Sacchetti, for whom...
, Italian painter - Klaus Maria BrandauerKlaus Maria BrandauerKlaus Maria Brandauer is an Austrian actor, film director, and professor at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna.-Personal life:...
, Austrian actor - Giuseppe Maria BuonaparteGiuseppe Maria BuonaparteNobile Giuseppe Maria Buonaparte was a Corsican politician.He was the son of Sebastiano Nicolo Buonaparte and his wife Maria Anna Tusoli ....
, Corsican politician - Carlo Maria CipollaCarlo Maria CipollaCarlo M. Cipolla was an Italian economic historian. He was born in Pavia, where he got his academic degree in 1944....
, Italian economic historian - Giovanni Carlo Maria ClariGiovanni Carlo Maria ClariGiovanni Carlo Maria Clari was an Italian musical composer and maestro di cappella at Pistoia. He was born at Pisa. He gained his initial grounding in musical education from his father, a violinist originally from Rome who was employed in the service of the chapel of the Cavalieri di S...
, Italian composer - Carlo Maria CurciCarlo Maria CurciCarlo Maria Curci was an Italian theologian from Naples.He joined the Society of Jesus in 1826, and was devoted to the education and care of the poor and prisoners. Curci became one of the first editors of the Jesuit periodical, La Civiltà Cattolica...
, Italian theologian - Corrado Maria DaclonCorrado Maria Daclon- Biography :He was born in Milan. Since 1995 he has been professor of environmental policy and geopolitics at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy, journalist, writer, and a collaborative editorial contributor with periodicals on international energy, environmental and geopolitical issues...
, Italian journalist - Tim Maria Franz ElstnerFrank ElstnerFrank Elstner, full name Timm Maria Franz Elstner is a German television presenter.Elstner went to school in Rastatt in Germany and gained his first experience in broadcasting as a child when he acted in radio plays for the station then known as Südwestfunk, now as Südwestrundfunk, which served...
, German TV host - Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, better known as Pope Pius IXPope Pius IXBlessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
- Johann Maria FarinaJohann Maria Farinathumb|Johann Maria Farina 1685-1766Giovanni Maria Farina was an Italian perfume designer and maker, born on 8 December 1685, in the town of Santa Maria Maggiore...
, Italian-German perfumer - Carlo Innocenzio Maria FrugoniCarlo Innocenzio Maria FrugoniCarlo Innocenzo Frugoni was an Italian poet and librettist. As a poet Frugoni was one of the best of the school of the Arcadian Academy, and his lyrics and pastorals had great facility and elegance...
, Italian poet - Alessandro Maria Gaetano Galilei, Italian architect and mathematician
- Giuseppe Maria GiuliettiGiuseppe Maria GiuliettiGiuseppe Maria Giulietti was an Italian soldier, geographer and explorer. He was born in a wealthy family in Casteggio, province of Pavia....
, Italian soldier - Carlo Maria GiuliniCarlo Maria GiuliniCarlo Maria Giulini was an Italian conductor.-Biography:Giulini was born in Barletta, Italy, to a father born in Lombardy and a mother born in Naples; but he was raised in Bolzano, which at the time of his birth was part of Austria...
, Italian conductor - Francesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria GrimaldiFrancesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna....
, Italian mathematician - Christoph Maria HerbstChristoph Maria HerbstChristoph Maria Herbst is a German actor and comedian.-Life and theatre career:After passing the Abitur, Herbst became a banker apprentice and was active at the free theatre scene in Wuppertal at the same time. In 1986, he was a founding member of the private Theater in Cronenberg and its acting...
, German actor - Franco Maria MalfattiFranco Maria MalfattiFranco Maria Malfatti , was an Italian politician and President of the European Commission.-Biography:A descendant of Philip IV of France and wife Joan I of Navarre , Malfatti was born in Rome...
, Italian politician - Thomas Maria MamachiThomas Maria Mamachi-Biography:He was born at Chios, an island in the Archipelago, 4 December 1713; died at Corneto, near Montefiascone in Italy on 7 June 1792. At the age of sixteen he entered the convent of Chios and passed later to St. Mark's at Florence and the Minerva at Rome....
