Marietta

Marietta is an Italian diminutive of Maria, itself the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew name Miryam, whose precise meaning is debated but may derive from roots meaning beloved, sea of bitterness, or drop of the sea. The name gained widespread use across Catholic Europe through devotion to the Virgin Mary, and its diminutive suffix lent it an affectionate, familiar quality particularly popular in Italy and Hungary. Marietta Alboni, the celebrated nineteenth-century Italian opera singer, stands among its notable bearers. Closely related forms include Marie, Marion, Mariette, and Marielle.