Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Catholic here...our Mary was a Jew. I don't think it's weird at all.

our? really?

Seriously. She doesn't belong to Catholics.

I know Jews named Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, Peter, and Andrew. I didn’t assume they were Catholic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IT's a Catholic name. I would think it weird and I'm not even Jewish.

Mary was a Jew.

No. Miriam was a Jew.The specific Anglicized version of that name has fully been co-opted by Catholics.

Just as Jesus wasn't actually called Jesus. That version of his Amamaic name is distinctly Christian.

I consider it an Abrahamic name, not a Catholic name (like Maria, Mariam, etc). Variants used in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

I love the name. Yes, I think people will generally presume she’s Catholic. But I don’t think that should stop you from using the name unless the thought of that happening offends you.

Only people who are shallow and judgmental, regardless of their religion, would be critical of this name or any name. I think this world could use a lot less judging and a lot more openness.

It’s fine, imo. And I really like the name, fwiw — classic, easy to spell & pronounce, works for any age, not overly popular among girls born within the past couple of generations but not dated like a lot of common baby boomer names (Linda, for instance).

OP, you can obviously do what you want.

Non-Jews won't even notice, but a lot of Jews will think it's weird (like this one writing this post). Other Jews won't notice, either.

I think some of us Jews find using generally religious Christian names to feel a little too much like what happens in times and places when Jews are trying a little too hard to pass as Christian, or when it has been dangerous to be easily identified as Jewish. Obviously, that's not the case now, but that, and a history of Jewish persecution by Christians is why people don't see them as "just" a name. Not to mention that plenty of Christians choose "Mary" because it's religious, not just cultural.

Obviously, those situations are not the case right now, but that's behind the weirdness.

You have too many good reasons not to use it, OP.

No you can’t. And Mair is not cute. It’s a horse. God forbid you call her that and she’s fat? Imagine the teasing.

Love the name mary. I wanted to name our daughter this but my husband wouldn't go for it because we're not Christian and he thought Mary was just too definitively a Christian name. I got him to go with Marie instead, though, and love that too.

What about Miriam?

Adorable name and you could still use the nn Mair.

Anonymous wrote:Mary is the anglicized version of Miriam, no? Do you not like Miriam?

OP here: we prefer Mary to all other variants however w Miriam it’s especially problematic because it’s my BEST friend’s name and I couldn’t name d that without having it be assumed to be “after” her which is whole other naming dilema.

Anonymous wrote:IT's a Catholic name. I would think it weird and I'm not even Jewish.

Mary was a Jew.

Mary is the anglicized version of Miriam, no? Do you not like Miriam?