"Mary" as Boy's Middle Name

[Michael Wilson]

John Wayne's birth name was "Marion" a male form of Mary.

Yeah I know a Polish guy with the name Marion.

I did too.

[GaudeMariaVirgo]

My husband & I  actually both really like the name Marion and had been considering it for our son's middle name, a while back. But I think for my husband, "Mary" is just a bridge too far for a boy... I kind of like it though!

We also know some people who did two middle names for each child so that they could smuggle the Mary in, so something like "John Paul Mary Smith" ... a little less obvious maybe?

[Jayne]

My husband & I  actually both really like the name Marion and had been considering it for our son's middle name, a while back. But I think for my husband, "Mary" is just a bridge too far for a boy... I kind of like it though!

If your husband is from a culture in which Mary is always a girl's name, it is understandable that he does not want to give it to a boy.  Putting a masculine ending on it, like in Marion and Marius, is a good way to address his concern.

[Innocent Smith]

Hi all, my husband and I were having an interesting conversation yesterday. We have some good friends who have given ALL of their children (boys as well as girls) "Mary" as a middle name. I think this is an interesting and cool tradition (it sounds "Continental" to me and not unusual), but my husband was pretty emphatic that it doesn't translate to a modern American context and that he wouldn't want to do it for our children. I can see both sides, but was wondering what you all thought of it. Have you given any of your sons variants of Mary as a middle name, and what's been your experience with this tradition in general? (FWIW, our son does not have Mary or any variant thereof as a middle name  )

I agree with your husband.  By the way, I am aware of one country that "traditionally" never named their children Mary as that was the name of our Mother.  This is not true anymore.  Personally, I find it weird when priests do it.  In my opinion one can have a complete devotion to Mary without taking her name. 

Here's Johnny Cash giving his opinion:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gbtm-93oqE[/yt]

[Philip G.]

If I do not like nuns named "sister Joseph", I will also refuse to like lay men named "such and such Mary".  A religious male with Mary in the name is a different story. 

[coffeeandcigarette]

I would consider the male versions mentioned, like Marius or Mario. I've thought of a similar conundrum for girls: what if you're wanting some derivative of Joseph, but you don't like Josephine or Josepha? 

My husband and I are planning to follow the custom of have some variation of Mary in our daughters' names and Joseph in our sons' names.

Josephina, pronounced "ho-sefeena"  Spanish

[Daniel]

Regarding "Marius" and "Mario", those names actually come from the unrelated Roman gens name Marius, not from Hebrew Mary. (Not sure if the name has ever historically been reinterpreted as a masculine form of Mary though. Seems at least plausible.)

No idea where "Marion" comes from. Frankly, I never heard that name before. I just looked it up online, and it appears to be a female given name (originally) which later became a unisex name, which is why there are men named that. (It's also a surname.)

[Jayne]

Regarding "Marius" and "Mario", those names actually come from the unrelated Roman gens name Marius, not from Hebrew Mary. (Not sure if the name has ever historically been reinterpreted as a masculine form of Mary though. Seems at least plausible.)

According to Wikipedia:

In Christian times, it was syncretized as a masculine form of the unrelated feminine given name Maria, from the Hebrew Miriam, Aramaic variant Mariam, and used alongside it.

In other words, Marius, etc. have been masculine forms of Mary for many centuries.

[lauermar]

Maria was used by Italians and Spanish for years.

[Vetus Ordo]

Maria was used by Italians and Spanish for years.

Latins have traditionally used the forms Mary John/Mary Joseph for girls and John Mary/Joseph Mary for boys.

It's also possible to add "Mary" to other male names such as "Bernard Mary," etc. It's a symbolic way to put the child under the patronage of the Blessed Mother or, in the case of girls, of St. Joseph or St. John.

[Gardener]

If one is hesitant to put it in the legal name, they can always put it in the Baptismal name.

Our 3rd child is a girl and her legal middle name is Raphaelle, since her two older brothers' middle names are Michael and Gabriel.

Our 4th one's baptismal name is a hodge podge of names [first redacted] Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio Wolfgang Augustine. The Baptismal names get longer the more we have. 

[Jayne]

I would consider the male versions mentioned, like Marius or Mario. I've thought of a similar conundrum for girls: what if you're wanting some derivative of Joseph, but you don't like Josephine or Josepha? 

I know women with the name, Mary Jo, which I have also seen spelled "Mary Joe".   There was a TV show in my youth that had three sisters named Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo. 

These all sound like pretty names to me, but I don't know how younger people would feel about them.

[kayla_veronica]

I don't think it translates well in American culture outside of Catholic spheres. That being said I like the practice, and I had a miscarried baby that we named Bernard Marie for that reason (in part).

[Gardener]

I would consider the male versions mentioned, like Marius or Mario. I've thought of a similar conundrum for girls: what if you're wanting some derivative of Joseph, but you don't like Josephine or Josepha? 

I know women with the name, Mary Jo, which I have also seen spelled "Mary Joe".   There was a TV show in my youth that had three sisters named Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo. 

These all sound like pretty names to me, but I don't know how younger people would feel about them.

Those names sound like speed dating contestants at a family reunion.