Just wanted to weigh in on Maria -- in the 18ht & 19th century in the US Maria was pronounced Mari-ha. My great-great-great-grandmother was named Maria, and had a daughter named Maria. And as I was doing family research my aunt told me of tales of her mother pushing Aunt "Mari-ah" in a wheelchair on the boardwalk at Atlantic City. -- and when I found the spelling in a Census, she confirmed it was spelled Maria, and pronounced Mari-ah.