Maria is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

. It is given in many languages influenced by Latin Christianity. It has its origin as the feminine form of the Roman name '' Marius'' (see Maria gens), and, after Christianity has spread across the Roman empire, it became the Latinised form of the name of Miriam:

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. ''Maria'' (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Μαρία) is a form of the name used in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chris ...

, standing alongside ''Mariam'' (Μαριάμ). It reflects the

Syro-Aramaic The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic dialect that emerged during the first centur ...

name ''Maryam'', which is in turn derived from the

Biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew (, or , ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite branch of Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Israel, roughly west of t ...

name ''

Miriam Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The ...

''. As a result of their similarity and

syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...

, the Latin original name ''Maria'' and the Hebrew-derived ''Maria'' combined to form a single name. The name is also sometimes used as a male (middle) name. This was historically the case in many

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

countries and still is the case in countries with strong Catholic traditions, where it signified patronage of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

(French-speakers often did the same with '' Marie'').

Variants and usage

''Maria'' was a frequently given name in southern Europe even in the medieval period. In addition to the simple name, there arose a tradition of naming girls after specific titles of Mary, feast days associated with Mary and specific

Marian apparition A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time. In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian a ...

s (such as '' Maria de los Dolores'', '' Maria del Pilar'', '' Maria del Carmen'' etc., whence the derived given names of '' Dolores'', '' Pilar'', ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...

'' etc.). By contrast, in northern Europe the name only rose to popularity after the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. Because the name is so frequent in Christian tradition, a tradition of giving compound names has developed, with a number of such compounds themselves becoming very popular. Examples, among numerous others, include: *

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

+ Maria (Anne-Marie, Marianne) *Maria +

Luisa Luisa (Italian language, Italian and Spanish language, Spanish), Luísa (Portuguese language, Portuguese) or Louise (given name), Louise (French language, French) is a feminine given name; it is the feminine form of the given name Louis (given name) ...

( Marie-Louise) *

Margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight u ...

+ Maria (English Margaret Mary, French Marguerite Marie) *Maria +

Antonia Antonia may refer to: People * Antonia (name), including a list of people with the name * Antonia gens, a Roman family, any woman of the gens was named ''Antonia'' * Antônia (footballer) * Antônia Melo Entertainment * ''Antonia's Line'', ori ...

( Maria Antonia, French

Marie-Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child ...

) *Maria +

Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * H ...

(Italian Maria Elena, Spanish María Elena) *Maria + Teresa (

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

, French Marie Thérèse) As a feminine given name, ''Maria'' ranked 109th in the United States as of 2015, down from rank 31 held during 1973–1975.behindthename.com
the English form ''Mary'' was at rank 214 as of 2015, after a much steeper decline down from being raked first consistently during 1880–1968

/ref> Spelling variants of ''Maria'' include: ''Mária'' (Hungarian, Slovakian), ''María'' (Greek, Icelandic, Spanish), '' Máire'' and '' Muire'' (Irish), ''Marya'' and ''Marija'' (transliterated from

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ), Slavonic script or the Slavic script, is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking co ...

), ''Maria'' (Polish). Due to a very strong devotion of Irish and Polish Catholics to the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother ...

, a special exception is made for two other forms of her name – ''Muire'' and ''Maryja'': no one else may take that name, similar to the way the name ''

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

'' is not used in most languages. The English form '' Mary'' is derived via French '' Marie''. A great number of

hypocoristic A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as '' Izzy'' for ...

forms are in use in numerous languages. Cyrillic '' Maryam'' and ''

'' have numerous variants, such as *Mariami (Georgian) *Mariamma, biblical Mariamme, Mariamne *Məryəm (Azerbaijani) *Meryem (Kurdish, Turkish) *Myriam (French) The spelling in

Semitic abjad An abjad (, ar, أبجد; also abgad) is a writing system in which only consonants are represented, leaving vowel sounds to be inferred by the reader. This contrasts with other alphabets, which provide graphemes for both consonants and vowel ...

s is ''mrym'': Aramaic ܡܪܝܡ, Hebrew מרים, Arabic مريم. Cyrillic has Марыя (''Marýja'') (Belarusian), Марија (''Marija'') (Serbian, Macedonian), and Мария (''Maríja'') (Russian, Bulgarian). Georgian uses მარიამ (''Mariam'') and მარია (''Maria''); Armenian has Մարիամ (''Mariam''). Chinese has adopted the spelling 瑪麗 (simplified 玛丽,

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...

