(female) Originally a Middle English Anglicized form of French Marie, from Latin Maria. This is a New Testament form of Miriam, which St Jerome derives from elements meaning ‘drop of the sea’ (Latin stilla maris, later altered by folk etymology to stella maris ‘star of the sea’). Mary was the name of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, who has been the subject of a cult from earliest times. Consequently, the name was extremely common among early Christians, several saints among them, and by the Middle Ages was well established in every country in Europe at every level of society. It has been in use ever since, its popularity in England having been relatively undisturbed by vagaries of fashion until the 1960s, when it began to decline sharply. In the New Testament, Mary is also the name of several other women: Mary Magdalene (see Madeleine); Mary the sister of Martha, who sat at Jesus's feet while Martha served (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–46; 12:1–9) and who came to be taken in Christian tradition as symbolizing the value of a contemplative life; the mother of St Mark (Colossians 4:10); and a Roman matron mentioned by St Paul (Romans 16:6).
Pet forms: May, Molly.
Cognates: In most European languages, including English: Maria. Irish: Máire (see also Moira, Maura); Máiria (a learned form). Scottish Gaelic: Màiri, Màili. Welsh: Mair, Mari. Dutch: Marja. French: Marie. Spanish: María. Russian: Mar(i)ya. Czech, Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian: Marija. Finnish: Marja. Hungarian: Marica. Lithuanian: Marija.
English: 1. from a pet form of the female personal name Elizabeth. Compare Hibbs 2. 2. nickname for someone with very fair hair or skin, from Middle English, Old English lilie ‘lily’ (Latin lilium).The Italian equivalent Giglio was used as a personal name in the Middle Ages. In English and other languages there has also been some confusion with forms of Giles. 3. habitational name from places called Lilley, in Hertfordshire and Berkshire. The Hertfordshire place was named in Old English as ‘flax-glade’, from līn ‘flax’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The Berkshire name is from Old English Lillinglēah ‘wood associated with Lilla’, an Old English personal name.
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![[Image: Color-coded map of the United States showing name distribution by state.]](/map/Mary.Lilly.US.gif)