, Italo-Greek Dominican theologian and historian - Antonio Maria Maraggiano, Italian sculptor
- Carlo Maria MartiniCarlo Maria MartiniCarlo Maria Martini, SJ is an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Milan from 1980 to 2002, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1983.-Early life and education:...
, Italian cardianl - Giovanni Maria NaninoGiovanni Maria NaninoGiovanni Maria Nanino was an Italian composer and teacher of the late Renaissance. He was a member of the Roman School of composers, and was the most influential music teacher in Rome in the late 16th century...
, Italian composer - Tommaso Maria Napoli, Italian architect
- José María OlazábalJosé María OlazábalJosé María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:...
, Spanish golfer - Francesco Maria PiaveFrancesco Maria PiaveFrancesco Maria Piave was an Italian opera librettist who was born in Murano in the lagoon of Venice, during the brief Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. His career spanned over twenty years working with many of the significant composers of his day...
, Italian librettist - Carlo Maria PintacudaCarlo Maria PintacudaCarlo Maria Pintacuda was a motor-racing driver from Italy.born in Florence, he was one of the greatest drivers from the "Florentine School" alongside Emilio Materassi, Gastone Brilli-Peri, Clemente Biondetti and Giulio Masetti, and won two editions of legendary Mille Miglia races, in 1935 and 1937...
, Italian racecar driver - Francesco Maria PritilliFrancesco Maria PritilliFrancesco Maria Pratilli was an Italian priest, scholar, antiquarian, whose name is known, from the XIX century, for being involved ina a vaste serie of skilled forgeries.-Life and works:...
, Italian scholar and antiquarian - Erich Maria RemarqueErich Maria RemarqueErich Maria Remarque was a German author, best known for his novel All Quiet on the Western Front.-Life and work:...
, German author - Franco Maria RicciFranco Maria RicciFranco Maria Ricci is an Italian publisher. Among his publications is FMR, an art magazine published six times yearly in Italian, English, German, French and Spanish, based in Milan, Italy...
, Italian art publisher - Rainer Maria RilkeRainer Maria RilkeRené Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
, German poet - Jan Maria Rokita, Polish politician
- Anton Maria Schyrleus of RheitaAnton Maria Schyrleus of RheitaAnton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita was an astronomer and optician. He developed several inverting and erecting eyepieces, and was the maker of Kepler’s telescope...
, Czech astronomer - Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos SiciliasJuan Carlos I of SpainJuan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
, king of Spain - Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Silvester Maria StuartCharles Edward StuartPrince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
, leader of the Jacobite rebellion - Giuseppe Maria TomasiGiuseppe Maria TomasiSaint Giuseppe Maria Tomasi di Lampedusa, CR , often anglicized as Saint Joseph Mary Tomasi, was born at Licata, Sicily, of a princely family. He was an Italian Theatine scholar and reformer, and cardinal. He was beatified by Pope Pius VII in 1803, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in...
, Italian cardinal and saint - Giovanni Maria TrabaciGiovanni Maria TrabaciGiovanni Maria Trabaci was an Italian composer and organist. He was a prolific composer, with some 300 surviving works preserved in more than 10 prints, and was especially important for his keyboard music....
, Italian composer - Antonio Maria VassalloAntonio Maria VassalloAntonio Maria Vassallo was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Genoa, and painting mythologic scenes and still lifes....
, Italian painter - Francesco Maria VeraciniFrancesco Maria Veracinithumb|150px|Francesco Maria Veracini.Francesco Maria Veracini was an Italian composer and violinist, perhaps best known for his sets of violin sonatas.-Life:Francesco Maria Veracini led a turbulent life...
, Italian composer and violinist - Filippo Maria ViscontiFilippo Maria ViscontiFilippo Maria Visconti was ruler of Milan from 1412 to 1447.-Biography:Filippo Maria Visconti, who had become nominal ruler of Pavia in 1402, succeeded his assassinated brother Gian Maria Visconti as Duke of Milan in 1412. They were the sons of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Gian Maria's predecessor, by...
, Duke of Milan - Gian Maria ViscontiGian Maria ViscontiGian Maria Visconti was the second Visconti Duke of Milan, the son of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and Caterina Visconti.-Biography:...
