Mary’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Mary
Give Mary a notebook that's unmistakably hers. Mary's Notebook has her name in elegant script over a pink watercolor apple blossom cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Mary's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
Where does the name Mary come from?
Mary is the English form of Maria, which came through Latin and Greek from the Hebrew name Miryam, borne in the Old Testament by the sister of Moses. Nobody knows its original meaning for certain. Suggestions include “wished-for child” and “sea of bitterness”, and it may go back to an Egyptian word meaning “beloved” or “love”. Above all it is the name of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which made it one of the most widely used names in the Christian world. In England it has been in use since the 12th century.
Other forms of Mary
Mary has gathered more pet names than almost any other name. Molly and Polly both began as nicknames for Mary, and May, Mae and Mamie are old favorites too. Around the world the same name appears as Maria, Marie, Mari and Maryam, so a Mary has relatives in almost every language.
Well-known Marys
Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein (1818), often called one of the first science fiction novels. American poet Mary Oliver won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for poems full of nature and wonder. In the UK, Dame Mary Berry is the much-loved baker, food writer and TV presenter, and in Australia Mary MacKillop, who co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph, became the country’s first canonized saint.
Mary’s popularity
No girls’ name in American history comes close. In US Social Security data, Mary was the number one girls’ name in every decade from the 1880s to the 1950s, and still number two in the 1960s. In the 1920s alone, more than 700,000 baby girls were named Mary. It has eased down the charts since, so today’s Marys range from great-grandmothers to little girls whose parents love a classic.
A few more things about Mary
In 1880, the first year of US name records, Mary was given more than twice as often as the next most popular girls’ name, Anna. It held the top spot until 1946, when Linda pushed it into second place, and it won the crown back for a few more years in the 1950s. Behind the Name also notes that at certain times, in some cultures, Mary was considered too holy for everyday use.
Gift ideas with Mary in mind
- For a baker. A Mary who loves a good bake can keep her tried-and-tested recipes in one place.
- For a writer. Frankenstein began as a story among friends. Give her somewhere to start her own.
- Christmas. With its place in the Christmas story, a notebook for Mary is a natural stocking gift.
- For a grandmother. Many Marys are grandmas now, and it makes a lovely home for family memories.
A notebook for every Mary
Mary’s Notebook works just as well for a teenager as for a grandmother. It’s 6" x 9", which fits in most bags, with 160 lined pages and no printed layout to work around. Use it as a diary, a school notebook, a planner or a place to collect quotes and ideas. A name on the cover turns an everyday notebook into something personal.
Why choose a personalized notebook?
A plain notebook is useful. One with her name on it is a gift. Seeing “Mary’s Notebook” on the cover tells Mary it was chosen for her, not grabbed off a shelf, and that small touch is often what makes people keep a notebook going instead of abandoning it after a week.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Mary’s Notebook? 6" x 9", or about 15.2 x 22.9 cm. It’s a paperback with 160 lined pages inside.
Where do I buy it? Mary’s Notebook is available on Amazon, which prints each copy to order and looks after delivery and refunds.
Do you have other names? We do, hundreds of them. Browse all name notebooks or read how to find a name on our personalized name notebooks page.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Mary's Notebook is published by Black Stag Publishing.