''Mǎlì''). The variant '' Mariah'' (usually pronounced ) was rarely given in the United States prior to the 1990s, when it bounced in popularity, from rank 562 in 1989 to rank 62 in 1998, in imitation of the name of singer

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

(whose ''

Vision of Love "Vision of Love" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). It was written by Carey and Ben Margulies. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia Records, the song was ...

'' topped the charts in 1990).

Masculine name

''Maria'' is used as a part of masculine given names in Hispanic and

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

tradition.

People

Female

* Maaria Eira, Finnish opera singer and actress * Maria of Russia (several people) * Maria al-Qibtiyya * Maria I of Portugal (1734-1816), Queen of Portugal *

María Conchita Alonso María Concepción Alonso Bustillo (born June 29, 1957), better known as María Conchita Alonso, is a singer, actress and former beauty queen. She has participated in film and television productions, and was nominated for the Independent Spiri ...

(born 1957), American singer/songwriter and actress * Maria Ahtisa Manalo, Miss International Philippines 2018 * Maria Ângela Carrascalão, East Timorese politician *

Maria II of Portugal , image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg , caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835 , succession = Queen of Portugal , reign = , predecessor = Pedro IV , successor = Miguel I , reg-type = Regents , regent ...

(1818-1853), Queen of Portugal * María Azambuya (1944–2011), Uruguayan actress and theatre director * Maria Bamford (born 1970), American stand-up comedian, actress, and voice actress * María Bazo (born 1998), Peruvian windsurfer * Maria Beasley, American inventor *

Maria Beig Maria Beig (8 October 1920 – 3 September 2018) was a German school teacher and author. Life and career Beig was born on 8 October 1920 near Lake Constance in the German region of Swabia. Beig published her first novel, ''Rabenkrächzen'' ( ...

(1920–2018), German author * Maria Bello (born 1967), American actress and writer *

María Belón María Belón (born 1966) is a Spanish physician and motivational speaker, known for surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami when she was on vacation in Thailand with her husband Enrique (Quique) Álvarez and three sons Lucas, Sim ...

(born 1966), Spanish physician and motivational speaker * Maria Brink (born 1977), American singer and songwriter *

María Bolívar María Josefina Bolívar (born 1975) is a Venezuelan politician and perennial candidate. She was presidential candidate twice for the United Democratic Party for Peace and Freedom (PDUPL) in the presidential elections of 2012 and 2013. She also ...

(born 1975), Venezuelan politician *

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

(1923–1977), Greek-American soprano *

Maria Callani Maria Callani (15 August 1778 – 9 February 1803) was an Italian portrait painter, active in the 18th century in Milan and Parma, Italy. Biography Maria Callani was born 15 August 1778 in Milan, Italy, her father was artist Gaetano Callan ...

(1778–1803), Italian 18th century portrait painter active in Parma *

Maria Cantwell Maria Ellen Cantwell (; born October 13, 1958) is an American politician and former businesswoman serving as the junior United States senator from Washington since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Washingto ...

(born 1958), U.S. Senatoor *

Maria Cole Maria Cole ( Hawkins; August 1, 1922 – July 10, 2012) was an American jazz singer and the wife of singer Nat King Cole; mother of the singer Natalie Cole. Early life Cole was born in Boston and was the niece of Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Her ...