, Duke of Milan - Gian Maria VolontéGian Maria VolontèGian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
, Italian actor - Carl Maria von WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
, German composer - Edward Maria WingfieldEdward Maria WingfieldSir Edward Maria Wingfield, sometimes hyphenated as Edward-Maria Wingfield, was a soldier, Member of Parliament, and English colonist in America...
, English explorer - Tommaso Maria ZigliaraTommaso Maria ZigliaraTommaso Maria Zigliara was a Roman Catholic cardinal, theologian, and philosopher.-Life:...
, Italian cardinal - Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Polish Conventual FranciscanConventual FranciscansThe Order of Friars Minor Conventual , commonly known as the Conventual Franciscans, is a branch of the order of Catholic Friars founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209.-History:...
- Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg
As female middle name
- Christina Maria Aguilera, American musician
- Roxann Maria CaballeroRoxann DawsonRoxann Dawson is an American actress, producer and director, best known as B'Elanna Torres on the television series Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
, American actress and director - Gianna Maria CanaleGianna Maria CanaleGianna Maria Canale was an Italian actress.- Biography :Canale was born in Reggio Calabria. In 1947, at the Miss Italia beauty contest, won by Lucia Bosè, she placed second. Canale received publicity in many Italian magazines after this. Her looks were compared to those of Ava Gardner...
, Italian actress - Anna Maria CrouchAnna Maria CrouchAnna Maria Crouch , often referred to as Mrs Crouch, was a singer and stage actress in the London theatre. She was a mistress of George, Prince of Wales.-Early life and acting career:...
, English stage actress - Lucretia Maria DavidsonLucretia Maria DavidsonLucretia Maria Davidson was an American poet of the early 19th century.-Biography:She was born in Plattsburgh, New York, on September 27, 1808. Her father, Oliver Davidson, was a physician, and her mother, Margaret Miller, was an author...
, American poet - Angela Maria DifrancoAni DiFrancoAni DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
, American musician - Anna Maria GalloMary Frances of the Five Wounds of JesusSaint Mary Frances of the Five Wounds of Jesus was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. She was born Anna Maria Gallo. A native of Naples, her family was of the middle class. When she was sixteen, her father attempted to force her into the family business; she refused and asked to join...
, Italian saint - Stefanie Maria GrafSteffi GrafSteffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...
, ex-tennis player - Anna-Maria PapaharalambousAnna-Maria PapaharalambousAnna-Maria Papaharalambous is a Greek stage, television, and film actress. She came into prominence by starring in the dramatic series by Manousos Manousakis Psithiroi Kardias...
, Greek actress - Catharine Maria SedgwickCatharine SedgwickCatharine Maria Sedgwick , was an American novelist of what is now referred to as "domestic fiction". She promoted Republican motherhood.-Biography:...
, American novelist - Bianca Maria ViscontiBianca Maria ViscontiBianca Maria Visconti was Duchess of Milan from 1450 to 1468.-Early years:Born near Settimo Pavese, Bianca Maria was the illegitimate daughter of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan and last of the Visconti rulers, and Agnese del Maino, the only person the shy, secluded Filippo ever loved...
, Duchess of Milan - Anna Maria Perez de TagleAnna Maria Perez de TagleAnna Manria Francesca Enriquez Perez de Taglé is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Ashley Dewitt on Hannah Montana and Ella Pador on Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam...
American actress and singer
Songs
- "Ave Maria by Beyonce"
- "Ave Maria", by Franz SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
- "Ave MariaAve Maria (Bach/Gounod)The Bach/Gounod Ave Maria is a popular and much-recorded setting of the Latin text Ave Maria.Written by French Romantic composer Charles Gounod in 1859, his Ave Maria consists of a melody superimposed over the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier, written by...
", by J.S. Bach and Charles GounodCharles GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:... - "Beautiful Maria of My SoulBeautiful Maria of My Soul"Beautiful Maria of my Soul" is a song prominently featured in the 1992 motion picture The Mambo Kings. In the film, it is performed in Spanish by Antonio Banderas and in English by Los Lobos. The song was written and composed by Arne Glimcher and Robert Kraft...
