Message: "Marilla" - Behind the Name

Marilla

by Haven (guest)

2/2/2004, 2:51 AM

Its a female name, used in Anne of Green Gables. Is it an actual name? Is it a take off or Rilla? Any ideas?

Haven

#Marilla

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- chrisell +2

2/2/2004, 5:14 AM

My baby names book (which is semi-reliable!) lists Marilla as an English elaboration of Mary. Seems about right to me.

http://www.justbabynames.com/ reckons it's a variation of Muriel, Celtic, meaning "Shining Sea". A few different sites share this definition.

http://www.20000-names.com/ thinks it's a flower name - they don't say it but maybe from Amaryllis?

I'm betting on the Mary origin. :-)

- genis (guest)

2/3/2004, 11:52 AM

There is variey of peony called 'Marilla Beauty' that was introduced in 1940 so that is another possibility for the flower name listing. The naming a new plant is usually an honor given to the breeder. Occasionally they combine the names of the parent plants (a fictional example: Sweet Marilla and Snow Beauty), but more often if a plant contains a woman's name it is named after a loved one. This seems more likely to me because I can't find any other peonies with Marilla as part of a name.

- Lilly (guest)

4/6/2004, 6:36 PM

Behind the name, origin, meaning

- Anneza (guest)

2/3/2004, 1:20 AM

I agree with Chrisell, and I'd also be willing to bet that it's a blend of Mary + Ella (or Mary + Eleanor, or Elizabeth, or even Priscilla. You get the idea).

- Magia (guest) +1

2/6/2004, 9:57 PM

I know I'm late, but...

Maybe it is another shape of Mariella ...???
In Italian it is prn mary-ella. But In English, Mariella is prn Marilla, right?

- chrisell

2/9/2004, 9:43 PM

I'd pronounce Mariella mar-ee-ELL-uh. Marilla is prn mar-ILL-uh.

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