Meri?

joyfullyfound

We're due next month-ish with #2, and team green. 

I think at this point we're pretty much settled on Caroline for a girl, but I've been struggling with a middle name. Both my grandmother's and my MIL's names are Mary, so I'd like to honor them. I also have a very strong connection to the ocean though (west coast girl, grew up on my dad's boat, competitive swimmer, etc), and I've been searching for a water themed middle name to represent that. I found the name Meri today, which means "the sea" in Finnish, and I believe it would be pronounced the same way as Mary. What do you think? Would it just look like I'm butchering Mary? Or could I get away with it, at least in the middle name spot?  

 Also, our last name starts with an M (pretty much sounds like Mallet) and I'm not sure about the sound of the double M's... Thoughts?

sraexx

I like it. I would see the last name concern if it was a first name. It would remind me of Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) but middle and with that spelling it is fine.

joyfullyfound

Cool, thanks for the feedback. The other option is Caroline Joy. Which do you prefer between the two?  

Helenahhandbasket

What about Maris?  It means "star of the sea" and has a connection to the name Mary.

Edit--Ii would also say Meri and Mary (and Marry) differently.

 

mrs_tacos

If it's to honor someone, I'd just use their name. (I pronounce Mary and Meri differently as well- also from the Midwest.) That being said, I like the sound of Caroline Joy better.

mhickey426

Isn't Meri the same name as one of the women on the show "sister wives"?  She pronounces it Merry not Mary.  I think it is a nice name.  I just wouldn't pronounce it as Mary.

SidraJedi

I can see the pronunciation thing but I think its a great name especially as a MN.

brooksidebride

mjreilly2 said:

Joy2611 said:

Oh yay!  Another pronuncier! 

Are all three words different, @mjreilly2?

I don't pronounce marry and Mary differently, but marry/Mary and merry sound quite different to me. Air versus err.

ETA: quite block not working. Starts here. Also: Northeasterner.

Same here. Mary and marry are the same for me, but they are different from merry.

I would think that Meri would be said as merry (as in Merry Christmas). And I like it. I've heard it used a few times as a nn for Meredith.

That being said... If you are trying to honor a Mary, then I don't see how this name is really doing that. I'm picky about that.

RebeccaS6627

I pronounce Meri like merry. I have a few friends who use it as a NN for Meredith. I think it's a cute MN!...ETA: I'm also from the Northeast, and I pronounce all three words differently.

blu-eyedwife

Joy2611 said:

I took a lot of pronunciation quizzes awhile ago (one was from Stanford, I think) and I learned that all three words being pronounced differently is very much a Philadelphia area thing.  Other places just have two of the three being the same and others say all three the same.

I spent a good ten minutes explaining to my Buffalo husband how all three words were different.  He was looking at my like I had three heads.

It's not a Philadelphia thing and your husband is strange!  My parents both grew up in Brooklyn - they pronounce all three differently.  I was born in upstate New York (not quite as upstate as Buffalo ) and they pronounce all three differently.  I've also lived in the Boston and Pittsburgh areas - they say all three differently there also.

LimaD

I really do like it! However, if you're wanting to honor Marys then I think going with just Mary would be best....but if you'd rather use a name inspired by the sea, Meri does sound very  nice. I like Mary or Meri better than Joy, maybe because there is significance behind it.

g8trkim

Joy2611 said:

I don't see the connection between Meri and Mary, honestly.  If their names are Mary, then I'd go with Mary.

I also say Mary and Meri differently, but that appears to be a Philadelphia thing!  Marry, Merry (Meri) and Mary are all different sounding words here.

That said, I do think the name is nice on its own!

This. I feel like if you change the spelling it's not really recognizing that person. Plus I like Mary better than Meri.

tlong

I'm from the midwest (IN) and I say merry and marry the same? Not sure what the difference would be? Also, I'm a Teri, and I would absolutely say my name rhymes with Mary... Anyway, I personally prefer Caroline Joy, but it's about honoring family members, I would stick with the traditional spelling. 

RondackHiker

tlong said:

I'm from the midwest (IN) and I say merry and marry the same? Not sure what the difference would be? Also, I'm a Teri, and I would absolutely say my name rhymes with Mary... Anyway, I personally prefer Caroline Joy, but it's about honoring family members, I would stick with the traditional spelling. 

I'm from upstate NY and am saying Mary, merry, and marry to myself and I hear them all the same.

MusicFanatic

RondackHiker said:

I'm from the midwest (IN) and I say merry and marry the same? Not sure what the difference would be? Also, I'm a Teri, and I would absolutely say my name rhymes with Mary... Anyway, I personally prefer Caroline Joy, but it's about honoring family members, I would stick with the traditional spelling. 

I'm from upstate NY and am saying Mary, merry, and marry to myself and I hear them all the same.

I was born and raised in Hawaii, and now also live in upstate NY and I say all three of these the same.  I would also assume, upon glance, that Meri is said like all of them. (and Teri would rhyme with them all).  Interesting!

I do like Meri. It flows nice with Caroline.