(1922–2012), American jazz singer * Maria Colwell (1965–1973), British female murder victim * Maria Christina (several people) * Maria Dallas, New Zealand singer * Maria Damanaki (born 1952) Greek politician * Maria d'Apparecida (1926–2017), Brazilian opera singer * Maria Darling, British voice actress * Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz, East Timorese religious sister * Maria de Vasconcelos (born 1970), Portuguese psychiatrist, singer and songwriter * Maria do Céu Sarmento, East Timorese politician * Maria Domingas Alves, East Timorese politician * Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849), Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature * María Escudero-Escribano (born 1983), Spanish chemist * María-Esther Vidal, Venezuelan scientist * Maria Louise Eve (1842–1900), American poet * Maria Ewing (1950–2022), American opera singer * Maria Farantouri (born 1947), Greek singer * María Fernanda Di Giacobbe (born 1964), Venezuelan chocolatier *

Maria Fyfe Maria Fyfe (''née'' O'Neill; 25 November 1938 – 3 December 2020) was a Scottish politician and educator who served as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill from 1987 to 2001. She was Deputy Shadow Minister for Women from 1988 to 1991, ...

(1938–2020), Scottish politician * María Esther García López (born, 1948), poet, writer; president, Asturias Writers Association * María la Grande (), prominent Tehuelche leader of the early 19th century *

Maria Guyomar de Pinha Maria Guyomar de Pina ( th, มารีอา กียูมาร์ ดึ ปีญา; 1664 – 1728) (also known as ''Maria Guiomar de Pina'', ''Dona Maria del Pifia'' or as ''Marie Guimar'' and ''Madame Constance'' in French), Thao Thong Ki ...

(1664–1728), Siamese cook * Maria Harfanti (born 1992), Miss World Indonesia 2015 *

Maria Höfl-Riesch Maria Höfl-Riesch (; née Riesch, born 24 November 1984) is a former German World Cup alpine ski racer. She is a three-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and an overall World Cup champion. Höfl-Riesch made her World Cup debut ...

(born 1984), German alpine skier * María Holly (born 1932), widow of rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly * Maria Iliou (born 1960) Greek film director, scriptwriter and producer * Maria James (1793–1868), Welsh-born American poet *

Maria Jane Jewsbury Maria Jane Jewsbury (later Maria Jane Fletcher; 25 October 1800 – 4 October 1833) was an English writer, poet and reviewer. Her ''Phantasmagoria'' of poetry and prose, ''Letters to the Young'' and ''The Three Histories'' were highly popular. W ...

(1800–1833), English writer, poet, literary reviewer * María José (several people) * Maria Kanellis (born 1982), American professional wrestler *

Maria Kekkonen Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, d ...

, Finnish erotic actress * Maria Brace Kimball (1852–1933), American educator, elocutionist, writer *

Maria Kochetkova Maria Olegovna Kochetkova (russian: Мария Олеговна Кочеткова; born 1984) is a Russian ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet between 2007 and 2018, and with the American Ballet Theatre betw ...

(born 1984), Russian ballet dancer * Maria Kovrigina (1910–1995), Russian physician and Soviet minister of health * Maria Kowroski (born 1976), American ballet dancer * Maria Lampadaridou Pothou (born 1933), Greek novelist, poet and playwright *

Maria Elise Turner Lauder Maria Elise Turner Lauder ( pen name Toofie Lauder, also known as Maria Elise Turner de Touffe Lauder; 20 February 1833 – 1 June 1922) was a Canadian teacher, linguist, and author who travelled extensively in Europe. She published novels and po ...

(1833–1922), Canadian writer * Maria Lauterbach (1987–2007), American murder victim * Maria Lioudaki (1894–1947), Greek educator, folklorist, and resistance fighter * Maria White Lowell (1821–1853), American poet, abolitionist * Maria Lugones (1944–2020), American philosopher *

Maria Lynn Ehren Maria Lynn Ehren ( th, มาเรีย ลินน์ เอียเรียน; born 18 January 1992), known professionally as Maria Poonlertlarp ( th, มารีญา พูลเลิศลาภ, , ), is a Swedish-Thai model, actress ...

