Maris (given name)

Maris is a given name of Latin origin meaning "of the sea". It is derived from the phrase Stella Maris ("star of the sea"), an epithet for the Virgin Mary. The phrase Stella Maris is the origin of the French name Marie. The name also refers to the Basque mother goddess Mari, who reigns over everything living and has a strong connection to the sea. Because of its derivation, the name Maris is also related to other names that connote stars, like Stella, Aster or Sarah. It also etymologically refers to the words for 'sea/of the sea' in different languages like Spanish and Portuguese (mar), Old High German (meri), Indogermanic (mari), Irish Gaelic (muirí/mara) or French (mer/marine). The name could also be related to the Celtic goddess The Morrígan, depending on which school of thought on the meaning of the name is followed. It is also related to the Scottish and Irish language forms for Maria, Mairi and Máire, as well as the Germanic and Danish name Maren. It is used as a unisex name in Germany and Sweden as well as a feminine name in Estonia, the Netherlands and the English speaking countries. It is also used as a short form or variation of Maria, especially common in Estonia and the Netherlands. Also, Maris is a short form of the biblical name Damaris. There is also the phonetically similar Latvian masculine name Māris with a different root.

People

Female

• MARIS (born 1999), American singer-songwriter
• Maris Hubschmid, [1] German journalist, chief editor of one of the major newspapers and winner of the Theodor-Wolff-Preis
• Maris Curran, American filmmaker, known for films like Five Nights in Maine or Jeannette
• Maris O'Rourke, Scottish writer and poet, former Director of Education at World Bank
• Maris Lauri (born 1966), Estonian politician
• Maris Rõngelep (born 1984), Estonian track and field athlete
• Maris Soule (born 1939), American author of romance, romantic suspense novels and short stories
• Maris Wrixon (1916–1999), American film and television actress
• Cora Mildred Maris Clark (1885–1967), New Zealand hockey player
• Maris Mägi (born 1987), Estonian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres
• Maris Racal, Filipino Actress
• Maris Pfeiffer, German filmmaker and professor
• Maris Bustamante, Mexican feminist artist

Male

• Maris, a saint and martyr of the group Maris, Martha, Abachum and Audifax
• Maris Sole Agnelli (1892–1935), Italian industrialist, principal family shareholder of the Italian car company Fiat
• Maris Cakars (1942–1992), editor of WIN (Workshop in Nonviolence) Magazine (anti-Vietnam War) from 1970 to 1976
• Maris (bishop), 4th century Bishop of Chalcedon
• Maris Martinsons, director of the Pacific Rim Institute for the Studies of Management
• Maris Bryant Pierce (1811–1874), Seneca chief, lawyer, land-rights activist
• Maris Valainis, American construction consultant and a former actor

Mythical or fictional characters

• Maris (mythology), an Etruscan god depicted as an infant, probably the god of fertility and love
• Maris Crane, fictional character from the TV show Frasier
• The female main character in the anime Maris the Chojo
• Maris Pallitax, the daughter of the Most High Academe in the young adult fantasy series The Edge Chronicles
• Maris Brood, a character and boss in the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Maris, brother of Atymnius in Greek mythology
• Maris Bächle, female Detective in the German crime show Ein Schwarzwaldkrimi
• Queen Maris the Maid, also known as the Most Fair, daughter of High King Garth Greenhand in A Song of Ice and Fire, the novel series that was adapted into Game of Thrones
• Maris Baratheon, noblewoman from House Baratheon in House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones

See also

• Māris (name), a Latvian masculine given name
• Maris the Great, promotional performance artist based in Denver, Colorado