What name/s could this be?
 

I'm looking at parish registers in Yorkshire where some ministers are shortening as much as they can. I have a girl's name Mar with a little 'a' just above and to the right of the r, just like you would have a d for Rich (Richard).

I'm thinking it is Maria, but could it be Martha or something else?

Mara

Browsing through from there, 9 May 1743 there is the burial of "Mara" wife of Wm Beanland, and on 21 Dec 1734 there is the marriage of Wm Beanland and Martha Hudson, so I say Mara is short for Martha.

thanks Kate.

I would never have thought of Martha being shortened like that. Mind you I could only find 1 Maria and she wasn't anything to do with the family I'm looking at.

I couldn’t see the point of shortening Maria or Martha. I’ve seen lots of longer names shortened.