(born 1992), Thai singer and model * Maria Laura Mainetti (1939–2000), Italian Catholic sister and murder victim * María Emma Mannarelli (born 1954), Peruvian feminist writer, historian, professor * Maria Mandl (1912–1948), Austrian Nazi SS commandant of the female camp at Auschwitz concentration camp executed for war crimes * Maria Rika Maniates (1937–2011), Canadian musicologist * María Marcano de León, Puerto Rican government official *

Maria Mazina Maria Valeryevna Mazina (born 18 April 1964) is a Russian women's épée fencer. She is an Olympic champion, and a 5-time world women's épée champion. Early and personal life Mazina was born in Moscow, Russia, and is Jewish. She lives in Mos ...

(born 1964), Russian Olympic champion épée fencer * Maria Alberta Menéres (1930–2019), Portuguese writer * Maria Montessori, Italian educator * , Japanese voice actress * , Japanese actress *

Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (born Princess Maria Pia of Savoy; 24 September 1934) is the eldest daughter of Umberto II of Italy and Marie-José of Belgium. She is the older sister of Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, ...

(born 1934) *

Maria Palmer Maria Palmer (born Maria Pichler, 5 September 1917 – 6 September 1981) was an Austrian-born American actress. Early life Palmer was born and raised in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Vienna, Austria) on 5 September 1917. She first appeared on st ...

(1917–1981), Austrian-born American actress * Maria Petri (1939–2022), English association football supporter * Maria Posobchuk (1890–1992), Ukrainian weaver *

Maria Rahajeng Maria Asteria Sastrayu Rahajeng, often called Maria Rahajeng (born 4 October 1991) is an Indonesian beauty pageant titleholder who was the representative from West Sulawesi and crowned Miss Indonesia 2014 on 17 February 2014, by her predecessor, ...

(born 1991), Miss World Indonesia 2014 * Maria Goretti, a victim of crime and saint * Maria Rasputin (1898–1977), memoirist * Maria Ressa (born 1963), Filipina-American author, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate *

Maria Reynolds Maria Reynolds (née Lewis; March 30, 1768 – March 25, 1828) was the wife of James Reynolds, and was Alexander Hamilton's mistress between 1791 and 1792. She became the object of much scrutiny after the release of the Reynolds Pamphlet and cen ...

(1768–1828), wife of James Reynolds *

Maria Sakkari Maria Sakkari ( gr, Μαρία Σάκκαρη, ; born 25 July 1995) is a Greek professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 3 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which she first achieved on 21 March 2022, making her ...

(born 1995), Greek professional tennis player * María Elena Salinas, American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author * Maria Selena (born 1990), Indonesian beauty pageant titleholder who won Puteri Indonesia 2011 * Maria Sharapova (born 1987), Russian professional tennis player * Maria Shriver (born 1955), American journalist and activist * Maria Antónia Siza (1940–1973), Portuguese artist * Maria Strömkvist (born 1964), Swedish politician * Maria Tenazi (1903–1930), Soviet Armenian silent film actress *

(several people) * Maria von Trapp (1905–1987), Austrian-born American singer *

María Valverde María Valverde Rodríguez (born 24 March 1987) is a Spanish actress. Career At age 16, Valverde had a major role in '' The Weakness of the Bolshevik'', for which she won Best New Actress at the 18th Goya Awards. Her other films include ''Me ...

