Alternatives to Maria

Stellamaris

Latin

"star of the sea"

Stella Maris ("star of the sea") is an historic title for the Virgin Mary, in use since at least the early medieval period. Although it actually arose from a scribal error in the etymology of the…

Theresa

English form of the Spanish Teresa

"to harvest"

The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat…

Xaria

Xaria is a feminine name with modern origins, possibly created as a variant of names like Zaria (meaning "sunrise" in Arabic) or as a unique spelling of similar-sounding names. The distinctive 'X'…

Yolanda

Spanish from Greek

"violet flower"

Bold and distinctive, Yolanda is a floral name that doesn't sound frilly or delicate. Ultimately deriving from the Greek words ioles meaning "violet" and anthos meaning "flower", it appears in a…

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…