Marisol

Short form of María Soledad; also associated with María del Sol and “sea and sun”.

Marisol has more than one layer of meaning. Its connection with María de la Soledad belongs to the Spanish tradition of names referring to the Virgin Mary. Here, soledad means “solitude”. The sun enters through another explanation, María del Sol, and through the phrase mar y sol: “sea and sun”. These associations can give Marisol a warm, open-air feel, but “sea and sun” is not its only possible origin. In Spanish, say ma-ri-SOL, with three syllables and the emphasis at the end. The light beginning and fuller final syllable give it a buoyant rhythm. It feels less formal than the longer María de la Soledad, while keeping a recognizably classic character. The spelling is Marisol, written as one word without an accent mark.

Etymology: A Spanish contraction of María Soledad or María de la Soledad. The latter invokes Mary under the title “Our Lady of Solitude”. Another explanation connects it with María del Sol; the phrase mar y sol, “sea and sun”, offers a further association.