", by Los LobosLos LobosLos Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
. Spanish version sung by Antonio BanderasAntonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
in the movie Mambo Kings. - "Gelage i Maria" (Maria was laughing), Giannis PoulopoulosGiannis PoulopoulosGiannis Poulopoulos is a Greek singer-songwriter who had many prominent hits in the Greek music world during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s...
- "M" (song)M (song)"M" is a song written by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki from her album I Am... . The lead single from the album and Hamasaki's nineteenth overall, "M" marked Hamasaki's increased creative control over her music, as it was the first song she composed, under the pseudonym "CREA".The single is to date...
, Ayumi HamasakiAyumi Hamasakiis a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to... - "María" (song)María (song)"María" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his third album, A Medio Vivir. It was released as a single on November 21, 1995 in Latin territories, and later in other parts of the world. "María" became Martin's first international hit single.-Music video:Three versions of the...
, Ricky MartinRicky MartinEnrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide... - "Maria", by Animal Liberation OrchestraAnimal Liberation OrchestraAnimal Liberation Orchestra is an American musical group, currently signed on Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. They have released three full length albums...
on their 2007 Roses & CloverRoses & Clover-Personnel:Animal Liberation Orchestra*Steve Adams – bass, vocals, production*Dave Brogan – drums, percussion, piano, wurlitzer, synthesizer, vocals, production...
album - "Maria", Rage Against the MachineRage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
- "Maria" (US5 song)Maria (US5 song)"Maria" is a song by German/American boy band US5. It went to number 1 in Germany and charted within the top 10 in many surrounding countries. It was the first single released from their debut album Here We Go, and so far is the only single to be released in the UK and the U.S. It charted just...
, US5US5US5 are a multinational pop boy band. The band originated in 2005 on the German RTL II television reality show Big in America and debuted in June of the same year on Lou Pearlman’s Transcontinental label... - "Maria" (1956 song)Maria (1956 song)"Maria" is a song from the Broadway musical West Side Story, sung by the lead character Tony. The music was written by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song was published in 1956....
, West Side Story - "Maria", GacktGacktis a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
- "Maria", Modern TalkingModern TalkingModern Talking was a German dance pop duo consisting of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen. Their music has often been classified as Europop. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching the top 5 in many countries...
- "Maria" (1959 song)Maria (1959 song)"Maria", sometimes known as "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music....
, The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers... - "Maria" (Blondie song)Maria (Blondie song)"Maria" is a song by the American band Blondie, taken from their 1999 album No Exit. This song was Blondie's comeback single, their first since "War Child" in July 1982. In the UK, it was the band's sixth no.1 single, topping the charts exactly 20 years after their first UK no.1 "Heart of Glass" in...
, BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - "Maria (Green Day song)", Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
- "Maria", Café Tacuba
- "Maria", Men at WorkMen at WorkMen at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
- "Maria", The Jacksons2300 Jackson Street- Release history :...
- "Maria", Vico CVico CVico C is an Puerto Rican rapper and rap artist. He is considered one of the founding fathers of rap and has played an influential role in the development of Latin American hip hop....
- "Dear Maria, Count Me InDear Maria, Count Me In"Dear Maria, Count Me In" is the second single taken from the All Time Low album So Wrong, It's Right about a former friend Maria S-L, turned stripper. It marks the first time they charted in Billboard, with the song reaching #86 on Pop 100. An acoustic version of the song features on the Deluxe...
", All Time LowAll Time LowAll Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson... - "Maria (I Like it Loud)", ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
- "Maria MariaMaria Maria"Maria Maria" is a song by Santana featuring The Product G&B. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for ten weeks on April 8, 2000...
", SantanaSantana (band)Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
and The Product G&BThe Product G&BThe Product G&B is an R&B duo made up of Sincere and Money Harm . They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp and managed by Troy Moet... - "Maria me ta kitrina" (Maria in yellow), Haris AlexiouHaris AlexiouHaris Alexiou is a Greek singer. She is considered one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been commercially successful since the 1970s. She has worked with important Greek songwriters and composers, has performed at top musical theatres all over the world and has received several awards...
- "Maria no Tsumeato" Janne da Arc
- "Maria, Shut Up and Kiss Me", Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
- "My MariaMy Maria"My Maria" is a song co-written by B. W. Stevenson and Daniel Moore. Stevenson released "My Maria" as a single in August 1973, and the song became a Top 10 hit, peaking at #9 on the US pop chart. It remained in the Top 40 for twelve weeks. In addition, "My Maria" spent one week at #1 on the US...
