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[Opinions] But they aren't as beautiful or classic in Germany.
in reply to a message by JHK
Marie is originally French...why not use the German form Maria. I mean the pronunciation is close but in German, Marie doesn't sound as wholesome as Maria...Maria has the rounded sound.
Maja wasn't common until recently, was it?
Why can't the German be German?
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Well, it depends on what you mean when you say recently.Maja: commonly used in Germany since 1944, first popular between 1972 and 1977, then again in 2003.Marie: commonly used in Germany for over a century, has always been popular since the 1890s with the exception of the years 1950 to 1960.I agree with you that we should use German names but as I perceive it, we do. Many "modern" German names are not seen as such by foreigners because very often they'd like to see stereotypical German names like Hans, Grete, Friedrich and Hildegard.However, popular names like Johanna, Moritz, Florian & Katharina are German classics, too. Concerning the last question: "Why can't the German be German?"
Only in the last years, German parents have had the "courage" to use certain old German names again. Some of them had been frowned upon for decades after WWII. Being too German was everything but trendy.

This message was edited 12/19/2009, 8:29 AM

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But Germans are so cool now!
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Wow. I didn't know that. Thanks though :):)
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Thank you for the compliment ;)
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