Mary + names

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

What do you all think of double names (by which I mean, names where you use both the first and middle in common speech) starting with Mary?

My paternal grandmother was Mary Alice, and for some reason lately the name is really appealing to me. I loved my grandmother even though I was much closer to my other grandmother, who unfortunately was named Doris... interesting, isn't it, that Alice and Doris have a very similar sound profile, yet Alice seems so much nicer to a modern ear? So I'd be lying to say that it was solely in her honor without regard to stylistic considerations, but the family connection adds a nice bonus.

I like Mary Jane, but the marijuana connotations rule it out for actual use, I think.

I'm also liking Mary Beatrice, perhaps to be called Mary Bee as a nickname.

And Mary Rose (or Marie-Rose) was already on my list last pregnancy.

I like the versatility of these names in that I also like many of the traditional nicknames for Mary--Mamie, Maisie, Molly etc. Plus I feel like I want to do my bit to slow the plummet of Mary down the popularity charts.

Suggestions of Mary + names welcome. :)

Comments

[magpiefirefly.livejournal.com]

My daughter is Vivian Mary, named for two of her great grandmothers. I like Mary as either a first or middle name.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

I think Vivian Mary is lovely. :)

[medamina.livejournal.com]

I really like Mary as a name but it's plainness holds me back, which means that I love combinations because they make it a bit more original and a bit more persona.

Mary Alice is lovely - plus heaps of cute nn potentials there. I'm not a fan of Beatrice, but Mary Bee is cute, though I would spell if Mary Bea. Mary Rose is one of my all time favourites.

Others I like:
Mary Amelia
Mary Anne
Mary Ava
Mary Ella
Mary Catherine
Mary Cathleen
Mary Grace
Mary Kaye
Mary Luna

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

Mary Kay has the make-up associations, unfortunately. Similar to Mary Celeste which has either cursed ship or frozen pizza associations marring its lovely sound.

Mary Ava had never occurred to me before--I quite like that one.

[earn-my-wings.livejournal.com]

Mary is actually one of those names that I dislike unless it is with another name.

I LOVE Mary Jane! For me, the pot reference isn't a big deal because pot has so many names anyway, why let it taint a beautiful girl name? It was a name for a person before it was a name for a plant anyway, haha.

I like Marielle, but not Mary Elle. I also like Mary Ella/ Mariella.

Mary Kate is a favorite too. Unless the Olsen twin association bothers you, I think it's great.

I have a friend named Mary Katherine and she goes by Mary Kat. I love it!!

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

The Olsen twin association doesn't bother me but I'm not terribly fond of Catherine on its own, I'm not sure why. If I want maximum versatility I think I should choose a name where I like both parts.

[iftherainstops.livejournal.com]

I had a friend in college named Mary Grace and I loved the way it sounded.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

I think Mary Grace is very pretty but I wonder if it mightn't be a bit too gentle (particularly since neither my nor my husband's family seems to produce gentle, quiet people!). Mary Rose is similar but I think Rose is just a bit feistier than Grace.

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

I can't speak for other Mary Graces, but I personally have next to no indoor voice. But though everyone laments the popularity of Grace and Rose as middle names, if you pair them with Mary, either way, she'll never have another in her class. Or her workplace, for that matter.

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Our numbers are greater than anyone realizes. :D

[pirahan.livejournal.com]

I dislike them as they all sound like nun names to me lol.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

Minus to you--plus to me. ;)

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

Your icon is amazing.

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

I'm a Mary Grace, so I'm fond of Mary + Middle Names. You can definitely add that one to your list---I get compliments IRL on it and I know of at least two little Mary Graces, so it's not too common and not completely unheard of. I love all three of the possibilities you've listed, especially Mary Rose. I'd add:

Mary Claire
Mary Catherine/Katherine
Mary June/Joan if Mary Jane has too many issues
Mary Christine
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Helen
Mary Frances
Mary Louise
Mary Julia Not a common combo at all, but it has a certain ring to it.
Mary Agnes
Mary Josephine

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

Mary Julia sounds quite majestic! This baby is due August 3rd so there's a good chance it will be born in July. I wonder if that's a plus or minus for Julia.

