Maria Cruz Borja
This name appears in A List of Philippine Baptismal Names, published in 1905. Spelling in the catalog: María.
Maria — given name (May 2021 #14), Spanish / Biblical, bitter, beloved, or wished-for child (Hebrew via Latin).
Cruz — mother's maiden surname, Spanish / Biblical, Cross (Spanish).
Borja — father's surname, Spanish, tower (from Spanish placename Borja, ultimately of Arabic origin).
Maria is a spanish given name with Cruz (spanish) and Borja (spanish).
Derived from the Hebrew Miryam via Latin and Greek, Maria has been the single most ubiquitous female name in the Philippines since the Spanish colonial era. It is traditionally bestowed in honor of the Virgin Mary, either as a standalone name or as the first component of…
6 syllables. Initials MCB.
Maria ends on a vowel and Cruz starts the next syllable. That break is ordinary.
Usual stress in the Philippines: the middle syllable.
Pairs well with first names of two to three syllables ending in consonants to balance the open terminal vowel.
Would your family give Maria?
Mark it if your family would give this first name. The count is for 2026 on this site. It is not the civil registry, and it is not babies registered in 2024.
No family on this site has marked Maria for 2026 yet.