", Brooks and Dunn - "My MariaMy Maria"My Maria" is a song co-written by B. W. Stevenson and Daniel Moore. Stevenson released "My Maria" as a single in August 1973, and the song became a Top 10 hit, peaking at #9 on the US pop chart. It remained in the Top 40 for twelve weeks. In addition, "My Maria" spent one week at #1 on the US...
", B. W. Stevenson - "Take a Letter Maria", R.B. Greaves
- "They Call the Wind Maria", Paint Your Wagon, pronounced the colloquial way, "mah-RYE-ah"
- "Yassou MariaYassou MariaYassou Maria is the song that was sung by Sarbel, who represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. It was released as a CD single on March 7, 2007. The title track is composed by Alex Papakonstantinou and Marcus Englöf with lyrics by "Mack"...
", sarbelSarbelSarbel Michael known professionally as Sarbel, is a Greek Cypriot pop singer of partial Cypriot and Lebanese ancestry. He is well known in Cyprus, Greece and parts of the Arab world for his debut single, "Se pira sovara", and his subsequent albums Parakseno sinesthima, Sahara and Kati san esena... - "Maria" from the Dance Game Pump it UpPump It UpPump It Up, commonly abbreviated as PIU or shortened to just Pump, is a music video game series currently developed by Nexcade and published by Andamiro, a Korean arcade game producer. The game is typically played on a dance pad with five arrow panels: up-left, up-right, bottom-left, bottom-right,...
. This is a TechnoTechnoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
version of the classical composition "Ave Maria" - "Maria Club", TM NetworkTM NetworkTM Network is a Japanese pop/rock musical band. The members are Tetsuya Komuro , Takashi Utsunomiya and Naoto Kine...
- "Ave Maria", Beyoncé
Novels
- Maria, Mary WollstonecraftMary WollstonecraftMary Wollstonecraft was an eighteenth-century British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. During her brief career, she wrote novels, treatises, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct book, and a children's book...
- María (novel)María (novel)María is a novel written by Colombian writer Jorge Isaacs between 1864 and 1867. It is a costumbrist novel representative of the Spanish romantic movement...
, Jorge Isaacs - Call Me Maria, Judith Ortiz Cofer
- Maria Ushiromiya, a character in the visual novel Umineko no Naku Koro niUmineko no Naku Koro niis a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The first game in the series, Legend of the Golden Witch, was first released at Comiket 72 on August 17, 2007 playable on the PC; the game sold out in thirty minutes...
- Maria Kurenai, a character in the manga/anime Vampire KnightVampire Knightis a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in...
- Great Aunt Maria (Maria Turner), a character in the Swallows and Amazons series of children's novels of Arthur RansomeArthur RansomeArthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
Languages
- Maria language (India)Maria language (India)Maria is a Dravidian language spoken in India by approximately 165,000 people.-Classification:The 14th edition of Ethnologue classified Abujmaria as a distinct language, and gave it the SIL code ABJ. In the 15th edition, Abujmaria is classified as a dialect of Maria....
, Dravidian language spoken in India - Maria language (Papua New Guinea)Maria language (Papua New Guinea)Maria is a Manubaran language spoken in the "bird's tail" of Papua New Guinea by approximately 1,350 people....
, language spoken in Papua New Guinea
Food
- Maria-moleMaria-moleMaria mole is a dessert popular in Brazil that is similar to a marshmallow. Maria mole is made of egg whites, sugar, gelatin, and coconut.Usually served in November...
, dessert popular in Brazil that is similar to a marshmallow - Marie biscuitMarie biscuitA Marie is a type of sweet biscuit similar to a Rich tea. It is made with wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil and, unlike the Rich Tea biscuit, vanilla flavoring. The biscuit is round and has its name engraved into its top surface. The edges of the top surface are also engraved with an intricate design...