(born 1987), Spanish actress * Maria Eulália Vares, Brazilian mathematical statistician and probability theorist * Maria Vasilkova (born 1978), Russian politician * Maria Chantal Videla (born 2002), Filipino-Argentine actress, model and singer of K-pop girl group Lapillus * Maria Walliser (born 1963), Swiss alpine skier * Maria Torrence Wishart (1893 – 1982), Canadian medical illustrator and the founder of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

's Art as Applied to Medicine program * Maria Zandbang (1886–1972), Polish equestrian

Fictional characters

* Maria, a fictional character played by Laura Nicole in the British web series ''Corner Shop Show'' * Maria, a villain character in the tokusatsu '' Chōjin Sentai Jetman'' * Maria, the youngest princess of Macedon in the ''Fire Emblem'' video game series. * Grace Maria Fleed, a character from the anime '' Grendizer''. * Maria (''West Side Story''), the main female protagonist from the musical ''West Side Story'' * Maria Jackson, a character from ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' *

Maria Renard is a fictional character in the ''Castlevania'' video game series. Concept and creation '' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' contains unused content that suggests an evil or possessed version of Maria was planned to be included. Her theme rem ...

, a character in the ''Castlevania'' video game series *

Maria Robotnik The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or Doctor ...

, a character in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series * Maria von Trapp, the main female protagonist from the musical ''The Sound of Music'' * Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, a boss character from ''The Old Hunters'' DLC for the video game ''Bloodborne'' * Maria Calavera, a supporting character in the animated web series ''

RWBY ''RWBY'' (pronounced "Ruby") is an American anime-influenced computer-animated web series created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. It is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people train to become warriors (called "Huntsmen" and " ...

'' * Maria Fritz, the daughter of Ymir Fritz, namesake of Wall Maria and a minor character in the anime and manga ''

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as ...

'' * Maria Wong, a character from the Canadian animated television series '' Braceface''

Male (as part of a compound name or as a middle name)

* Carlo Maria Abate, Italian racecar driver * Alberto María de Agostini, Italian explorer * Carlos María de Alvear, Argentine general *

José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spain. A member of the Fre ...

, Spanish politician, former Spanish prime minister * Angelo Maria Bandini, Italian author and librarian * Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguayan cardinal * Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria *

Giovanni Maria Benzoni Giovanni Maria Benzoni (28 August 1809 – 28 April 1873) was an Italian neoclassical sculptor. He was trained in Rome, where he later set up his own workshop. Benzoni designed some of his sculptures with a production line in mind using ot ...

, Italian sculptor *

Matteo Maria Boiardo Matteo Maria Boiardo (, ; 144019/20 December 1494) was an Italian Renaissance poet, best known for his epic poem ''Orlando innamorato''. Early life Boiardo was born in 1440,

, Italian poet * Giovanni Maria Bottala, Italian painter * Klaus Maria Brandauer, Austrian actor *

Giuseppe Maria Buonaparte '' Nobile'' Giuseppe Maria Buonaparte or Giuseppe Maria di Buonaparte (31 May 1713 – 13 December 1763) was a Corsican politician, better known as the paternal grandfather of Napoleon I of France. Early life He was the son of Sebastiano Nicol ...

, Corsican politician * Carlo Maria Cipolla, Italian economic historian *

Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari (27 September 1677 – 16 May 1754) was an Italian musical composer and ''maestro di cappella'' (chapel-master) at Pistoia. He was born at Pisa. He gained his initial grounding in musical education from his father, a ...

, Italian composer * Carlo Maria Curci, Italian theologian * Corrado Maria Daclon, Italian journalist *

Felix Maria Diogg Felix Maria Diogg (1 July 1762 – 19 February 1834) was a Swiss painter. Born in Andermatt, as an adult he made Rapperswil his home. Diogg is considered the most important Swiss Classicism portraitist. Life and work Born as the son of Kathar ...

, Swiss painter * Timm Maria Franz Elstner, German TV host * Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, better known as

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

* Johann Maria Farina, Italian-German perfumer *

Carlo Innocenzio Maria Frugoni Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni (21 November 1692 – 20 December 1768) 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. His coll ...