Mary Claire is too close to Marie-Claire the magazine for me.

Mary Elizabeth was actually my mother's name at birth but she never went by it--she goes by Betsy, and when she got married she legally dropped the Mary entirely.

[medamina.livejournal.com]

I've never considered Mary Julia before but I really like it as well. I don't think it matters if she's born in July, I wouldn't make that association if I met a Mary Julia born in July, I don't think.

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'm glad one of the combinations works for you. I liked the sound of Mary Julia, but worried it might be too "out there." I think being born in July would be a plus for Julia---a nice bonus if it happened that way, but not really noticeable if it didn't.

I didn't think of the magazine. I used to know a Mary Clare, but I prefer the version with the "i".

Mary Elizabeth was actually my mother's name at birth but she never went by it--she goes by Betsy, and when she got married she legally dropped the Mary entirely.

I have an aunt who dropped her Mary, too. She was Mary Theresa, but went exclusively by Terry, and now she signs everything Theresa (don't know if she legally changed it). I think that's kind of common for some Marys of that generation because the name saturated everywhere back then.

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

I think Mary Julia sounds very majestic, too, like an Enlightenment era queen or something. Ha!

[bookity.livejournal.com]

My name is Mary Frances! so plus for that one!

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

Awesome! *high fives*

[politicking.livejournal.com]

Mary Bee is absolutely adorable. Unsure of if it would age well, but gosh, it's cute lol

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

Yeah what I like is that she can easily drop the Bee or modify it to some other form. Between Mary and Beatrice she can be as formal or as casual a she wants.

[ahavah]

I don't usually like double names, but Mary is one that I do like better with something else. lol Something about Mary Bee just makes me want to call her 'Maybe' for short though.

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

I think of Lady Mary on Downton Abbey. :)

I like it paired with longer, feminine nicknames----Mary Josephine, Mary Eleanor, Mary Beatrix. But then again, that British pop star just named her daughter Ethel Mary, which is definitely a statement!

Alice is on our list as well.

[queer-kitten.livejournal.com]

I like them. Particularly Mary Margaret (tons of nicknames here too)

[jadedinnocent.livejournal.com]

My grandmother is Mary Lee, and I've always liked Mary Beth.

[starcrossed.livejournal.com]

Mary-Ann or Mary-Anna (Or Marion, Marianne, Annemarie etc?)
Mary-Beth
Mary-Grace
Mary-Charlotte
Mary-Lydia
Mary-Leila
Mary-Nina
Mary-Jo

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love Mary Charlotte, I didn't even think of that!

[sarahmarie.livejournal.com]

As long as the double names flow right, I don't mind them. My friend has a smart little girl named MaryAhna... like Mary Anna. :) Wish I could be of help, but I'm all named out this morning. ;/

[cremepuff.livejournal.com]

My husband went to college with a Marysusan (yes, spelled exactly like that with both names mashed together, unfortunately). Mary Susan spelled this way, with a space, seems much nicer to me.

I don't mind Mary Jane. I found out recently that my great aunt Jane's full name was actually Mary Jane.

My favorite combinations are:

Mary Jo
Mary Ann (or Mary Anna)
Mary Beth
Mary Kate
Mary Ellen (or Mary Ella)

[alyssa22.livejournal.com]

I like Mary Elizabeth. Always have. Because of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. I always thought it sounded really nice.

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

I like them. I love old-world, classical sounding names. I do really like Mary Alice, as Alice is another of my favorite names. I like Mary Rose and Mary Jane as well (and personally I wouldn't rule it out because of the marijuana connotations). There's also Mary Anne, but I don't like that one so much.

I like:
Mary Margaret
Mary Margot
Mary Catherine
Mary Elise
Mary Therese/Mary Theresa
Mary Grace
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Frances
Mary Louise
Mary Jo
Mary Claire
Mary Kate
Mary Beth

My favorites are Mary Alice, Mary Margaret, Mary Catherine, and Mary Therese.