, type of sweet biscuit similar to a Rich Tea biscuit, also known as a Maria biscuit - Golden Maria Cocktail- Mango Juice, Lime, Mint leaves and soda with white rum
Astronomy
- 170 Maria170 Maria170 Maria is a Main belt asteroid. It is an S-type asteroid.It is the namesake of the Maria asteroid family.It was discovered by J. Perrotin on January 10, 1877. Its orbit was computed by Antonio Abetti, and the asteroid was named after his sister, Maria....
, asteroid - Lunar mariaLunar mareThe lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
, large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon
Other
- Ave Maria – Latin for Hail MaryHail MaryThe Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
- Tropical Storm Maria (disambiguation), multiple storms
- Maria (reachability analyzer)Maria (reachability analyzer)Maria: The Modular Reachability Analyzer is a reachability analyzer for concurrent systems that uses Algebraic System Nets as its modelling formalism....
, reachability analyzer for concurrent systems - Maria Gianni, character from the American telenovela Fashion House, played by Bo Derek
- Maria Traydor, character in tri-Ace's role playing video game Star Ocean: Till the End of TimeStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis the third main game in the Star Ocean series. The game was developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in Japan, North America, and the PAL territories. The original Japanese release date was in February of 2003 by Enix, its penultimate...
- Maria (Silent Hill), character from the video game Silent Hill 2Silent Hill 2Silent Hill 2 is a survival horror video game published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Team Silent, a production group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo...
and its mini-prequel "Born from a Wish." - Maria, a Dutch enemy character in the fighting game Human Killing MachineHuman Killing MachineHuman Killing Machine, commonly abbreviated as HKM, is a 2D fighting game developed by Tiertex and published by U.S. Gold, released in March 1989. It was touted as a sequel to Tiertex's home computer conversion of Street Fighter...
- Maria Robotnik, character from the Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog seriesSonic the Hedgehog is the best selling video game series released by Sega starring and named after its mascot character, Sonic the Hedgehog...
series of video games. - Maria, lead character in The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
- Maria, lead character in West Side Story
- Maria (José Maria Gonzalez), lead character in Wild Side StoryWild Side StoryWild Side Story is a stage show that originated as an underground happening in Miami Beach, Florida in 1973. From that year until the end of production in 2004, it was performed hundreds of times in Florida, Sweden, California and Spain....
- Maria DeLucaMaria DeLucaMaria DeLuca is a fictional character created by Melinda Metz for the young adults book series Roswell High and adapted by Jason Katims for the 1999-2002 American science fiction television series Roswell...
, character from RoswellRoswell (TV series)Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002... - Maria Petrova, a character from the video game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the ImperfectsMarvel Nemesis: Rise of the ImperfectsMarvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, DS, and PSP, which ties into the "Marvel Nemesis" comic book series.-Gameplay:...
- Maria, nickname given to the first PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
female paratrooperParatrooperParatroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
nurses, which participated mainly in the Portuguese Colonial WarPortuguese Colonial WarThe Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
http://greenberet.no.sapo.pt/enfermeira.htm - Maria RecamierMaria RecamierMaria Recamier is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!, which ran from 1982 to 1992. She was played by the actress Francesca Gonshaw....
, a character in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!'Allo 'Allo!'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC One from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. It is a parody of another BBC programme, the wartime drama Secret Army, and was created by David Croft, who also wrote the theme music, and Jeremy Lloyd. Lloyd and Croft wrote the first 6... - Maria Ushiromiya, a character in the visual novel, manga and anime series Umineko no Naku Koro niUmineko no Naku Koro niis a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The first game in the series, Legend of the Golden Witch, was first released at Comiket 72 on August 17, 2007 playable on the PC; the game sold out in thirty minutes...
- Maria (goose)Maria (goose)Maria is a male Greylag Goose , formerly living in Echo Park, Los Angeles who became the subject of news reports in 2011 after forming an unusual association with a local resident, named Dominic Ehrler....
, a male Greylag Goose noted for his interest in humans
Usage
In Mexico, it is a tradition to name the firstborn daughter Maria.In pre-20th century Britain, the name Maria was usually pronounced "Muh-RYE-uh". However, during the 20th century the popularity of this pronunciation was eclipsed by the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese pronunciation, "Muh-REE-uh".
In Spanish-speaking countries the name María is usually rendered as "Mª", especially in two-part names (i.e. María Antonieta becomes Mª Antonieta.)