, Italian poet * Alessandro Maria Gaetano Galilei, Italian architect and mathematician *

Giuseppe Maria Giulietti Giuseppe Maria Giulietti (28 December 1847 – 25 May 1881) was an Italian soldier, geographer and explorer. He was born in a wealthy family in Casteggio, province of Pavia. He enrolled in the Corpo Volontari Italiani (Italian Volunteers Corps) wh ...

, Italian soldier *

Carlo Maria Giulini Carlo Maria Giulini (; 9 May 1914 – 14 June 2005) was an Italian conductor. From the age of five, when he began to play the violin, Giulini's musical education was expanded when he began to study at Italy's foremost conservatory, the Conserva ...

, Italian conductor *

Francesco Maria Grimaldi Francesco Maria Grimaldi, SJ (2 April 1618 – 28 December 1663) was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna. He was born in Bologna to Paride Grimaldi and Anna Cattani. Work Between ...

, Italian mathematician *

Christoph Maria Herbst Christoph Maria Herbst (born 9 February 1966) is a German actor and comedian. Early life Herbst was born in Wuppertal. After passing the Abitur, he became a trainee banker and was active at the free theatre scene in Wuppertal at the same time ...

, German actor *

Franco Maria Malfatti Franco Maria Malfatti (; 13 June 1927 – 10 December 1991) was an Italian politician who served as the 3rd President of the European Commission from 1970 to 1972. He served at Italian level as Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1979 to ...

, Italian politician * Thomas Maria Mamachi, Italo-Greek Dominican theologian and historian * Antonio Maria Maraggiano, Italian sculptor *

Carlo Maria Martini Carlo Maria Martini (15 February 1927 – 31 August 2012) was an Italian Jesuit, cardinal of the Catholic Church and a Biblical scholar. He was Archbishop of Milan from 1980 to 2004 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1983. A towering ...

, Italian cardinal * Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer * Tommaso Maria Napoli, Italian architect * José María Olazábal, Spanish golfer * Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist *

Carlo Maria Pintacuda Carlo Maria Pintacuda (18 September 1900 – 8 March 1971) was a motor-racing driver from Italy. Pintacuda was born in Florence on 18 September 1900. He was one of the greatest drivers from the "Florentine School" alongside Emilio Materassi, Gas ...

, Italian racecar driver * Francesco Maria Pritilli, Italian scholar and antiquarian *

Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (, ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German-born novelist. His landmark novel ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during World ...

, German author * Franco Maria Ricci, Italian art publisher *

Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogn ...

, German poet * Jan Maria Rokita, Polish politician * Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita, Czech astronomer * Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, king of Spain * Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Silvester Maria Stuart, leader of the Jacobite rebellion * José María Canlás Sison, Filipino activist and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines * Victor Maria Regis Sotto (born 1989), Filipino politician * Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, Italian cardinal and saint *

Giovanni Maria Trabaci Giovanni Maria Trabaci (ca. 1575 – 31 December 1647) was an Italian composer and organist. He was a prolific composer, with some 300 surviving works preserved in more than 10 publications; he was especially important for his keyboard music. B ...

, Italian composer *

Antonio Maria Vassallo Antonio Maria Vassallo (c. 1620-1664/1673) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Genoa, and painting mythologic scenes and still lifes. His biography is poorly documented, and mainly depends on the Genoese biographer Raf ...

, Italian painter * Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer and violinist *

Gianni Versace Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...

born Giovanni Maria Versace, Italian fashion designer *

Filippo Maria Visconti Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447)

, Duke of Milan * Gian Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan *

Gian Maria Volonté Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor, including roles in four Spaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964) and El Indio in Leone's '' For a Few Dollars More'' (19 ...

, Italian actor *

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas, ...

, German composer * Edward Maria Wingfield, English explorer * Tommaso Maria Zigliara, Italian cardinal * Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Polish Conventual Franciscan * Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg * Juan María Bordaberry, Uruguayan dictator * Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, Erbsälzer zu Werl und Neuwerk, German politician, diplomat, Prussian nobleman and General Staff officer

References